A wife in London Flashcards
(11 cards)
Title
A Wife in London
• Universal appeal- she could’ve been anyone. She is one of many.
Structure
A Wife in London
• Structured in two parts- “The tradgedy” and “The irony”. Contrasts dream and reality.
•ABBAAB Rhyme scheme contributes to a sense of predictability and order, a contrast to the disruptive nature of the husband’s death.
“She sits in the tawny vapour”
Describes London fog, emphasises sulphurous smell and difficulty to breathe.
“The street-lamp glimmers cold”
The usual warm light is now cold and dark, setting a negative tone.
“A messenger’s knock cracks smartly”
Onomatopoeia- ‘k’ sound emphasises knocking sound.
“He - has fallen - in the far South Land …”
Use of euphanism - mild expression used to replace harsh words with a softer message
“‘Tis the morrow; the fig hangs thicker,”
Creates a gloomy mood and atmosphere, pathetic fallacy.
Intensity of her guilt and uncertainty.
“Whom the worm now knows”
Emphasises his death with grotesque imagery
“Fresh - firm - penned in highest feather-“
The letter is irrelevant because he’s already dead, creating a sense of irony and dismissal of hope.
Context of Thomas Hardy
•He didn’t think war was morally correct.
•His work deals with female characters trapped in desperate situations, often as a result of marriage.
•Many modern readers argue that Hardy was a critic of the hypocritical manner in which women were treated in late Victorian society.
Context of A Wife in London
Takes place in the Boer War (1899-1902)
