Wordsworth's The Prelude Extract Analysis
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Questions and Answers

When was 'The Prelude' published?

  • 1798
  • 1850 (correct)
  • After Wordsworth edited it
  • During Wordsworth's lifetime

Which movement is William Wordsworth associated with?

  • The Realist Movement
  • The Romantic Movement (correct)
  • The Victorian Movement
  • The Modernist Movement

What is the main focus of the extract from 'The Prelude'?

  • The poet’s reflections on war
  • The beauty of the natural world
  • A young boy stealing a boat (correct)
  • The struggles of childhood

What is 'Exposure' primarily about?

<p>Soldiers waiting in extreme cold during World War I (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which literary device is used in both poems to show the power of nature?

<p>Personification (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key theme of the Romantic Movement?

<p>The exploration of human emotions (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of poem is 'The Prelude' considered?

<p>An epic poem (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which theme is shared by both 'Exposure' and 'The Prelude'?

<p>The power of nature. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of Romantic poetry, exemplified by 'Extract from The Prelude'?

<p>The sublime. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In 'Extract from The Prelude', what does Wordsworth experience that disrupts his initial feeling of confidence?

<p>The imposing presence of a large mountain. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which literary device is frequently used in both poems to depict the power of nature?

<p>Personification (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the phrase 'moved slowly through the mind' suggest about the mountain's impact on Wordsworth?

<p>It occupied his thoughts for a long time. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the repetition of 'huge' in 'Extract from The Prelude' emphasize?

<p>The overwhelming size of the mountain. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about Wordsworth's use of the mountain as a metaphor?

<p>It symbolizes his grief and trauma. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the text describe the literary technique of juxtaposition?

<p>Placing two contrasting ideas closely together. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the poem, what does 'psyche' mean?

<p>The minds deepest thoughts and beliefs (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key similarity between 'Exposure' and 'The Prelude'?

<p>Both poems utilize the natural environment to demonstrate power. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What literary device is used when the wind is described as 'merciless iced east winds that knive us'?

<p>Personification (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In 'The Prelude,' what is the significance of the mountain 'striding after' the narrator?

<p>It is the poet employing personification to amplify the narrator's fear. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'volta' refer to in the context of poetry?

<p>A shift or turn in the poem's tone or thought. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator feel at the beginning of 'The Prelude'?

<p>Confident and comfortable in nature. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the use of collective pronouns like 'we', 'our', and 'us' in 'Exposure'?

<p>It highlights the shared experience of the soldiers. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In 'Exposure,' why does the speaker feel that 'we turn back to our dying'?

<p>They are facing inescapable death from both nature and fighting. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the change in tone in 'The Prelude'?

<p>It starts with confidence, then shifts to a fearful awe of nature. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to the content, what important aspect do both poems share?

<p>That they are both autobiographical. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

What is an epic poem?

An epic poem is a long, narrative poem that tells a story. It typically features heroic deeds, legendary figures, and grand themes. The poem's structure is often complex, and its language is elevated and formal.

What is the Romantic Movement?

The Romantic Movement in literature, art, and music emphasized emotion, imagination, and the power of nature. It flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

What is personification?

Personification is a literary device where inanimate objects or abstract concepts are given human qualities or characteristics. This helps to create imagery and convey the power or impact of something.

What is autobiographical writing?

Autobiographical writing is a form of writing that focuses on the author's own life experiences, thoughts, and feelings. It often reveals personal insights and perspectives.

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Who was Wilfred Owen?

Wilfred Owen was a war poet who served in World War I. He died in 1918. Owen is known for his realistic and moving poems about the horrors of war, particularly 'Exposure'.

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Who was William Wordsworth?

William Wordsworth was a Romantic poet who was known for his love of nature and exploration of the human experience. He is famous for his poem 'The Prelude' and his contributions to the Romantic Movement.

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What is "Exposure" about?

"Exposure" is a poem by Wilfred Owen that describes the brutal conditions and psychological toll of trench warfare during World War I. The poem focuses on the soldiers' experience with the cold, the fear, and the waiting.

