EXTEND – Lines Written in Early Spring #620942

STEP 3 Analyse the structure

Wordsworth often used poetic forms of the past. Select the correct statements regarding the structure of the poem.

A: The poem is composed of six stanzas.

B: The stanzas are sestets, which follow an ABABCC rhyme.

C: The rhyme is perfectly regular.

D: The stanzas are quatrains, which follow an ABAB rhyme.

E: The structure recalls that of a ballad.

F: The rhyme isn't always consistent, with examples of slant rhyme (words that almost rhyme like me / serenity)

G: The poem is composed of four stanzas.

H: The stanzas recall those of an ode.

Extend

Scelta multipla

STEP 2 Scan the poem and focus on the details

Read the poem again and choose the correct alternative to complete the sentences.

1 The speaker's 'sad thoughts' in the poem are primarily caused by the contrast between the joy and harmony he observes in nature and ________.
2 The speaker's frequent statements like 'I cannot measure' and 'tis my faith' reveal the Romantic belief that true understanding of nature is found through ________.
3 The reference to 'what man has made of man' can be historically contextualised as a criticism of the societal changes and conflicts of Wordsworth's era, specifically the dehumanising effects ________.

Extend

Completamento chiuso

STEP 1 Skim the text and find out more about the dichotomy humans vs nature

Read the poem and match each stanza (1-6) to its content (A-F)..

A Nature connects his soul to creation, and it saddens him to think of what humans have done to the natural environment.     ________

B The speaker sees the birds and, though he cannot know what they think, he is aware they enjoy their hopping about.     ________

C Newly born twigs spread out to catch the wind and the speaker, in spite of himself, believes he must be persuaded that they feel pleasure in what they do.     ________

D The speaker hears the birds singing while sitting in a wood and this causes sad and happy thoughts to mingle in his mind.     ________

E If all of this is part of Nature's plan, the speaker asks himself if he shouldn't be sad about what humans have done to themselves.     ________

F The speaker describes the flowers growing in that wood and thinks they enjoy every breath they take.     ________

Extend

Posizionamento

STEP 4 Focus on personification

Wordsworth uses personification to give nature its moral agency. Read the lines from the poem and select the ones that use personification.

A: Through primrose tufts, in that sweet mood

B: And 'tis my faith that every flower / Enjoys the air it breathes

C: What man has made of man

D: To her fair works did Nature link / The human soul

E: The budding twigs spread out their fan

Extend

Scelta multipla

STEP 5 Think further and prepare for your test: humans vs nature

Complete the text which focuses on humans and nature as opposite poles with the words given. Then look at the prompts in brackets and write some extra reflections in your exercise book. You can use the final text as revision material for your test.

In Lines Written in Early Spring, William Wordsworth presents a vision of the essential ________ of nature. The speaker believes that the natural world is a cohesive ________ where every element is interconnected, even the ________ soul. (Refer to STEP 5 and the poet's use of personification of nature.) This is beautifully illustrated in the poem's description of a ________ scene. (Refer to STEP 4 and think about how alliteration and assonance contribute to the harmony of nature.) This sense of perfect, natural order, however, is abruptly ________ by the speaker's despairing realisation of 'what man has made of man.' This line serves as an emotional interruption, reflecting the poet's ________ with human society. (Refer to STEP 4 to analyse the harsh alliteration involving the word 'man'.) Wordsworth believed that the changes of his era, such as the ________ Revolution which led to overcrowding in cities, were separating humans from nature's ________ power. (Refer to section 6.3 of your textbook to consider the downsides of the revolution on workers' lives.) Furthermore, the violence and failed ideals of the ________ Revolution contributed to his sense of betrayal and ________, contrasting sharply with the peace he found in nature. (Refer to Wordsworth's life to add some considerations on his experience of the revolution in France.)

Extend

Posizionamento