Understanding 'Excerpt from The Prelude' by William Wordsworth
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what I think the poem is about and why I think it was written.
Key learning points
- The Prelude is a semi-autobiographical poem which was published after Wordsworth's death.
- Written in the first person, this nostalgic poem reflects on a moment when Wordsworth was ice-skating as a child.
- Wordsworth had a deep appreciation for nature and spent much of his time outdoors.
- The intense feelings of innocence and joy felt by Wordsworth as a child, is matched by the intense beauty of nature.
- Wordsworth was one of the most influential Romantic poets, exploring the human experience in his poetry.
Keywords
Excerpt - a short extract taken from a larger text.
Nostalgia - a sense of longing for the past.
Rapture - a feeling of intense pleasure or joy.
Euphoria - a feeling of intense excitement and happiness.
Semi-autobiographical - a text that is partly-true to real life and partly-fictional.
Common misconception
Students often think that this poem is just about Wordsworth's time ice-skating as a child.
The poem also portrays the sheer power and beauty of nature. It is as much about nature as it is Wordsworth's childhood.
Teacher tip
You could set students a creative writing task inspired by this poem: Describe a childhood memory. This could be done as an extended home learning task or as a brief starter activity to get them thinking about the power of memory.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the Eduqas poetry anthology for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.If something is autobiographical, what does that mean?
Q2.What might the word 'rapture' mean?
Q3.If someone is 'bellowing', they are ...
Q4.What kind of mood is created here in the opening to Wordsworth's 'The Prelude': "And in the frosty season, when the sun/ Was set, and visible for many a mile"?
Q5.What method is used in the following quotation from Wordsworth's 'The Prelude': "We hiss'd along the polish'd ice"?
Q6.To feel nostalgic is to ...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who wrote 'The Prelude'?
Q2.Which of the following statements about 'The Prelude' are true?
Q3.What kind of setting does Wordsworth create in the beginning of the 'The Prelude'?
Q4.Complete the quotation from Wordsworth's 'The Prelude': "The loud bellowing, and the hunted hare."
Q5.What do we know about Wordsworth's relationship with nature?
Q6.What might Wordsworth's 'The Prelude' teach us about memory?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Understanding 'Excerpt from The Prelude' by William Wordsworth, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Understanding 'Excerpt from The Prelude' by William Wordsworth, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the Poetry anthology (Assessment until summer 2026) unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.