Why is Wordsworth’s most important work titled “Prelude”? Prelude to what?

Question

And while we’re at it: When the middle pieces of orchestral works are titled “intermezzo”, does it mean there they are less important than the main attraction? Why include them then and not just go directly to the next piece?

In: 0

Answer 1

Prelude was intended to be the introduction to a longer, unfinished work that was called *The Recluse*. There’s a little more detail about the planned epic, that was never finished [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prelude#Structure:_The_Prelude_and_The_Recluse).