17.1.7

The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

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Key Quotations in The Prelude

Here are some key quotations you may want to use in your exam:

“One summer evening (led by her)”

“One summer evening (led by her)”

  • Personification of nature.
  • Nature is powerful, but also benevolent and gentle at this point.
“Troubled pleasure”

“Troubled pleasure”

  • Contrasting words.
  • These contrasting words create a sense of foreboding.
“Small circles glittering idly in the moon”

“Small circles glittering idly in the moon”

  • Imagery.
  • The poet creates positive images of beauty at the start of the poem, presenting nature as awe-inspiring and magical.
“A huge peak, black and huge”

“A huge peak, black and huge”

  • Personification of nature.
    • Nature is personified and characterised as something menacing and frightening.
    • “Black” is associated with ideas of power and death.
  • Breaks iambic pentameter.
    • Shows how overwhelming the experience was and how nature’s power cannot be tamed.
“There hung a darkness”

“There hung a darkness”

  • Dark colour imagery.
  • This highlights the haunting effect of the experience on the speaker.
  • The verb “hung” indicates that the narrator was unable to get rid of these disturbing thoughts and feelings.
“I struck and struck again”

“I struck and struck again”

  • Repetition and violent language.
  • The repetition of “I struck and struck again” highlights the speaker’s panic and fear.
  • Violent language is introduced into the poem for the first time, signifying man’s battle with nature.
“….And were a trouble to my dreams”

“….And were a trouble to my dreams”

  • Vague language.
  • The language used by the narrator to describe the effect of the experience is vague. This highlights how the narrator is confused and unsettled by the experience.

Key Comparisons to The Prelude

Here are some suggestions for texts you could compare in your exam. Of course, the list of possibilities is endless!

Power of nature

Power of nature

  • On the theme of the power of nature, you may want to compare The Prelude to:
    • Storm on the Island.
    • Exposure.
    • Ozymandias.
Powerful, unpleasant and significant experiences

Powerful, unpleasant and significant experiences

  • On the theme of power, unpleasant and/or significant experiences, you may want to compare The Prelude to:
    • Storm on the Island.
    • Exposure.
    • London.
    • Kamikaze.
    • Remains.
    • War Photographer.
Jump to other topics
1

Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

1.1

Ozymandias Analysis

1.1.1Summary1.1.2Key Ideas1.1.3Themes1.1.4Irony & Rhythm1.1.5Key Quotes & Comparisons1.1.6End of Topic Test - Ozymandias1.1.7Diagnostic Misconceptions - Defining Caesura1.1.8Diagnostic Misconceptions - Identifying Caesura1.1.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Analysing Caesura
2

London - William Blake (1757-1827)

2.1

London Analysis

2.1.1Summary2.1.2Themes & Structure2.1.3Themes & Structure 22.1.4Key Quotes & Comparisons2.1.5Exam-Style Questions - London2.1.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Defining Repetition2.1.7Diagnostic Misconceptions - Identifying Repetition2.1.8Diagnostic Misconceptions - Analysing Repetition
3

Storm on the Island - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)

3.1

Storm on the Island Analysis

3.1.1Summary & Structure3.1.2Themes3.1.3Themes 23.1.4Key Quotes & Comparisons3.1.5End of Topic Test - Blake & Heaney3.1.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Fear
4

Exposure - Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)

4.1

Exposure Analysis

4.1.1Summary4.1.2Personification4.1.3Themes4.1.4Structure, Key Quotes & Comparisons4.1.5End of Topic Test - Exposure4.1.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Define Personification4.1.7Diagnostic Misconceptions - Ident. Personification
5

War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy (born 1955)

5.1

War Photographer Analysis

5.1.1Summary5.1.2Themes5.1.3Imagery5.1.4Comparisons & Key Quotes5.1.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Defining Similes5.1.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Identifying Similes
6

My Last Duchess - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

6.1

My Last Duchess Analysis

6.1.1Summary6.1.2Characterisation & Themes6.1.3Structure, Key Quotes & Comparisons6.1.4End of Topic Test - Duffy & Browning6.1.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Cheating Wife
7

