Shows how Wordsworth presents the importance of his ideas of childhood in "The Prelude".

In Paragraph 7 Book 1, Wordsworth highlights how important exploration of your environment is when you are a child; through out the paragraph he conveys to the reader his joy in youth and the importance of Nature within his early years. The use of "babe" and "five years old" demonstrates how old he is; at this time Wordsworth would have been living in Cockermouth where he spent his childhood, also the inclusion of a capital letter when talking about 'Nature' shows the respect Wordsworth has towards her as it draws emphasises and elevates Nature. This relationship with Nature, that he had from a very early age due to the surroundings in which he lived, is reinforced when Wordsworth states "Nature breathes" and "sent a voice" personifying the elements almost as if he can communicate with them.

The central part of this paragraph is the river Derwent he refers to it as "The fairest of all rivers" and "A tempting playmate whom we dearly loved."

Wordsworth on Helvellyn

English: Portrait of William Wordsworth by William...

William Wordsworth, English poet.

the use of "loved" emphasises how strongly he feels for the river and the unity he had with it. Wordsworth is always aware of what surrounds him, we can see this when he is recapturing his memories as he says "Beneath the sky", "stood alone" and uses the imagery of 'Naked savage', which illustrate his love of freedom, solitude and imagination which is conveyed through Wordsworth's use of the metaphor with the 'naked savage' and 'thunder shower'.

These ideas are linked to that of the Romantics who Wordsworth appreciated and later became a Romantic Poet himself. They believed their imaginations and sensibilities were heightened compared to others which allowed them to recapture and express moments they have experienced. They also enjoyed solitude and freedom to explore Nature and themselves, they disliked rules and regulations...