How does Wordsworth convey his speakers changing emotions

How does Wordsworth convey his speaker’s changing emotions in the Prelude? Activity 1: Complete the London recap questions on the following slide. Progress so far: You should have annotated and studied: • London • Storm on the Island

1) True/False: ‘London’ shows the moral and physical deterioration of society. 2) Complete this: The use of the ‘chartered’ means… and could suggest… 3) Choose the best one: Blake uses the word ‘manacles’ to… a) exaggerate the suffering of the London people. b) indicate that people are also to blame for their lives. c) acknowledge the oppressive power of political institutions. 4) Choose one: The French Revolution was… a) a source of inspiration for all artists of the period (1970 s) b) a radical movement to overthrow the French monarchy (1790 s) c) a major political event during Blake’s lifetime (1890 s).

The Prelude depicts a journey through nature, as we read we understand that it is a metaphor for a spiritual journey the poet took.

The Prelude is a long autobiographical poem in 14 sections. The first version was written in 1798 but he continued to work on it throughout his lifetime. His wife Mary published it three months after his death in 1850. The poem shows the spiritual growth of the poet, how he comes to terms with who he is, and his place in nature and the world. Wordsworth was inspired by memories of events and visits to different places, explaining how they affected him. He described The Prelude as "a poem on the growth of my own mind" with "contrasting views of Man, Nature, and Society". This extract describes how Wordsworth went out in a boat on a lake at night. He was alone and a mountain peak loomed over him; its presence had a great effect and for days afterwards he was troubled by the experience.

‘The Prelude: Stealing the Boat’ by William Wordsworth 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. 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; 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; 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.

WHY? published in 1850 A criticism of the impact of the Industrial Revolution? Wordsworth’s disillusionment with politics and society? Nostalgia? https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=EGn 1 Ilx_3 o 4 Improved conditions led to the population of Britain increasing from 10 million to 40 million in the 1800 s.

Exploding Key Quotations – copy out and annotate the 3 quotations on the following slides. Think about the effect of the language. Describing the mountain …huge peak, black and huge, As if with voluntary power instinct, Upreared its head.

At the beginning, stealing the boat… It was an act of stealth And troubled pleasure

Towards end of poem…after the experience “there hung a darkness, call it solitude / or blank desertion”

Language Structure Form Imagery – opens with gentle moonlight imagery ‘Small circles There are no stanzas: the writing is continuous though there is plenty of punctuation to help us read it. This extract is a complete story in itself. It starts with "One summer evening. . . " and finishes with the effects on his mind of the boat trip: "a trouble to my dreams". The Prelude can definitely be viewed as an epic poem, in length at least. Epics are very long pieces of writing that usually deal with exciting, action-packed heroic events like wars or explorations. Although many of the events Wordsworth writes about are 'ordinary' they are given a dramatic quality, to fully describe the impact they had on his life. glittering idly in the moon, Until they melted all into one track Of sparkling light. ’ Shifts to gothic, dark natural imagery – ‘But huge and mighty forms, that do not live Like living men, ’ Personification – he personifies the boat as ‘she’ – makes it feel like he has companionship and support? Also personifies the mountain as coming alive and chasing him – ‘. . . a huge peak, black and huge, As if with voluntary power instinct, Up reared its head. . . For so it seemed, with purpose of its own And measured motion like a living thing, Strode after me. ’ This 44 line poem is written in blank verse

How does Wordsworth convey his speaker’s changing emotions? You have 10 mins to write two paragraphs. Outline what, how and why Wordsworth conveys his speaker’s emotions. WHAT At the start of the poem, Wordsworth conveys his speaker’s feelings of… As the poem progresses… HOW WHY The use of personification to Wordsworth may have refer to the boat as ‘she’ written ‘The Prelude’ in suggests… order to… His speaker’s emotions make it clear that…

Making Links – how can we compare them? Presentation of nature in The Prelude Presentation of nature in Exposure Write a WHAT, HOW, WHY about how nature is shown in each poem – think carefully about your choice of quotes and METHODS

1) True/False: ‘The Prelude’ presents nature as Sublime, both dangerous and mesmerising. 2) Complete this: In this poem, the volta occurs when… 3) Choose the best one: Wordsworth refers to the boat as ‘she’ to… a) create an atmosphere of excitement. b) personify nature as delicate, feminine and beautiful. c) set the tone. 4) Choose one: In summation, ‘The Prelude’ is considered to be… a) significant for depicting nature as serene. b) significant for suggesting that human beings are destructive. c) significant for exploring how nature affects our emotions.