Extract from The Prelude: Boat Stealing Episode

This section analyzes the famous boat-stealing episode from Wordsworth's autobiographical poem The Prelude, examining how it portrays the power of nature and its impact on the human psyche.

The opening lines establish a peaceful evening scene, with the young Wordsworth finding a small boat tied up. His actions are described as stealthy, hinting at mischief to come:

Quote: "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"

The boy's initial confidence and sense of control are conveyed through phrases like "Proud of his skill" and "I fixed my view / Upon the summit of a craggy ridge". This hubris sets up the contrast with his later humbling.

Vocabulary: Hubris - excessive pride or self-confidence

Wordsworth uses vivid personification to bring the natural world to life. The boat is described as an "elfin pinnace", giving it a magical quality. The lake is "silent", emphasizing the boy's solitude and the calm before the storm of emotion to come.

Example: Personification poem about love for nature: "She was an elfin pinnace; lustily / I dipped my oars into the silent lake"

A dramatic shift occurs when a mountain peak suddenly looms into view, described in ominous terms:

Quote: "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."

This moment marks the volta or turning point of the poem, as the boy's confidence gives way to fear and awe. The mountain is personified as a living, threatening presence that pursues him.

Highlight: The nature imagery in The Prelude analysis reveals how Wordsworth uses personification and vivid description to convey nature's overwhelming power.