The Prelude of 1805- The first few lines

The Prelude by William Wordsworth is a poem that presents the idea of a philosophical nature. In the first lines of the 647-line poem, the poet describes himself as entering a realm where nature is a giant blessing as a way to introduce the idea of his freedom from his previous environment, London.

Wordsworth uses many adjectives that create the sense of his excitement to welcome nature into his life. For example, the poet states that the gentle breeze is only half conscious of the joy it gives. The poet is clearly excited that the breeze is blowing and even goes as far to say that there is a blessing within the breeze. This is the first indication that the poet is excited to welcome nature as a part of his life and it occurs in the very first few lines of the poem. The next indication that the poet is excited to welcome nature comes when he says “O welcome messenger! O welcome friend!” This repetition almost makes the poet sound almost deliriously excited in his greeting to nature, especially because he is addressing the breeze.

In addition, these lines are heavily enjambed, which allow the reader to quickly go through the lines of the poem. The alacrity of the reading creates a sense of urgency, which makes one think that the “urgency” is actually another indication of the poet’s excitement to finally leave the restrictions of London.

Finally, in the next few lines, the poet alludes to living in London. It seems as if the poet is finally feeling freed from his life in London. Thus, he is extremely relieved to be in this new environment. His diction shows his enthusiasm for his freedom from the restraints of London. Now, the poet is able to enjoy the independence from London and shows his excitement through the diction of Wordsworth.