PRELUDE – BOOK I - WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

·         The Prelude or Growth of a Poet’s mind is an autobiographical, “philosophical” poem in Blank verse.

·         Wordsworth wrote the first version of the poem when he was 28 and worked over the rest of it for his long life without publishing it.

·         He never gave it a title; he called it the “Poem to Coleridge” and in his letters to Dorothy Wordsworth referred to it as “the poem on the growth of my own mind”.

·         The poem was published three months after Wordsworth’s death in 1850, its final name given to it by his widow Mary.

·         The poem has been referred to as the first psychological epic.

·         It is a fragment work.

·         The theme of The Prelude is self-exploration.

·         The Prelude starts with Preamble.

·         There is a close connection between Wordsworth’s poetry and his personal experience in this poem.

·         Wordsworth has given an account of circumstances of Prelude’s writing in Preface to Excursion.

·         It is the long autobiographical poem.

·         The poem was commenced in 1779.

·         The poem was completed in 1805.

·         The poem was published in 1850.

·         Mrs. Wordsworth has given the present title.

·         This poem is an introduction for The Recluse.

·         The poem gives Wordsworth’s life from Child to middle age.

·         The poem is composed of 14 books but originally 13 books, tenth book into two.

·         The poem covers first 30 years of Wordsworth’s life.

·         The first book is about childhood.

·         The book Prelude is dedicated to Coleridge.

·         The poet is on his way from Bristol to Racedon.

·         He writes the poem during autumn season.

·         The boyhood days of Wordsworth is spent in Cockermouth & Hawkshead.

·         Wordsworth stole bird in a trap.

·         Robbin Raven’s Eggs is the favourite sport of Wordsworth in spring.

·         Wordsworth unloosed the boat which tied to willow tree.

·         Nature is the wisdom spirit of the universe.

·         Wordsworth raced freely during the winter season.

·         Wordsworth studied at Hawkshead Grammar School.

·         The rod and line were symbolical of folly of hope.

·         Paper kite flying is the other game of Grammar school boys.

·         Noughts, crosses & card games are the indoor games.

·         Wordsworth lived in Humble cottage.

·         The pack of cards looked like an army.

·         Wordsworth gather delight from nature in the same way the bee would suck honey in flower.

·         Wordsworth hopes that this work would be quiet welcome to his friend Coleridge.

·         Prelude is yardstick work of his poetic development.

·         Wordsworth is often called as mystic poet.

·         Shakespeare made mystic note before wordsworth.