The Prelude is an autobiographical poem which explores Wordsworth’s life. His descriptions of nature interest me a lot because I love nature. This poem traces the growth of the poet’s mind by stressing the mutual consciousness and spiritual communion between the worlds of nature and man. In the course of the poem, literal journeys become the metaphorical vehicle for spiritual journeys. As the speaker ages, the allusions to nature become less tranquil or innocent. At some point in adult life, nature is no longer alluded to because we grow up.
That said, I begin to wonder if Wordsworth’s use of ‘spiritual references, really describe how his life was proceeding at that time or was he just remembering his past? “I believe/ that there are spirits, which, when they would form/ A favoured being…” (ll. 68-70). By personifying items such as boats as persons, he is using the magical element of imagination. Wordsworth on line 93 refers to the boat as “her” and line 106 “”like a swan” describing the progress of that boat as he rows it across the water. The vision of a swan on a lake is a magical and beautiful sight. References to magical or spiritual beings or elements add an extra layer of contemplation to the poetry. One of those references is found on ll 96-97, “A rocky steep uprose/ Above the cavern of the willow tree, …” It is hard to envision a huge rock rising out of the water but the mind of a child can be perplexing for an adult. Following those lines, he continues to explain his feelings and emotions as very depressing. He refers to it as “a darkness, call it solitude…” ; (ll. 123). Wordsworth has aged and a little more of that childhood magic has disappeared.
The first 330 lines of this poem give a nice description of the poets’ life and show how close to nature William Wordsworth actually was. The main point that I find, is that nature and small children are connected and as we age, we lose the innocence which we have as children. With that innocence comes imagination. As a child, it is easy to believe in magical elements, monsters, and fairies as we walk through a forest or field of grass. As an adult, many times we don’t even notice what our environment is. This is the experiment that William Wordsworth tested from 1799 until the end of his life; fifty years is a long time to study an idea or thought!
Literature Rocks 