With trembling oars I turned, And through the silent water stole my way Back to the covert of the willow tree 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. 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. 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. 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. Straight I unloosed her chain, and stepping in Pushed from the shore. One summer evening (led by her) I found A little boat tied to a willow tree Within a rocky cove, its usual home. Boat Stealing: The Prelude (Extract) William Wordsworth This represents the boy coming to an age of understanding the dangers of the world. Then, an event occurs that changes the speaker’s feelings toward the world. This portion begins with the speaker as a boy and explores his feelings of peace with nature. Wordsworth’s prelude explores his childhood thoughts and the ways in which he has changed and grown over time. The context of this extract from The Prelude also provides insight into the speaker and the author. In this poem extract of The Prelude, Wordsworth presents two contrasting ideas about nature and allows the reader to decide what nature means to him or herself personally. Still, others have viewed man’s relationship with nature as one of peaceful tranquillity which helps a man gather himself and feel one with his surroundings. While some believe that we are in control of nature, to make it do as we please and to use it to our benefit, others have proclaimed that we are at the mercy of nature and that it is a powerful and terrifying thing. For hundreds of years, poets and writers have written about mankind’s relationship with nature.
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