Extract from The Prelude ("And in the frosty season") by William Wordsworth (line-by-line analysis)

Detailed commentary and analysis by Claire's Notes an extract from The Prelude ("And in the frosty season") by William Wordsworth
Eduqas/WJEC poetry anthology

In this evocative extract from Wordsworth's The Prelude, the poet reminisces about the joy and exhilaration of a winter evening spent skating on a frozen lake during his youth. As the sun sets and twilight envelops the landscape, the poet and his friends are untroubled by the call to return home. Instead, they revel in their freedom, likened to untiring horses, as they glide over the ice. The passage vividly captures the harmony between the boys' spirited games and the wintery natural surroundings, highlighting the enchanting blend of playfulness and the sombre beauty of the season. This scene serves as a poignant reflection on the innocence and exuberance of childhood.

Extract from ‘The Prelude’ by William Wordsworth

And in the frosty season, when the sun
Was set, and visible for many a mile
The cottage windows through the twilight blazed,
I heeded not the summons:—happy time
It was indeed for all of us; for me
It was a time of rapture. Clear and loud
The village clock tolled six—I wheeled about,
Proud and exulting like an untired horse
That cares not for his home.—All shod with steel,
We hissed along the polished ice, in games
Confederate, imitative of the chase
And woodland pleasures,—the resounding horn,
The pack loud bellowing, and the hunted hare.
So through the darkness and the cold we flew,
And not a voice was idle; with the din,
Meanwhile, the precipices rang aloud,
The leafless trees and every icy crag
Tinkled like iron, while the distant hills
Into the tumult sent an alien sound
Of melancholy, not unnoticed, while the stars
Eastward, were sparkling clear, and in the west
The orange sky of evening died away.

Intro: (00:00)
Historical and biographical context: (00:05)
Structural features of the poem: (04:21)
Line-by-line analysis of the poem: (07:10)

My poetry videos all have the same structure: I start by putting the poem into its historical and biographical context where this enhances its understanding and give a short summary of the poem itself; I then look at the poem in its entirety, picking out structural features, such as metre (rhythm), any rhyming and patterns in language which the poet uses; I finish by going through the poem on a line-by-line basis, giving definitions of words and offering an interpretation of the poet’s words with justification. Most of the terminology I use (in green) is provided with a definition below, so even if you haven’t come across it before, you should still be able to understand the points I am making.

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I have been an English teacher and private tutor for more than 20 years.

Please note that any literature analysis is highly subjective and may disagree with analysis by another person. All interpretations are valid if they can be justified by reference to the text. This interpretation is my own: it is not exhaustive and there are alternatives!

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