This autobiographical poem is written in blank verse by William Wordsworth. He wrote the first version of it at the age of 28 and continued it for his long life without publishing it. It was published three months after the poet’s death in 1850, and was titled by his widow Maria de he. It is not an external autobiography of the poet, but an internal autobiography. It has the record of the growth and development of the poet’s mind with the help of beauty and fear. In this poem, William Wordsworth recalls his childhood experience enriched with the magic of nature. For him, nature is the best teacher and under his teaching the growth of the soul, heart and mind occurs. So, she transcends man to spirituality.

In the first book of El Preludio, the poet talks about his childhood and school days. He calls nature mother, and every time he comes to mother’s lap, he feels happy and as free as a bird. Besides, he lived in London, but his life seemed unnatural to her. The poet describes his contact with nature at the age of five. He always played with nature in Cockermouth. In Kankshead, he and his companions used to play a variety of games. In this book, he tells how he was cared for and educated by the various ministries. Nature is a teacher for him, and under his teaching, he understood the rules and developed both spiritually and mentally. He agrees that his powerful weapons are pleasure and fear.

William Wordsworth acquaints us with his childhood and wandering. He really enjoyed his long streak of bathing in the river. His long bath increased his pleasure and attraction to nature; because she holds the cold water with sweet color, rhythm and proof. The poet felt great joy playing with it. He sometimes ran across sandy fields and jumped across flowery graves. Sometimes he was alone under the blue sky amidst the enchanting rocks and hills that sparkled with the joyous rays of the sun. Under such innocent delight, he understood himself as a red-skinned boy who comes from his mother’s hut to flaunt himself like a naked savage in the rain of thunder. Bathing him in the river and wandering in the company of valleys, hills and mountains gave her a healthy pleasure that helped her grow and develop her mind and his soul. The poet remembers them because they link him to nature or the spiritual world. Furthermore, they bring him still more joy and pleasure, and the poet is able to express or write his inner autobiography.

In his childhood, he used to play different games with his peers. At the age of ten, he used to catch woodcocks on the high slopes of the hills under the moonlight and how he used to catch a bird that was caught in someone else’s trap. He was engaged in such involuntary actions towards nature. Nature watched him and prevented him from such unjust acts through fear. The poet felt someone gasping for breath following him continuously and persistently. Chasing him caused him an annoying fear and he avoided doing it again.

His other sport was stealing bird eggs. He, with his young friends, wandered in search of high hills and sometimes found himself alone hanging over a crow’s nest. In those moments, he was faced with a strange and terrible sound of the wind blowing against the hill. The dark and gloomy sky and clouds used to stand gigantic above with a horrible appearance. He felt a pure problem. One thing, I must admit that why children like to steal eggs and play with them. The main cause of it is the color of the eggs which is very attractive to children. The other is the nature that teaches the child through fear when he is alone. Simultaneously, nature persecutes him and puts in his mind the fear that he will not repeat such events.

By stealing a boat, nature creates a real problem for you. He stole a boat and set it in motion on the lake. He saw that his boat moved like the gallant on the lake. Other than that, he was traversing the mountains, which really added to his great pleasure. Suddenly, he heard the echo from the slopes of the mountains because the teacher (nature) did not accept the action. Admitting it as a warning, he lost heart. Sometimes he would meet a huge black one rearing its head from behind the range of hills. Nature as a horrible and strange creature with the will and power of him followed him without pause. In such dismay, he was taken to the very place from which he had stolen the boat. He was overcome with fear and hurried back home in a pensive mood. His mind was always haunted by shapes so huge they fed his soul with fear.

His other game was ice skating. Remember that he, in the company of other friends, moved on the skates between the trees and the hills. He would sometimes get away from friends and chase them. He accepts that nature followed him when he was alone. The echo of the growing sounds of skids from the surrounding trees and hills provided him with innocent pleasure. He used to enjoy a lot in the lap of nature. He whirled around and around happily. Such company always excited him to understand the search for nature.

It is nature that allowed him to play on her lap and express his love for her. Although he was already old, he did not forget such revelry and childhood memories that made this materialistic world easy and joyful with the touch of nature. Her poems about natural objects show her gratitude towards her.