The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

7.1

Extract from The Prelude Analysis

7.1.1Summary7.1.2Personification & Imagery7.1.3Themes7.1.4Key Quotes & Comparisons7.1.5End of Topic Test - The Prelude7.1.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - "Her"
8

Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Tennyson

8.1

Charge of the Light Brigade Analysis

8.1.1Summary8.1.2Themes8.1.3Rhetorical Techniques, Key Quotes & Comparisons8.1.4End of Topic Test - Charge of the Light Brigade8.1.5Exam-Style Questions - Charge of the Light Brigade8.1.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Tennyson a Soldier?
9

Bayonet Charge - Ted Hughes (1930-1998)

9.1

Bayonet Charge Analysis

9.1.1Summary9.1.2Themes9.1.3Themes 29.1.4Structure & Key Comparisons9.1.5End of Topic Test - Bayonet Charge9.1.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - NOT COTLB9.1.7Diagnostic Misconceptions - Soldier Running Away
10

Poppies - Jane Weir (Born 1963)

10.1

Poppies Analysis

10.1.1Summary10.1.2Theme of Motherhood10.1.3Imagery10.1.4Form, Structure & Key Comparisons10.1.5End of Topic Test - Poppies10.1.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Defining Enjambment
11

Tissue - Imtiaz Dharker (Born 1954)

11.1

Tissue Analysis

11.1.1Summary11.1.2Themes & Symbolism11.1.3Religion & Conflict11.1.4Form, Structure & Key Comparisons11.1.5End of Topic Test - Tissue
12

The Emigree - Carol Rumens (Born 1944)

12.1

The Emigree Analysis

12.1.1Summary & Structure12.1.2Themes12.1.3Key Quotes & Comparisons12.1.4End of Topic Test - The Emigree12.1.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Emigrant vs Immigrant
13

Kamikaze - Beatrice Garland (Born 1938)

13.1

Kamikaze Analysis

13.1.1Summary & Structure13.1.2Themes13.1.3Themes 213.1.4Structure, Quotes & Comparisons13.1.5End of Topic Test - Kamikaze13.1.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Defining NP13.1.7Diagnostic Misconceptions - Identifying NP
14

Checking Out Me History - John Agard (Born 1949)

14.1

Checking Out Me History Analysis

14.1.1Summary14.1.2Themes14.1.3Key Quotes & Comparisons14.1.4End of Topic Test - Checking Out Me History
15

Remains - Simon Armitage (Born 1963)

15.1

Remains Analysis

15.1.1Summary15.1.2Themes: Desensitisation &Trauma15.1.3Themes: Guilt15.1.4Themes: Nature of War15.1.5Structure15.1.6Key Quotes & Comparisons15.1.7End of Topic Test - Remains15.1.8Diagnostic Misconceptions - Casual Tone
16

Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons

16.1

Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons

16.1.1Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
17

Recap: Main Quotes

17.1

Recap: Main Quotes

17.1.1Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)17.1.2London - William Blake (1757-1827)17.1.3Storm on the Island - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)17.1.4Exposure - Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)17.1.5War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy (born 1955)17.1.6My Last Duchess - Robert Browning (1812-1889)17.1.7The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)17.1.8Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Tennyson17.1.9Bayonet Charge - Ted Hughes (1930-1998)17.1.10Poppies - Jane Weir (Born 1963)17.1.11Tissue - Imtiaz Dharker (Born 1954)17.1.12The Emigree - Carol Rumens (Born 1944)17.1.13Kamikaze - Beatrice Garland (Born 1938)17.1.14Checking Out Me History - John Agard (Born 1949)17.1.15Remains - Simon Armitage (Born 1963)

Practice questions on The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    Complete the key quotes from The Prelude:Fill in the list
  2. 2
    Key quotes from The Prelude:Fill in the list
  3. 3
    On the theme of the power of nature, you may want to compare The Prelude to:Fill in the list
  4. 4
    On the theme of powerful, unpleasant and significant experiences, you could compare The Prelude to:Fill in the list
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My Last Duchess - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Tennyson