Extract from The Prelude (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
‘Extract from The Prelude'
Your Edexcel GCSE English Literature poetry anthology contains 15 poems, and in your exam you will be given one poem – printed in full – and asked to compare it to another one from the anthology. As this is a “closed book” exam, you will not have access to the second poem, so you will need to know it from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to revise. However, if you understand these four essential things about each poem, you will be able to produce a top-grade response:
The meaning of the poem
The ideas and messages the poet wanted to convey
How the poet uses poetic methods to convey these ideas and messages
How the ideas and themes in each poem compare and contrast with the ideas and themes of the other poems in the anthology
Here is a guide to William Wordsworth’s ‘Extract from The Prelude' (also known as ‘Boat Stealing’), from the Conflict Anthology. It includes the following sections:
Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
Writer’s methods: an analysis of the poet’s techniques and methods
Context: an exploration of the poem’s context in relation to its themes
What to compare it to: suggestions about which poems to compare it to in the exam
The poem is from Edexcel’s poetry anthology.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The exam asks you to compare the key themes in 'The Prelude' with one other poem from the Conflict Anthology; specifically, how each poem presents ideas about conflict.
Look at the section on “What to compare it to” for detailed suggestions about comparing 'The Prelude' with other poems from the anthology. If 'The Prelude' is the printed poem on your exam paper, it’s a good idea to start your answer by stating which poem you are going to compare it to, and why. For instance, you could compare 'The Prelude' with another poem that focuses on natural imagery and emotional expression, such as William Blake’s ‘A Poison Tree’.
Overview
In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is essential that you understand what it is about. This section includes:
The poem in a nutshell
An explanation of the poem, section-by-section
An outline of Wordsworth’s intention and message in each of these sections
'The Prelude' in a nutshell
'The Prelude' is different from the other poems in the anthology. Instead of being a stand-alone poem, it is an extract from a much longer, autobiographical, epic poem by William Wordsworth. The speaker in the poem is remembering a night when, as a young boy, he stole a boat and rowed out into the middle of a lake. At first, he finds this exciting, but then he becomes frightened by the sight of a huge mountain and rows back to shore. The memory of the mountain stays in his mind for days.
The overall idea is that Wordsworth feels confident when he takes the boat out to the lake, but his feelings change when he encounters the vast and imposing mountain, as it reminds him of the fragility of human beings compared with the awesome and enduring power of nature. Therefore, the main themes in the poem are the power of nature and the realisation of the speaker’s insignificance compared to nature.
'The Prelude' breakdown
Lines 1–16
“One summer evening (led by her) I found
A little boat tied to a willow tree
Within a rocky cove, its usual home.
Straight I unloosed her chain, and stepping in
Pushed from the shore. It was an act of stealth
And troubled pleasure, nor without the voice
Of mountain-echoes did my boat move on;
Leaving behind her still, on either side,
Small circles glittering idly in the moon,
Until they melted all into one track
Of sparkling light. But now, like one who rows,
Proud of his skill, to reach a chosen point
With an unswerving line, I fixed my view
Upon the summit of a craggy ridge,
The horizon’s utmost boundary; far above
Was nothing but the stars and the grey sky.”
