The Prelude (Magill Book Reviews)
At a glance:
- Author: William Wordsworth
- First Published: 1850
- Type of Work: Autobiographical Epic Poem
- Genres: Poetry
- Subjects: Authors or writers, Nineteenth century, Poetry or poets, England or English people, Romanticism
Wordsworth’s blank-verse narrative, often achieving Miltonic sublimity, is punctuated by hauntingly recalled “spots of time” which Wordsworth links to intimations of his future poetic calling. These “spots” include the earliest moments of moral and spiritual awareness and are usually associated with an intensely felt response to nature.
In the first two books, “School-Time,” Wordsworth concentrates on the pleasures of sports, mountain walks, and relationships with schoolmates and supportive adults. “Residence at Cambridge” records the impact of the first...
[The entire page is 539 words long]
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