Extract from ‘The Prelude’ by William Wordsworth – the Boat Stealing Incident

Extract from ‘The Prelude’ by William Wordsworth.

The poem in a nutshell….

A poem written in a conversational style, ‘the real language of men’ in which the speaker confronts the difference between the human and the non-human world and learns.

Context: William Wordsworth was a romantic poet. We don’t mean he wrote love poems, but he wrote poems about the world we live in which challenged people and the way they thought at the time. During this time ‘epic’ poems of large length were common, as were poems that looked at the world and man’s place within it. This extract is from a much larger poem (‘The Prelude’ – 14 books) that looks at the spiritual and moral development of a man growing up, ‘the growth of a poet’s mind’ and ‘the child is father of the man’: events in childhood shape us as adults.

An example of poetry of the Romantic Movement (Romanticism may be regarded as the triumph of the values of imaginative spontaneity, visionary originality, wonder, and emotional self-expression over the classical standards of balance, order, restraint, proportion, and objectivity. Its name derives from romance, the literary form in which desires and dreams prevail over everyday realities.’ Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.)) — it’s a revelation, an epiphany, an example of what Wordsworth called ‘spots of time’.

The incident took place on Ullswater, in the Lake District where Wordsworth grew up—‘The Boat Stealing Incident’

Themes: The poem is quite hard to relate to conflict and power. However, there is a sense of conflict between man and nature where nature is eventually shown to be more powerful in the end.

Boating along:

During the poem the setting is of a journey in a boat. The journey represents a more spiritual journey and it becomes more rough and hostile along the way. At first, nature is shown at peace with the poet, later as it gets darker and he tries to reach the horizon it becomes harsh and predatory, putting man back in his place.

 

Structure: Written as part of a much larger piece. This section is 44 lines in blank verse (no real structure). The work is in iambic pentameter to give it a consistent pace. As the poem progresses, the journey the poet is on becomes rougher and words like ‘and’ are repeated to give it a breathless pace and feel.

Mountain:

“a huge peak, black and huge, As if with voluntary power instinct, Upreared its head.”

The mountain is shown in the poem like a great angry entity and represents the full might and power of nature. It seems to take offence at the poet going too far or too ‘lustily’. You could imagine it like a game of ‘chicken’ where the poet is rowing toward the mountain, the closer he gets the more menacing it appears before he backs away.

3 key quotes:

Quote: ‘Troubled pleasure’

Method: Oxymoron

What effect is created? Contains the paradox the child feels: they are aware they have broken a social taboo, yet feel pleasure, and so are ‘troubled’ (line 6).

Quote: ‘straight I unloosed her chain’ and ‘lustily I dipped my oars into the silent lake’

Method: Effective language. Juxtaposition/contrast

What effect is created? Reflects the speaker’s confidence and possible arrogance and excitement. This juxtaposes with language later in the poem when the power of nature is realised.

Quote: ‘struck and struck again’ and ‘trembling oars’

Method: Effective language. Juxtaposition/contrast

What effect is created? Reflects the speaker’s fear and panic in the wake of the huge mountain he encounters. This juxtaposes with language earlier in the poem before the power of nature is realised.

Aspects of Power or Conflict

Dialogue or fruitful conflict between the human and non-human worlds which results in growth in our understanding of the universe and our place in it.

Human beings must realise the limitations of their power.

Adults must acknowledge their debt to their childhood.

Poems that can be linked: ‘Storm on the Island’, ‘Émigrée’, ‘Tissue’, ‘Ozymandias.

BY THE END OF THIS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

HIGHER MARKS

LOWER MARKS

-The poem symbolically uses the journey on the river to mirror the poet’s own spiritual journey of reflection.   -The poem is structured to show the contrast of the serene and peaceful start where we work with nature, to the dark and disturbing battle with nature shown from when he tries to control his journey through rowing.   -The conflict between man and nature is caused by man’s attempt to manipulate nature, nature still contains a power and majesty beyond mankind’s ability to command.

-The poem is about a journey on the river.     -The poet is at peace but by the end of the journey he becomes troubled.   -The journey helps show how mankind is a part of nature but does not rule over it.