Starter quiz
- If something is autobiographical, what does that mean?
- that it is entirely based on the writer's life ✓
- that it is purely fiction
- that it is partly-based on the writer's life
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- What might the word 'rapture' mean?
- intense anger and disappointment
- intense stress and anxiety
- intense pleasure or joy ✓
- intense peace and tranquility
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- If someone is 'bellowing', they are ...
- laughing
- whispering
- yelling ✓
- crying
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- What kind of mood is created here in the opening to Wordsworth's 'The Prelude': "And in the frosty season, when the sun/ Was set, and visible for many a mile"?
- a dangerous, sinister mood
- an exciting and fun mood
- a calm and peaceful mood ✓
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- What method is used in the following quotation from Wordsworth's 'The Prelude': "We hiss'd along the polish'd ice"?
- rhetorical question
- alliteration
- pathetic fallacy
- onomatopoeia ✓
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- To feel nostalgic is to ...
- feel intense disappointment
- long or yearn for the past ✓
- imagine a brighter and more hopeful future
- ignore or repress one's feelings and emotions
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Exit quiz
- Who wrote 'The Prelude'?
- Wilfred Owen
- Lord Byron
- William Wordsworth ✓
- Owen Sheers
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- Which of the following statements about 'The Prelude' are true?
- Wordsworth began writing it at 21.
- It is a semi-autobiographical poem. ✓
- It is 100 pages long.
- It is about Wordsworth's life journey. ✓
- It was published just before his death.
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- What kind of setting does Wordsworth create in the beginning of the 'The Prelude'?
- a very dark, frightening and intense setting
- a very rural, domestic and tranquil setting ✓
- a bustling and vibrant city setting
- a grim, filthy and unpleasant setting
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- Complete the quotation from Wordsworth's 'The Prelude': "The ______ loud bellowing, and the hunted hare."
- 'Pack' ✓
- What do we know about Wordsworth's relationship with nature?
- Wordsworth hated the cold, so only enjoyed nature during the summer.
- He had a deep appreciation for nature and spent much of his time outdoors. ✓
- He was a Romantic poet, and often explored the power of nature in his work. ✓
- Wordsworth's relationship with nature changed after his mother died.
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- What might Wordsworth's 'The Prelude' teach us about memory?
- It shows us that the past (our memories) does not shape our present and future.
- It demonstrates the sheer power of our childhood memories. ✓
- It shows us how fleeting memories are - they do not last.
- Arguably, it shows us how precious memories were to Wordsworth. ✓
- It shows us how subjective memory is.
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The Prelude is a semi-autobiographical poem which was published after Wordsworth's death.
- Written in the first person, this nostalgic poem reflects on a moment when Wordsworth was ice-skating as a child.
- Wordsworth had a deep appreciation for nature and spent much of his time outdoors.
- The intense feelings of innocence and joy felt by Wordsworth as a child, is matched by the intense beauty of nature.
- Wordsworth was one of the most influential Romantic poets, exploring the human experience in his poetry.
Common misconception
Students often think that this poem is just about Wordsworth's time ice-skating as a child.
The poem also portrays the sheer power and beauty of nature. It is as much about nature as it is Wordsworth's childhood.
Keywords
Excerpt - a short extract taken from a larger text.
Nostalgia - a sense of longing for the past.
Rapture - a feeling of intense pleasure or joy.
Euphoria - a feeling of intense excitement and happiness.
Semi-autobiographical - a text that is partly-true to real life and partly-fictional.
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