{"id":1599,"date":"2020-11-05T16:46:59","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T16:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themindpalace.in\/?p=1599"},"modified":"2023-06-06T12:42:54","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T12:42:54","slug":"the-stolen-boat-a-poem-by-william-wordsworth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/index.php\/2020\/11\/05\/the-stolen-boat-a-poem-by-william-wordsworth\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stolen Boat, a poem by William Wordsworth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"..\/..\/2021\/08\/26\/the-stolen-boat-a-poem-by-william-wordsworth-kannada-translation\/\" data-type=\"internal\">Kannada translation <\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\"  id=\"_ytid_96159\"  width=\"480\" height=\"270\"  data-origwidth=\"480\" data-origheight=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sL3m4AmdpgQ?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Watch our YouTube video &#8211; A visual presentation of the poem &#8220;The Stolen Boat&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p> <a href=\"..\/..\/2021\/08\/26\/the-stolen-boat-a-poem-by-william-wordsworth-kannada-translation\/\" data-type=\"internal\">Kannada translation <\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary of the poem &#8220;The Stolen Boat&#8221;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>In William Wordsworth&#8217;s poem &#8220;The Stolen Boat,&#8221; the speaker describes a captivating and transformative experience while rowing a boat on a silent lake. The poem explores themes of awe, solitude, and the power of nature to inspire and unsettle the human mind.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meaning <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>One summer evening (led by her) I found<br>A little boat tied to a willow tree<br>Within a rocky cave, its usual home.<br>Straight I unloosed her chain, and stepping in<br>Pushed from the shore. It was an act of stealth<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One summer evening, I followed someone (a friend or a guide) to a special place where I discovered a small boat tied to a willow tree inside a rocky cave. It seemed like the boat belonged there, as if it was its regular spot. Without making any noise, I untied the boat and climbed aboard. Then, I gently pushed the boat away from the shore, trying to be quiet and secretive. It was like a secret adventure!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>And troubled pleasure, nor without the voice<br>Of mountain-echoes did my boat move on;<br>Leaving behind her still, on either side,<br>Small circles glittering idly in the moon,<br>Until they melted all into one track<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I moved the boat, I felt a mix of excitement and unease. The sound of echoes from the surrounding mountains accompanied my boat&#8217;s journey. As the boat glided through the water, it left behind small, sparkling ripples on both sides. These ripples shone brightly in the moonlight, creating a beautiful trail that merged into one continuous path. It was as if the boat was leaving a magical mark on the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Of sparkling light. But now, like one who rows,<br>Proud of his skill, to reach a chosen point<br>With an unswerving line, I fixed my view<br>Upon the summit of a craggy ridge,<br>The horizon\u2019s utmost boundary; far above<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I looked up, there was nothing but the stars twinkling in the grey sky. The boat I was in seemed magical, like a small fairy boat. I rowed with energy and enthusiasm, plunging the oars into the calm lake. With each stroke, the boat glided gracefully through the water, moving forward as smoothly as a swan swimming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Was nothing but the stars and the grey sky.<br>She was an elfin pinnace; lustily<br>I dipped my oars into the silent lake,<br>And, as I rose upon the stroke, my boat<br>Went heaving through the water like a swan;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I looked up, there was nothing but the stars twinkling in the grey sky. The boat I was in seemed magical, like a small fairy boat. I rowed with energy and enthusiasm, plunging the oars into the calm lake. With each stroke, the boat glided gracefully through the water, moving forward as smoothly as a swan swimming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>When, from behind that craggy steep till then<br>The horizon\u2019s bound, a huge peak, black and huge,<br>As if with voluntary power instinct,<br>Upreared its head. I struck and struck again,<br>And growing still in stature the grim shape<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Suddenly, from the hidden side of a rocky cliff, a massive and dark peak emerged. It seemed to rise up on its own, as if it had a will of its own. I kept rowing and hitting the water with my oars, trying to escape from this imposing and eerie shape. But the more I rowed, the taller and more intimidating the peak became.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Towered up between me and the stars, and still,<br>For so it seemed, with purpose of its own<br>And measured motion like a living thing,<br>Strode after me. With trembling oars I turned,<br>And through the silent water stole my way<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The enormous peak stood tall, blocking my view of the stars. It felt like it had a purpose and was moving deliberately, almost like a living creature. It continued to follow me as I tried to row away, causing fear and unease. I turned my oars with trembling hands, trying to navigate through the quiet water in an attempt to escape its presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Back to the covert of the willow tree;<br>There in her mooring-place I left my bark,\u2014<br>And through the meadows homeward went, in grave<br>And serious mood; but after I had seen<br>That spectacle, for many days, my brain<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I returned to the hidden spot where the willow tree stood, and I left the boat there, tied up as it was before. I walked back home through the meadows with a serious and thoughtful expression. However, the image of the massive peak and the strange encounter stayed in my mind for many days. It occupied my thoughts and affected the way I perceived things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Worked with a dim and undetermined sense<br>Of unknown modes of being; o\u2019er my thoughts<br>There hung a darkness, call it