Wordsworth said he had been 'Fostered alike by beauty and by fear.' Using 3 episodes from 'The prelude' book 1 show what he meant by this?
I have chosen to explore paragraphs 8, 9 and 11 to interpret what Wordsworth might have meant by this quote. The use of 'fostered' creates the impression of a parent or guardian, and with such a high regard for nature I wonder whether this quote is aimed at her and her so called actions that only Wordsworth seems to feel and encounter.
Episode 8 begins with the lines; he seems at one with where he used to live in 'that beloved Vale' and the cold language Wordsworth includes such as 'frost', 'the breath of frosty wind' and 'snapped' reflect how he feels now. Things aren't as happy and pleasant as they were in his 'much favoured' birthplace Cockermouth. There is a sudden change of mood as he describes the freedom of the woodcocks, Wordsworth illustrates his love for solitude 'to range the open heights' and adds an excited tone 'twas my joy' whilst catching them.
But the use of 'night' is a stereotypical technique to suddenly indicate bad happenings, there is a constant awareness of the universe by Wordsworth that heightens the fear that follows with 'moon and stars were shining o'er my head. I was alone.' Wordsworth usually seeks solitude as he loves to be alone with nature to let his imagination get the better of him, but in this instance he seems frightened due to the eerie tone created. He knows he's been doing wrong by catching the birds 'I piled' shows he was sneaking as if hiding from nature herself, Wordsworth says he 'seemed to be a trouble to the peace' like he had disturbed her by doing this act.
This is reinforced when he goes on to say 'when the deed was done I heard among the solitary hills low breathings coming after me,' presenting nature as a moral educator evoking fear as he has done wrong. Nature acts like a parent at the beginning when Wordsworth states 'I grew up fostered alike by beauty' and also at the end of this passage 'low breathings coming after me' when we get the image of an angry parent. He feels this overwhelming presence due to the
Episode 8 begins with the lines; he seems at one with where he used to live in 'that beloved Vale' and the cold language Wordsworth includes such as 'frost', 'the breath of frosty wind' and 'snapped' reflect how he feels now. Things aren't as happy and pleasant as they were in his 'much favoured' birthplace Cockermouth. There is a sudden change of mood as he describes the freedom of the woodcocks, Wordsworth illustrates his love for solitude 'to range the open heights' and adds an excited tone 'twas my joy' whilst catching them.
But the use of 'night' is a stereotypical technique to suddenly indicate bad happenings, there is a constant awareness of the universe by Wordsworth that heightens the fear that follows with 'moon and stars were shining o'er my head. I was alone.' Wordsworth usually seeks solitude as he loves to be alone with nature to let his imagination get the better of him, but in this instance he seems frightened due to the eerie tone created. He knows he's been doing wrong by catching the birds 'I piled' shows he was sneaking as if hiding from nature herself, Wordsworth says he 'seemed to be a trouble to the peace' like he had disturbed her by doing this act.
This is reinforced when he goes on to say 'when the deed was done I heard among the solitary hills low breathings coming after me,' presenting nature as a moral educator evoking fear as he has done wrong. Nature acts like a parent at the beginning when Wordsworth states 'I grew up fostered alike by beauty' and also at the end of this passage 'low breathings coming after me' when we get the image of an angry parent. He feels this overwhelming presence due to the