A Wife in London - Context Flashcards
1
Q
who wrote this poem?
A
thomas hardy
2
Q
when was this poem written?
A
1899
3
Q
thomas hardy
A
- dorset-born novelist and poet of the victorian age
- critical of much victorian society, including london, as he felt it limited people’s lives and the potential for happiness
- anti-war poet
- fate features prominently in his work
4
Q
which war is this poem about?
A
the second boer war (oct 1899- may 1902)
5
Q
the second boer war
A
- british forces vs the two boer states
- war broke out over the british empire’s influence over parts of southern africa
- british forces eventually victorious
6
Q
how many people were killed in the war?
A
- at the start of the war, the british were overconfident and unprepared
- around 22000 british soldiers killed
- 25000 boer civilians died
7
Q
what were used to transmit urgent and official news from the battlefront back to britain?
A
- telegrams
- less urgent/personal news -> transmitted via post
8
Q
victorian london
A
- heavily polluted with the burning of coal and oil -> smog
9
Q
what is the poem about?
A
- poem opens with a description of a wife sitting at home in london
- she receives a telegram with news that her husband, who has been at war, has been killed
- the next day, she receives a letter that her husband wrote before he died
- in it, he says that he hopes he’ll be coming home soon, and talks about his plans for their future -> shows cruelty of time
10
Q
what themes are present in this poem?
A
- love and relationships
- pain and suffering
- death and loss
- effects of war
11
Q
whose perspective is this poem in?
A
- a female’s perspective - widowed
- 3rd person