solitude<br>Or blank desertion. No familiar shapes<br>Remained, no pleasant images of trees,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of sea or sky, no colours of green fields;<br>But huge and mighty forms, that do not live<br>Like living men, moved slowly through the mind<br>By day, and were a trouble to my dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After witnessing the strange sight, my mind was filled with a vague and uncertain feeling. It was like I was experiencing unknown ways of existence. A darkness loomed over my thoughts, a feeling of loneliness or abandonment. I couldn&#8217;t picture familiar things anymore &#8211; no trees, no sea or sky, no green fields. Instead, my mind was filled with colossal and powerful forms that were not alive like humans. These images troubled me during the day and invaded my dreams at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The Stolen Boat&#8221; by William Wordsworth is a poem that explores how nature can affect our thoughts and feelings. It tells the story of a person who finds a small boat tied to a tree in a cave. They set the boat free and go on a journey alone. The boat moves smoothly through the water, reflecting the moonlight and creating a sparkling path. The person&#8217;s attention is drawn to a faraway ridge, tall and rocky, surrounded by stars and a grey sky. The boat represents freedom and exploration as it moves gracefully like a swan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the peaceful moment is interrupted when a huge peak appears from behind the ridge and starts following the boat. This makes the person feel afraid and uncertain. They turn the boat around and go back to the safety of the tree, leaving the mysterious peak behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The encounter with the peak leaves a lasting impact on the person&#8217;s mind. They feel unsure and start questioning their existence. The familiar sights of nature disappear, replaced by strange and unsettling forms that stay in their thoughts day and night. They feel alone and struggle to understand these unfamiliar things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this poem, Wordsworth shows how nature can make us think deeply and reflect on ourselves. The stolen boat represents the person&#8217;s desire for freedom and exploration, while the looming peak symbolizes the unknown and overwhelming parts of life. The contrast between the peaceful lake and the unsettling peak highlights the complex emotions we experience when we are alone and thinking about ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The Stolen Boat&#8221; encourages us to appreciate the impact nature can have on our inner selves. It reminds us that even in uncertain and dark times, there is beauty to be found and lessons to be learned. Wordsworth invites us to embark on our own journeys of self-discovery and to value the transformative power of nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, &#8220;The Stolen Boat&#8221; reminds us to take time to reflect and find comfort in the beauty and mysteries of nature. It teaches us to embrace moments of solitude and uncertainty as opportunities for personal growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Exercise\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Exercise<\/mark><\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">I. Answer briefly the following questions.<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1.Who does \u2018her\u2019 in the first line refer to?<br><span style=\"color:#209932\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: The cool summer breeze.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2.Where was the boat moored?<br><span style=\"color:#1f9e3c\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: Inside a rocky cave, tied to a willow tree<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3.What does \u2018home\u2019 in line 3 refer to?<br><span style=\"color:#228320\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: The place where the boat was usually moored.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4.What does \u2018her\u2019 in line 4 refer to?<br><span style=\"color:#1c942e\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: The boat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5.Why does the poet use words like \u2018home\u2019 and \u2018her\u2019 while talking about the inanimate boat?<br><span style=\"color:#227414\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: The attraction of the boat to the boy is so much that it acquires a human presence in his mind.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>6.What stealthy act does the boy commit?<br><span style=\"color:#25951f\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: The boy takes away the boat without the permission of the owner of the boat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>7.What sound is captured in lines 6 and 7?<br><span style=\"color:#1fa333\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: Mountain-echoes of the sound of the oars splashing in the water.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> 8.What visual picture is created in lines 8 to 10?<br><span style=\"color:#1e9a28\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: The picture is of small ripples caused in the water by the moving oars, and their fading away to leave only a long stretch of reflected moonlight in the water in the wake of the boat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> 9.What does \u2018they\u2019 in line 10 refer to?<br><span style=\"color:#23a92e\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer:The small ripples in the water.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> 10.How many peaks are mentioned in the poem? Which one is bigger?<br><span style=\"color:#249e1b\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: Two peaks are mentioned: The first one is a craggy ridge, the one the boy wanted to reach; the second one is a black and huge peak which looms suddenly in front of him.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> 11.a) What is the boat compared to in line 19 and 20?<br><span style=\"color:#1a7d36\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: A swan gliding smoothly in the water.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b) The purpose of the comparison is<br>a. to highlight the beauty and grace of the swan<br>b. to highlight the beauty and grace of the boat<br>c. to highlight the graceful movement of the boat<br><span style=\"color:#229435\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer:(c) to highlight the graceful movement of the boat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> 12.In the expression \u2018troubled pleasure\u2019 (line 6).