Explanation
One summer night, the speaker is guided by nature to a rocky bay, where he finds a boat tied to a willow tree
The speaker unties the boat and steals it
He knows that he shouldn’t steal the boat, but he enjoys doing it
The surrounding mountains create echoes of the boy’s movements across the water
The oars leave circular ripples in the water that glitter in the moonlight, and merge into one in the wake of the boat
The speaker feels proud of his rowing skills and focuses on the jagged edge of a distant mountain to keep him rowing in a straight line
The mountain edge is the highest point he can see on the horizon; there is nothing but stars and sky above it
Wordsworth’s intention
The “her” in the first line is Wordsworth’s way of referring to Nature:
Nature is seen as a feminine power – Mother Nature – that creates, sustains and nurtures life
By personifying nature, Wordsworth is contrasting it with individual human beings:
Nature controls the entire planet, making it a far greater power than humanity
At the beginning of the poem, the speaker’s relationship with nature is trusting and peaceful
The poet paints a tranquil and beautiful picture of nature and a young boy’s ability to engage with it
Lines 17–20
“She was an elfin pinnace; lustily
I dipped my oars into the silent lake,
And, as I rose upon the stroke, my boat
Went heaving through the water like a swan;”
Explanation
The speaker describes his little boat as an “elfin pinnace”; to him, it’s like an elf’s boat
The boy’s enthusiastic and confident rowing makes his boat move fast through the water “like a swan”
Wordsworth’s intention
These lines reveal the boy’s delight that he can exercise some power over nature
However, his sense of control is an illusion:
Nature is guiding him, so ultimately controls his movements
Lines 21–31
“When from behind that craggy steep till then
The horizon’s bound, a huge peak, black and huge,
As if with voluntary power instinct,
Upreared its head. I struck and struck again,
And growing still in stature the grim shape
Towered up between me and the stars, and still,
For so it seemed, with purpose of its own
And measured motion like a living thing,
Strode after me. With trembling oars I turned,
And through the silent water stole my way
Back to the covert of the willow tree;”
Explanation
The jagged edge of the mountain is the highest thing the boy can see, until he gets closer
Close up, an even bigger mountain appears behind the edge; it is black and giant:
This mountain seems to lift its head up as if it were alive
As the speaker rows on, the mountain gets bigger and bigger, blocking out the stars
The mountain seems to want to pursue the speaker, whose terrified trembling makes his oars shake
The speaker turns the boat around and rows back to the safety of the willow tree
Wordsworth’s intention
Wordsworth hides the mountain behind the crag like a monster waiting to pounce
The true, hidden power of nature is revealed by the mountain’s appearance
At first, nature was encouraging the speaker, but now it seems to be threatening him
Wordsworth personifies the mountain as a wild creature with a “purpose of its own”
This changes the boy’s encounter with nature from calm to unexpectedly frightening
Wordsworth is revealing that nature is not always a friendly force
Nature’s power is mysterious:
It can be beautiful and enjoyable, but it can also be terrifying
Lines 32–44
“There in her mooring-place I left my bark, -
And through the meadows homeward went, in grave
And serious mood; but after I had seen
That spectacle, for many days, my brain
Worked with a dim and undetermined sense
Of unknown modes of being; o’er my thoughts
There hung a darkness, call it solitude
Or blank desertion. No familiar shapes
Remained, no pleasant images of trees,
Of sea or sky, no colours of green fields;
But huge and mighty forms, that do not live
Like living men, moved slowly through the mind
By day, and were a trouble to my dreams.”
Explanation
The speaker ties the boat back up and walks home in a serious mood
After this experience, the speaker is troubled by thoughts of things he knew nothing about, and he struggles to understand them:
These are the “unknown modes of being” in the world
His thoughts are clouded by a kind of darkness, which feels like being alone or abandoned
He can no longer imagine nature as simply beautiful and comforting
Now, he can only think about giant, strange, powerful shapes, which give him nightmares
Wordsworth’s intention
These lines reveal the effect the experience has on the speaker
He realises that his previous understanding of nature was mistaken
He has seen that there are strange and unexpected aspects of nature
This reinforces the message that nature is something to be feared as well as enjoyed
This also symbolises a turning point for the boy, as his childhood innocence becomes a more adult reality
He no longer feels safe in his relationship with nature, which he now sees as unpredictable
This change symbolises the transition from childhood to adulthood, as the speaker is never able to see the world through a child’s eyes again
Writer’s methods
Although this section is organised into three separate sections – form, structure and language – it is important to take an integrated approach to AO2. First, focus on the main themes of the poem, then, evaluate how Wordsworth’s language, structure and form contribute to these themes. Think about how and why the poet has made the choices they have in relation to their message and intentions.
Focusing on the themes, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. In the following sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Wordsworth’s intentions behind his choices of:
Form
Structure
Language
Examiner Tips and Tricks
To gain the highest marks in the exam, aim to use subject terminology judiciously. This means you should only use subject terminology when it is directly relevant to your analysis of the poem’s themes. Examiners don’t want to see “technique spotting”, where a student identifies the use of, for instance, personification or metaphor without any analysis of how the poet uses that technique to convey their meaning.
