The Prelude: Stealing the Boat - William Wordsworth

CONTEXT
Wordsworth was a poet from the Lake District
The Prelude is an autobiographical poem 
Wordsworth was a romantic poet
Like other romantic poetry, this extract explores the connection between nature and human emotion, and the way human identity and character is shaped by experience 

THE STORY OF THE POEM
The extract begins on a summer evening when the narrator finds a boat tied to a tree.
He unties the boat and takes it out on the lake
Initially, the narrator seems happy and confident and describes a beautiful scene 
A mountain appears on the horizon and the natator is afraid of its size and power 
He turn the boat around and goes home, but his view of nature has changed 

KEY THEMES IN THE POEM
Power of nature
Memory
Fear
Pride
Individual Experience 

FORM
This extract is a first-person narrative. Its sounds personal and describes a turning point in the poet's life 
The use of blank verse (unrhymed verse in iambic pentameter) makes it sound serious and important
The regular rhyme schemes makes it sound like natural speech

STRUCTURE
There are 3 main sections in the extract
The 1st - the tone is fairly light and carefree
The 2nd - there is…