<br>a) What pleasurable experience of the narrator does \u2018pleasure\u2019 refer to?<br><span style=\"color:#149928\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: Taking the boat away all by himself.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b) The narrator\u2019s pleasure is \u2018troubled\u2019 because<br>a. his conscience pricks him on his stealthy act<br>b. the pleasure is short-lived<br>c. he is scared of his stealthy act being found out<br><span style=\"color:#3aa61f\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer:(a) his conscience pricks him on his stealthy act-<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> 13.Read carefully lines 21 to 26<br>b) Pick out the details of the peak that appears fearful to the boy<br><span style=\"color:#268d21\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer:Rising from behind the craggy ridge all of a sudden; Being black and huge in size; Went on growing in size till it towered between the boy and the stars; Seemed to be coming after the boy with a measured step.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c)The lines refer to the movement of the peak. Is it real or imagined by the boy?<br>Answer:It is the imagination of the boy who is already feeling guilty about his act of stealing the boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>d) In the boy\u2019s imagination, the movement is<br>a. threatening and menacing<br>b. lively and graceful<br>c. friendly and inviting<br><span style=\"color:#168636\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer:(a) threatening and menacing.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> 14.a) In the phrase \u201ctrembling oars\u201d, who is trembling?<br><span style=\"color:#218429\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer:The boy is trembling.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b) Name the figure of speech in this expression.<br>Answer:The figure of speech used here is \u201cTransferred Epithet\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c) The boy is trembling because of<br>a. He is frightened by the \u2018approaching\u2019 peak<br>b. Of his guilty conscience<br>c Of cold<br><span style=\"color:#19882a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer:(a) He is frightened by the \u2018approaching\u2019 peak.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> 15.The episode of the stolen boat ends with the boy leaving the boat back in its mooring place (line 32). The remaining lines of the poem (lines 33 to 44) deal with<br>a. the lasting memory of the actual experience<br>b. details not connected with the actual experience<br>c. the mysterious shapes and images haunting him<br><span style=\"color:#2c8b1b\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer:(c) the mysterious shapes and images haunting him.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> 16.Wordsworth defined poetry as \u201cemotion recollected in tranquility\u201d. What dominant emotion of the boat experience is recollected by the poet?<br><span style=\"color:#1e781f\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer:Fear caused by the sight of the huge, black peak.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> 17.Many days after the stolen boat experience, the narrator was haunted by a mysterious presence within him. Pick out details of this mysterious presence from lines 37 to 44.<br><span style=\"color:#1a9a2f\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer:After the experience, there hung over the boy\u2019s thoughts darkness which can be called solitude or blank desertion. There were no familiar shapes or pleasant images of trees, sea or sky. There were just huge and mighty forms that do not live like living men. These forms moved slowly through his mind by day and troubled him in his dreams.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-purple-color\">II. Close Study<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-purple-color\">Read the following extracts carefully. Discuss in pairs and then write the answers to questions given below them.<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#211fb7\" class=\"has-inline-color\"> She was an elfin pinnace<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>What does \u2018she\u2019 refer to?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is the figure of speech used here?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What does \u2018elfin\u2019 mean?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is the figure of speech used in \u2018elfin pinnace\u2019?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What quality in the movement of the boat is highlighted in the comparison?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#158d2d\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answers:<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#1c7e1f\" class=\"has-inline-color\">The little boat.<\/mark><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#1c7e1f\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Personification.<\/mark><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#1c7e1f\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Very small in size.<\/mark><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#1c7e1f\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Metaphor.<\/mark><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#1c7e1f\" class=\"has-inline-color\">The smooth, pleasant and light movement of the boat.<\/mark><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#1631c9\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Question 2.<br>With trembling oars, I turned, And through the silent water stole my way Back to the covert of the willow tree.<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>What is the figure of speech used in the first line?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What made the boy tremble?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What does the boy want to do with the boat?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#298e1e\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answers:<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#0d810f\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Transferred Epithet.<\/mark><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#0d810f\" class=\"has-inline-color\">The sudden presence of the huge, black peak which seemed to move with a measured step towards him.<\/mark><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#0d810f\" class=\"has-inline-color\">The boy wanted to take the boat to a craggy ridge.