For example, instead of writing “Wordsworth uses blank verse”, you could state that “Wordsworth’s use of blank verse suggests the natural rhythms of speech and the process of his internal monologue”. Then provide an example from the extract to support your statement. Aim to use terminology to add insight and complexity to your analysis.
Form
It is important to remember that this extract is part of a much longer narrative poem. It has no stanzas, which reminds the reader that this is a single, contained incident from a much longer work. There are some useful comments you can make about why Wordsworth may have used blank verse and iambic pentameter to explore the development of his imagination and spiritual growth in relation to his experience of nature.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
Experience of the power of nature | Wordsworth uses blank verse written in iambic pentameter | This means the lines do not follow a specific rhyme scheme, but are written in iambic pentameter |
Iambic pentameter is the closest rhythm to natural speech, which reinforces the sense of self-reflection and the poet’s inner monologue | ||
The poet wants to describe his inner processes:
|
Structure
Wordsworth has structured the poem as a single stanza, with no line breaks; this continuity emphasises the overwhelming power of nature, and the mood of the poem changes as it progresses to reflect the change that the speaker experiences within himself.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
The power of nature
| The poem is written as a single stanza with no breaks or pauses
| The poet creates a sense of breathlessness to convey the overwhelming intensity of the experience he depicts |
This reflects how Wordsworth was overwhelmed by the immensity of the mountain and the power of nature | ||
Wordsworth was heavily influenced by Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’, which is another epic poem written in long stanzas, about the biblical fall of man | ||
Wordsworth’s epic poem also contemplates human imperfection in comparison with nature’s perfection, as well as the important transition from childhood to adulthood | ||
Inner conflict and change
| Wordsworth uses a cyclical structure, as the extract begins and ends with the mooring of the boat
| This emphasises the change that takes place during the journey |
However, because the poem starts and finishes at the same place, the change is internal and psychological, rather than external and physical | ||
The boy initially steals the boat, then “stole” (moved quietly to avoid detection) back to safety:
| ||
The poet also employs enjambment in the poem:
| This makes the poem feel like a stream of consciousness, as the speaker tries to convey the importance of his experience and his thought processes as directly as possible | |
Therefore, the poem follows its speaker’s wandering thoughts and experiences |
Language
Wordsworth explores his spiritual journey further through his use of language devices, which emphasise the speaker’s confrontation with the power and supremacy of nature and the conflict between childhood and adulthood.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
Power and supremacy of nature
| Wordsworth uses the motif of rowing to demonstrate the transformation the speaker goes through
| At the start, the speaker is at one with nature, as his oar strokes “melted all into one track”, showing just how easily he is able to move through the water |
His rowing becomes more difficult after seeing the mountain, when he starts “heaving through the water”:
| ||
The initial calm and relaxed rowing is contrasted with the frantic rowing back to shore, demonstrated through the repetition of “struck” | ||
The use of this motif contrasts how the speaker behaves before and after his encounter with the power of nature | ||
Wordsworth also uses personification to describe nature:
| This alludes to the idea of Mother Nature – nature as a feminine force, capable of creating, sustaining and nurturing life | |
The poet is able to contrast the role of a human mother, nurturing her own children, with Mother Nature, who controls an entire planet, thus demonstrating its superior power | ||
The fact that the speaker is “led” by nature also reinforces its power, as the speaker is not responsible for his actions | ||
Female personification continues when referring to the boat as “she” and “her” | This implies a connection between nature and the boat, suggesting that it adds to nature’s beauty by creating “one track/Of sparkling light” | |
The poet uses the imagery of the mountain as a living thing, as it “Upreared its head” and “strode after me” | It is as though nature is pursuing the speaker with strength and determination, personifying and reinforcing the power of the mountain | |
The poet employs the use of similes, for example through the phrases “like a swan”, “like a living thing” and “like one who rows,/Proud of his skill”, to try to help his readers understand his experience | The poet wants to help his readers to understand his experience and convey its universality: it could happen to anyone | |
This is reinforced by the fact that, as the poem progresses, the language becomes less sophisticated to convey the power of the speaker’s emotions as he is overwhelmed by the mountain and the power of nature | ||
