The Prelude: Stealing the Boat

    AQA
    GCSE

    This extract from Book I of 'The Prelude' details a pivotal moment in the speaker's childhood development, retrospectively narrating an episode where he steals a boat on a summer evening. Initially, the tone is one of confidence and 'troubled pleasure' as the speaker rows out onto the lake, admiring the serene beauty of nature. However, the mood shifts dramatically when a 'huge peak, black and huge' emerges from behind the craggy steep, shattering his arrogance and triggering a profound sense of awe and terror. The speaker retreats in panic, returning the boat, but remains haunted by the experience for days. The narrative illustrates the transition from a naive appreciation of nature to a confrontation with the Sublime, resulting in a lasting psychological transformation and a recognition of nature's terrifying power.

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    Objectives
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    Exam Tips
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    Pitfalls
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    Key Terms
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    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • AO1: Credit conceptualised responses that trace the psychological journey from the 'act of stealth' to 'grave and serious thoughts'.
    • AO2: Analyse the use of blank verse and enjambment to mimic the rowing rhythm and the subsequent breathless panic.
    • AO2: Evaluate the personification of the mountain ('upreared its head') as a mechanism of moral correction and psychological projection.
    • AO3: Link the 'huge peak' to the Romantic concept of the Sublime and Wordsworth's pantheistic view of nature as a teacher.

    Example Examiner Feedback

    Real feedback patterns examiners use when marking

    • "You have identified the personification, now explain how this creates a sense of the Sublime"
    • "Ensure your comparison is sustained throughout, weaving between Wordsworth and the second poet"
    • "Contextual points about Romanticism must be linked to specific textual evidence, not added as a bolt-on"
    • "Analyse the effect of the volta ('When...') on the poem's rhythm and the speaker's state of mind"

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • AO1: Credit conceptualised responses that trace the psychological journey from the 'act of stealth' to 'grave and serious thoughts'.
    • AO2: Analyse the use of blank verse and enjambment to mimic the rowing rhythm and the subsequent breathless panic.
    • AO2: Evaluate the personification of the mountain ('upreared its head') as a mechanism of moral correction and psychological projection.
    • AO3: Link the 'huge peak' to the Romantic concept of the Sublime and Wordsworth's pantheistic view of nature as a teacher.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Select a comparison poem that allows for distinct contrast or strong similarity in the treatment of nature (e.g., 'Storm on the Island' or 'Ozymandias')
    • 💡Allocate 5-10 minutes to plan the comparison points before writing to ensure a balanced argument
    • 💡Memorise 3-4 key quotations from the second half of the poem to support analysis of the lasting psychological impact
    • 💡Ensure the introduction clearly states the thematic link (e.g., 'Both poets explore the humbling power of nature...')

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Describing the mountain as a literal monster rather than a psychological projection or manifestation of the Sublime
    • Focusing solely on the narrative of 'stealing' while ignoring the philosophical reflection in the final lines
    • Providing biographical facts about Wordsworth (e.g., Lake District) without linking them to the poem's themes
    • Selecting a comparison poem with weak thematic links, leading to a disjointed essay

    Key Terminology

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