<\/mark><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#3b1cc6\" class=\"has-inline-color\">III. Paragraph Writing<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-purple-color\">Discuss in groups of 4 each the answers to the following questions. Note down the important points for each question and then develop the points into one paragraph answers.<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#b51979\" class=\"has-inline-color\">1.Why did Wordsworth say that his moving the boat is an act of stealth? Why was he guilty of his act?<\/mark><br><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#1c8e20\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: <\/mark><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">Probably because the boy was very young, he was not allowed to row it on his own, or probably the owner of the boat did not like anyone touching his boat. Here the boy does not inform the owner or take his permission to use the boat. Hence Wordsworth says that the boy\u2019s moving of the boat is an act of stealth. It was an act of stealing and his joy and thrill of adventure were troubled by a sense of guilt.<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#d30b94\" class=\"has-inline-color\">2.Describe the effect that the spectacle of the peak had on the poet\u2019s mind.<\/mark><br><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#25a129\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer: <\/mark>The poet wanted to take the boat near a craggy ridge, but the sudden appearance of the huge, black peak unnerved him. The more he rowed the boat, the bigger the peak seemed to become in front of him. Soon it seemed to move with a measured step like a living being towards the poet. This made the poet turn back towards the rocky cave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> <span style=\"color:#ba0c7d\" class=\"has-inline-color\">3.To Wordsworth, nature was a living presence. Pick out any 5 details from the poem to support this.<\/span><br><span style=\"color:#d8097b\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Answer<\/span>:\u2018One summer evening\u2019; \u2018small circles glittering idly in the moon\u2019; \u2018she was an elfin pinnace\u2019; \u2018my boat went heaving through the water like a swan\u2019; \u2026\u2026\u2026 a huge peak, black and huge, as if with voluntary power instinct, upreared its head.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Poem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One summer evening (led by her) I found<br>A little boat tied to a willow tree<br>Within a rocky cave, its usual home.<br>Straight I unloosed her chain, and stepping in<br>Pushed from the shore. It was an act of stealth<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And troubled pleasure, nor without the voice<br>Of mountain-echoes did my boat move on;<br>Leaving behind her still, on either side,<br>Small circles glittering idly in the moon,<br>Until they melted all into one track<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of sparkling light. But now, like one who rows,<br>Proud of his skill, to reach a chosen point<br>With an unswerving line, I fixed my view<br>Upon the summit of a craggy ridge,<br>The horizon\u2019s utmost boundary; far above<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Was nothing but the stars and the grey sky.<br>She was an elfin pinnace; lustily<br>I dipped my oars into the silent lake,<br>And, as I rose upon the stroke, my boat<br>Went heaving through the water like a swan;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When, from behind that craggy steep till then<br>The horizon\u2019s bound, a huge peak, black and huge,<br>As if with voluntary power instinct,<br>Upreared its head. I struck and struck again,<br>And growing still in stature the grim shape<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Towered up between me and the stars, and still,<br>For so it seemed, with purpose of its own<br>And measured motion like a living thing,<br>Strode after me. With trembling oars I turned,<br>And through the silent water stole my way<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back to the covert of the willow tree;<br>There in her mooring-place I left my bark,\u2014<br>And through the meadows homeward went, in grave<br>And serious mood; but after I had seen<br>That spectacle, for many days, my brain<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Worked with a dim and undetermined sense<br>Of unknown modes of being; o\u2019er my thoughts<br>There hung a darkness, call it solitude<br>Or blank desertion. No familiar shapes<br>Remained, no pleasant images of trees,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of sea or sky, no colours of green fields;<br>But huge and mighty forms, that do not live<br>Like living men, moved slowly through the mind<br>By day, and were a trouble to my dreams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Where was the boat moored?<br \/>\nAnswer: The place where the boat was usually moored.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1600,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[112,475,24],"tags":[193,192,360],"cp_meta_data":{"_edit_lock":["1686055749:2"],"_thumbnail_id":["1600"],"_edit_last":["2"],"_layout":["inherit"],"_heateor_sss_meta":["a:2:{s:7:\"sharing\";i:0;s:16:\"vertical_sharing\";i:0;}"],"_oembed_95287caaddeb112cd4edfcbd8e525566":["<iframe title=\"Introduction of Computers  Part1\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SzIGR3gp_F4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>"],"_oembed_time_95287caaddeb112cd4edfcbd8e525566":["1604594862"],"_last_editor_used_jetpack":["block-editor"],"_jetpack_related_posts_cache":["a:1:{s:32:\"8f6677c9d6b0f903e98ad32ec61f8deb\";a:2:{s:7:\"expires\";i:1776345795;s:7:\"payload\";a:3:{i:0;a:1:{s:2:\"id\";i:4397;}i:1;a:1:{s:2:\"id\";i:3043;}i:2;a:1:{s:2:\"id\";i:2918;}}}}"],"_oembed_999755227138fc1836b9e2cad70e0f5a":["<iframe title=\"The Stolen Boat, a poem by William Wordsworth - A visual presentation\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sL3m4AmdpgQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>"],"_oembed_time_999755227138fc1836b9e2cad70e0f5a":["1686055379"]},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/boat.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1599"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1599"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6413,"href":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1599\/revisions\/6413"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themindpalace.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}