Conflict between childhood and adulthood | The poet uses magical and mythical references and imagery to demonstrate the magic and mysticism of childhood imagination | He calls the small boat “elfin” and describes the small circles “glittering idly in the moon,” and as one track “Of sparkling light” |
The magical and mythical language breaks down into more direct, simple language as the poem progresses, such as when the mountain peak is described as “black and huge” | ||
The use of more direct language symbolises a transition from the innocence of childhood to the dangers of adulthood |
Context
Context is important, but it should only be used to support an answer about Wordsworth’s ideas, themes and perspective. Examiners don’t want to see random chunks of information about Wordsworth’s life or the times he lived in, because this does not tell them anything about your understanding of the poem. The ideas explored in this section of 'The Prelude' revolve around the themes of power and personal transformation, so the contexts in which Wordsworth formed his ideas about these things are the most relevant. Therefore, this section is divided into two themes:
The power of nature
Personal transformation
The power of nature
As 'The Prelude' as a whole is autobiographical, the speaker can be assumed to be a fictionalised version of Wordsworth himself:
This means the poem reveals personal details of Wordsworth’s life
This is emphasised by the use of first-person narration and the past tense, suggesting the speaker is recalling events that happened to him
Wordsworth grew up in the Lake District, where he spent a lot of time outside in order to escape his difficult childhood circumstances
Wordsworth was a Romantic poet, meaning that he preferred to focus on the values of a simple, rural existence, rather than the growth of cities and industry:
Romantic poets were interested in the power of nature, humanity and emotion
They were generally opposed to the industrialisation and scientific progress sweeping through Europe at the time
Romantic poets tended to use everyday language to make their poems accessible to everybody, and to present themes that challenged people’s preconceptions:
This can be seen in Wordsworth’s use of similes and repetition, such as the repetition of “huge” to emphasise the ultimate power of nature over humanity
He is suggesting that humanity’s belief that it can control nature is false
Romantic poets generally disliked attempts to impose power on people or things, such as humanity’s attempt to control or impose order on the natural world
Personal transformation
By setting the poem in his childhood home of the Lake District, Wordsworth gives it a tone of realism
The speaker’s adventure in the poem reflects his inner journey and transformation metaphorically
Wordsworth viewed 'The Prelude' as an adaptation of the techniques Milton developed in “Paradise Lost”:
But, while Paradise Lost tells the story of Satan and the fall of Adam and Eve, Wordsworth chose his own life as a subject, turning the focus inwards to capture his thoughts and impressions
The poem recounts his spiritual development, from childhood to adulthood
The poem explores the importance of childhood and what a magical experience it can be:
This is something Wordsworth feels people lose as they grow up
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember, AO3 is only worth up to 6 marks in this question. You will be expected to demonstrate your understanding of the relationship between the poem and its context in an integrated way in your answer. It is important to focus on the key themes, and to have a thorough knowledge of all of the main themes in the cluster of poems.
The exam question will suggest any relevant contexts, but your answer should emphasise the key themes of the poem. Writing a whole paragraph about the Romantic poets without linking to one of the key themes will not gain you any marks.
What to compare it to
Your exam essay will be a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. Therefore, it’s essential to revise poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about power, or conflict, in relation to the other poets in the anthology. The main themes of The Prelude are the power and supremacy of nature, and the futility of humankind’s efforts to control it, so the following comparisons are the most appropriate:
'The Prelude' and 'The Destruction of Sennacherib'
'The Prelude' and 'Exposure'
For each pair of poems, you will find:
The comparison in a nutshell
Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You will be expected to not only explore this poem in depth, but also to make perceptive comparisons between the themes, language, form and structure used in other poems in the anthology. Therefore, it’s important that you have a thorough knowledge of all the poems, rather than just memorising a series of quotations. It is also essential to write about the named poem and compare it with one other poem in the anthology. You will severely limit your marks if you only write about the poem given on the paper. Writing a thorough comparison that demonstrates your understanding of two poems will gain you the highest marks.
