Which option correctly identifies the form of The Prelude as described?

• A. Blank verse
• B. Free verse
• C. Sonnet sequence
• D. Lyrical ballad

Answer: (A)

The form is blank verse. The Prelude uses long, unrhymed lines written in regular meter, typically iambic pentameter, which gives the poem an epic, contemplative sweep while still sounding like natural speech. This steady metrical backbone supports Wordsworth’s exploration of memory, nature, and personal growth across a sprawling narrative. It allows expansive reflection without being bound to rhyme. A sonnet sequence would impose a lot of short, paired 14-line structures with rhyme, which this poem does not. A lyrical ballad would lean toward a song-like, narrative form with ballad stanzas and refrains, which isn’t the case here. Free verse would drop regular meter altogether, whereas The Prelude keeps a consistent meter, even as it moves fluidly through thought.