Boat Stealing (from 1799 Prelude)

Context

• William Wordsworth was a leading poet of the Romantic movement, which focused on the importance of individual experiences, emotions, and a deep connection with nature. "Boat Stealing" is a section from The Prelude, a long autobiographical poem where Wordsworth reflects on key moments from his childhood. This particular memory involves a young Wordsworth stealing a boat and experiencing a powerful and unsettling encounter with nature. The poem explores the theme of losing innocence as the narrator's simple adventure turns into a realisation of the complexity and unpredictability of the world around him.

The Poem

Boat Stealing

I went alone into a Shepherd's boat,

A skiff, that to a willow-tree was tied

Within a rocky cave, its usual home.

The moon was up, the lake was shining clear

← Imagery

Among the hoary mountains; from the shore

I pushed, and struck the oars, and struck again

In cadence, and my little boat moved on

Just like a man who walks with stately step

Though bent on speed.

It was an act of stealth

← Oxymoron

And troubled pleasure.

Not without the voice

Of mountain echoes did my boat move on,

Leaving behind her still on either side

Small circles glittering idly in the moon,

Until they melted all into one track

Of sparkling light. A rocky steep uprose

Above the cavern of the willow-tree,

And now, as suited one who proudly rowed

With his best skill, I fixed a steady view

Upon the top of that same craggy ridge,

The bound of the horizon – for behind

Was nothing but the stars and the grey sky.

She was an elfin pinnace; twenty times

I dipped my oars into the silent lake,

And as I rose upon the stroke my boat

Went heaving through the water like a swan —

When from behind that rocky steep, till then

The bound of the horizon, a huge cliff,

As if with voluntary power instinct,

Upreared its head. I struck, and struck again,

And, growing still in stature, the huge cliff

Rose up between me and the stars,

← Symbolism

and still,

With measured motion,

like a living thing Strode after me.

← Personification and simile

With trembling hands I turned,

And through the silent water stole my way

Back to the cavern of the willow-tree.

There in her mooring-place I left my bark,

And through the meadows homeward went with grave

And serious thoughts; and after I had seen

That spectacle, for many days my brain

Worked with a dim and undetermined sense

Of unknown modes of being. In my thoughts

There was a darkness – call it solitude,

← Symbolism

Or blank desertion –

no familiar shapes

Of hourly objects, images of trees,

Of sea or sky, no colours of green fields,

But huge and mighty forms that do not live

Like living men moved slowly through my mind

By day, and were the trouble of my dreams.

5 Quotes + Analysis to Achieve a Grade 9

1. Language device = Imagery. "The moon was up, the lake was shining clear" Analysis: This line sets a peaceful, almost magical scene, highlighting the beauty of nature at night. The bright moonlight and clear lake create a sense of serenity that draws the narrator to steal the boat. This imagery helps the reader understand why the narrator is so tempted by nature's beauty, even though he knows what he's doing is wrong. The light represents the allure of innocence and the joy of being in nature.

2. Language device = Oxymoron. "troubled pleasure" Analysis: The oxymoron "troubled pleasure" shows the narrator's mixed feelings about stealing the boat. He feels excitement and joy in the moment, but there's also a sense of guilt and unease. This phrase captures the conflict between the thrill of adventure and the knowledge that he's doing something wrong, hinting that this experience will lead to a deeper, more troubling realisation.

3. Language device = Symbolism. "Rose up between me and the stars" Analysis: When the "huge cliff" rises up, it blocks the stars, symbolising the narrator's sudden loss of innocence. The stars, which represent light and guidance, are now obscured, showing that the narrator's simple, clear view of the world has been disrupted by something much larger and more complex. This moment marks a turning point, where the beauty of nature becomes overwhelming and even frightening.

4. Language device = Personification and simile. "Like a living thing / Strode after me" Analysis: The personification of the cliff as "a living thing" that "strode after" the narrator creates a sense of threat and fear. Although the narrator knows the cliff isn't truly alive, his imagination transforms it into something menacing. This shows how his actions have stirred a deeper awareness of the power and unpredictability of nature, and the realisation that the world is full of dangers he hadn't previously understood.

5. Language device = Symbolism. "There was a darkness – call it solitude, / Or blank desertion" Analysis: After returning to the boat, the narrator is left with feelings of "darkness" and "solitude." This reflects the emotional impact of his experience—he's no longer just enjoying nature's beauty; he's confronted with a sense of isolation and the weight of his own actions. The "darkness" symbolises the loss of innocence and the beginning of a more complex understanding of the world, where beauty and danger coexist.

Form

• Blank Verse:
  • The poem is written in blank verse and uses iambic pentameter, which is the metre most commonly associated with this form. The unrhymed lines and iambic pentameter make the poem sound natural, which suits the content as Wordsworth is sharing a private moment with the reader and doesn't want his thoughts overshadowed by elaborate verse.
• Epic Length:
  • Boat Stealing is only a small section of The Prelude, a much larger work of epic length, allowing Wordsworth to explore his experiences in great depth.

Structure

• Exhilaration to Horror:

  • In the first half of the poem, there is a sense of exhilaration as the narrator enjoys the thrill of stealing the boat, but the volta on line 26 marks a shift from "troubled pleasure" to pure horror when the "huge cliff" rears its head.

• Repetition of Action:

  • The narrator "struck" the oars in the beginning with excitement, but later, when the cliff appears, this same action is repeated to show his panic. This repetition contrasts the narrator's state of mind before and after his unsettling experience.

• Somber Ending:

  • Despite all the beauty and excitement felt early in the poem, it ends on a somber note, showing that Wordsworth wanted his reader to appreciate the seriousness of the situation and the lasting impact of the experience.

Example Paragraph for a Grade 9 Answer:

In "Boat Stealing," Wordsworth uses the narrator's experience to explore the loss of innocence. The serene imagery of "the moon was up, the lake was shining clear" reflects the narrator's initial innocence. However, this is disrupted by the appearance of the "huge cliff" that "rose up between [him] and the stars," symbolising the sudden and overwhelming realisation of a more complex and threatening world. The oxymoron "troubled pleasure" captures the conflicting emotions of excitement and guilt, highlighting the transition from innocence to experience. By the end, the narrator is left with a "darkness" in his thoughts, showing how this encounter has changed his understanding of the world.