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Sound World

The way words are used to create sounds to reflect their meaning and make the writing more vivid.

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Personification

Giving human qualities or characteristics to inanimate objects or abstract concepts.

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Volta

A sudden shift in the tone, subject, or direction of a poem, marked by a change in the language or structure.

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Awesome Power of Nature

The sense of overwhelming power and awe that nature possesses, especially when it appears hostile or indifferent to human concerns.

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Hopelessness in Nature

The speaker's experience of feeling alone and helpless in the face of nature's power, often experiencing fear and despair.

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Pride in Nature

The feelings of pride and confidence that can be felt when encountering nature, which can sometimes be replaced with fear.

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Turning Up the Volume

The use of words and phrases with strong emotional impact to create a sense of intensity or gravity in the writing.

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Mountain Peaks

The sense of vastness and grandeur that is associated with mountain landscapes.

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Projection

The act of projecting one's own feelings or experiences onto an external object or situation, often with the intention of understanding or explaining those feelings.

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Romantic poetry

A type of poetry that celebrates nature, individual experience, emotion, and imaginative power.

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The sublime

An overwhelming feeling of awe and powerlessness inspired by something beautiful or powerful, like nature.

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Juxtaposition

When two contrasting things are placed close together, often for emphasis or to highlight a theme.

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Metaphor

A figure of speech where something is described as something else to create a vivid image or comparison.

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Autobiography

A method of storytelling where the narrator and the writer of the story are the same person.

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Psyche

The deepest thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of a person.

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Trauma

A strong emotional response to a traumatic event.

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Repetition

A literary device where a word or phrase is repeated for emphasis and impact.

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Study Notes

Wordsworth's The Prelude Extract: Analysis

  • Composition and Publication: Wordsworth began The Prelude in 1798, continuously adding to and revising it throughout his life. It was published posthumously in 1850.
  • Autobiographical Nature: The Prelude is an autobiography, meaning the narrator and author are the same person (Wordsworth).
  • Extract Focus: The extract details Wordsworth's memory of stealing a boat as a child and encountering a mountain on a lake.
  • Initial Mood: Wordsworth is initially confident and pleased with the serene beauty of the natural scene. Positive words, such as "pleasure", "glittering", and "sparkling", create positive feelings and describe the beauty of the water.
  • Shift in Mood: This positive depiction changes when he encounters the mountain, which evokes feelings of fear and insignificance. Negative words ("grim", "trembling", "grave", and "darkness") portray this shift.
  • The Sublime: The imposing mountain exemplifies the sublime, a concept characterized by intense awe and feelings of powerlessness in the face of nature's grandeur.
  • Imposing Power of Nature: The mountain is described with potent language: "huge peak, black and huge", "towered up", "strode after me", emphasizing its overwhelming presence and the feelings of fear and insignificance it evokes.
  • Wordsworth's Trauma: The experience is compared to trauma, suggesting that the mountain represents a significant emotional disturbance. The powerful impact of the mountain is seen in how it affects him later, with the mountain "a trouble to my dreams".
  • Juxtaposition: The extract juxtaposes scenes of serene beauty with the imposing power of the mountain.
  • Volta: The shift in the poem's tone (from initial pleasure to fear) is called a volta, or turn.
  • Form: The Prelude is a long narrative poem. The extract uses blank verse (unrhymed poetry with a consistent number of syllables per line), a device that facilitates a narrative style.
  • Romantic Era Context: Wordsworth penned The Prelude during the Romantic period (late 18th and early 19th centuries), a time when artists and poets often sought solace in nature.
  • Comparison with "Exposure": Both poems focus on nature's power, using personification to portray it, although the speakers respond to this power in contrasting ways. "Exposure" portrays hopelessness and helplessness in the face of war, rather than nature's power.

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Description

Explore the themes and emotions in an extract from Wordsworth's The Prelude. This analysis delves into the autobiographical elements, the shift in mood from confidence to fear, and the concept of the sublime depicted in Wordsworth's childhood memory of a boat ride. Understand how specific words convey the different feelings associated with nature.

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