extract from 14 books
that make up "the
prelude", titled
childhood and
school-time
romantic poet - appriciation
and love for nature - exploring
connection between natura
and human emotion
looks at the
way the way
human
identity is
shaped by
experience
changed the way people
thought about the natural
world
believed nature
controlled
mankind
born in the lake
district, influence
on his wrtting
content
begins on a summer evening when the
narrator finds a boat tied to a tree,
unties/steals it to take it out on the lake
initially seems happy
and confident,
descrtibes beautiful
scene - mountain
appears and changes to
fear of its size and
power - realisation
turns the boat
around and goes
home, changing his
view of nature
form
first-person narrative,
personal and describes
turning point in poets life
use of blank verse
(unrhymed verse in
iambic pentameter)
creates serious and
important tone
regular rhyme scheme
makes it sound like a
natural speech
structure
three main
sections, 1 - tone
is light and
carefree, 2 -
distinct change
when mountain
appears, darker
and fearful, 3 -
reflects on how
expeirence has
changed him
language
beautiful
poem begins with a series
of prettym pastoral images
of nature, reflecting his
appriciation
confident
appears sure of himself at
first, almost arrogant in his
view of himself and place
in the world, feels powerful
dramatic
initial glimpses of
threatening language
become more intense after
mountain appears - power of
nature
fearful
far less confident at
end of extract,
troubled by the
"huge and mighty
forms", hsving a
lasting, haunting
effect on him
attitudes
confidence
the narrator feels comfertable and in control,
but shaken by his realisation of the power of
nature
fear
nature is shown to be more
powerful than human beings, left
with feeling of awe and respect,
but also scared by nature
reflection
ends with narrator reflecting on
how hes been changed by the
event, thoughts and dreams
troubled by this
unclear identity,
earlier poem
suggests nature
has been
personified to
express its power
"led by her"
showing the inferiority of
man-made ideas in contrast
to nature, idea of it being
controlled by the tree
"little boat tied to a
willow tree"
sense of desperation
due to stealing the boat,
portrays his
appriciation for nature
" I unloosed her chain"
secretive and guilty pleasure, knows what hes doing
is wrong yet desire is so great he disregards it,
proves weakness of man
"it was an act of stealth"
succession of the sound "I"
creates a flow, mirroring the
boat flowing gently through
the water
"leaving behind her still -
until they melted all - of
sparkling light"
self-confidence/arrogance,
ironic as he later looses all
confidence, contrasts
"proud of his skill - with an
unswerving line"
emptiness contrasts with line 22,
when he looks at horizon again,
making its appearance seem
more shocking and powerful
"the horizons utmost boundary,
far above, was nothing but the
stars and the grey sky"
metaphor of a "fairy
boat" makes scene
seem magical and
otherwordly, but still
not threatening, idea
of a small boat,
inferior to nature
"she was an elfin
pinnace"
"when" - sudden and abrupt
change/volta representing
shock, surprise to him
juxtaposes insignficance and
smallness of boat and the initial
boundary, is almost intimidating
"a huge peak, black and
huge"
mountain
personified, creates
an ugly image that
contrasts to the
previous imagrey of
the boat "elfin",
"swan"
"upreared its head"
as if narrator is trying to
escape yet is unable, like a
nightmare
"I struck and stuck
again, and growing
in still stature"
sibilance creates
a synister tone, as
if a nightmare