'The Prelude' and 'The Destruction of Sennacherib'
Comparison in a nutshell:
Both 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' and the extract from 'The Prelude' explore the power of nature in comparison with human beings.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems explore humanity’s powerlessness when faced with the vast power of nature, which ultimately always wins | |
Evidence and analysis | 'The Prelude' | 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' |
Wordsworth uses violent language, such as “struck and struck again” to reflect the speaker’s darkening mood when confronted with the reality of nature | Byron uses aspects of nature, such as “the stars on the sea” and “the leaves of the forest when Autumn has blown” to describe the power of the Assyrian army, followed by the devastating attack by the Angel of Death | |
The mountain is used by Wordsworth as a metaphor for the full might of nature:
| Nature is used to evoke the violence of the attack, with language like “wither’d” and “blast”:
| |
Both poems show that nature can be violent and overwhelming | ||
Topic sentence | Both poems illustrate how powerful and eternal nature is compared with human beings | |
Evidence and analysis | 'The Prelude' | 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' |
'The Prelude' shows that nature is something to be feared because we offend nature by attempting to manipulate it | 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' shows that nature is something to be feared because it is impossible to escape its effects | |
In 'The Prelude', the speaker realises their own insignificance via their spiritual development | 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' shows that humans can be destroyed, but nature always endures | |
Both poems illustrate how powerful nature is and that humans mean very little in comparison | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | The conflict with nature is shown differently in each poem. In 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' it is symbolic and metaphorical, whereas in 'The Prelude' it is psychological and real | |
Evidence and analysis | 'The Prelude' | 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' |
In Wordsworth’s poem, nature is inciting fear and redefining the speaker’s view of the world | In Byron’s poem, the Angel of Death is the agent of fear, and nature is used metaphorically to convey its power | |
'The Prelude' is written as a past-tense memoir, giving the impression of a seemingly idyllic “summer evening” | 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' is a retelling of a biblical story from the Old Testament, which describes a failed attack on Jerusalem:
| |
'The Prelude' shows the power of nature in a more subtle and slower way | 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' uses the power of nature to convey violence and dramatic action | |
Although there is violent and harsh language in both poems, 'The Prelude' is more romantic and magical, whereas 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' uses more explosive, violent language to reflect its subject | ||
'The Prelude' and 'Exposure'
Comparison in a nutshell:
Both Wilfred Owen’s 'Exposure' and Wordsworth’s 'The Prelude' highlight the overwhelming power of nature, and humankind’s inability to control its effects.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems show the power of nature and the futility of humanity’s attempts to control it | |
Evidence and analysis | 'The Prelude' | 'Exposure' |
In 'The Prelude', humankind’s inability to control the power of nature creates fear and anxiety | In 'Exposure', the soldiers’ inability to control nature increases their suffering | |
In this poem, nature is shown to be a separate entity, which is more powerful than man | In this poem, nature is shown to be an all-powerful force, which is in conflict with humanity | |
In 'The Prelude', the speaker believes he is at one with nature, and part of it, until the overwhelming power of nature is revealed | In 'Exposure', the speaker personifies nature, but this only emphasises its cruelty and the soldiers’ helplessness | |
The theme of human insignificance is key in both poems, resulting in a sense of futility and powerlessness | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | While both poets explore how human power is inferior to the power of nature, they present this in different ways | |
Evidence and analysis | 'The Prelude' | 'Exposure' |
In 'The Prelude', the overwhelming power of nature leads to the speaker’s loss of eloquence and how he becomes unable to define his world | In 'Exposure', the speaker clearly identifies the aspects of nature that oppress the soldiers:
| |
'The Prelude' is written as a first-person narrative, and focuses on a personal revelation of the inferiority of humankind when faced with nature, as symbolised by the mountain | 'Exposure' is written to describe the intense suffering of war, and focuses on the experience of being attacked by two enemies: the opposing army and the bitter winter weather | |
So Wordsworth’s loss of power is in the way he interprets nature and how he has to re-think his own place on earth | Owen shows how the overpowering effects of the cruel weather make the kinder aspects of nature seem like an impossible dream | |
'The Prelude' is written in blank verse, reflecting the natural, free-flowing exploration of Wordsworth’s relationship with nature | 'Exposure' is written in eight stanzas, with a regular rhyming pattern of ABBA, followed by a short final line:
| |
Although both poems share similarities in the way power and conflict are presented, they contrast in their focus. Wordsworth describes his internal responses to nature’s power and Owen primarily describes nature’s external, physical effects | ||
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