A Wife in London Flashcards
(9 cards)
context
- Historical Setting: Written during the Second Boer War, a conflict between the British Empire and the Boer states in South Africa. Hardy was critical of the war, viewing it as futile and devastating.
- Author’s Perspective: Hardy often focused on the impact of war on ordinary individuals, especially those left behind
structure and form
- Two-Part Division: The poem is split into “The Tragedy” and “The Irony,” reflecting the shift from the initial news of death to the subsequent arrival of a hopeful letter.
- Stanza Structure: Comprises four stanzas, each with four lines, following an ABBAB rhyme scheme, which adds to the poem’s somber rhythm.
- Use of Enjambment and Caesura: These techniques mirror the wife’s emotional turmoil and the abruptness of the news she receives
language and imagery
Pathetic Fallacy: The “tawny vapour” and thick fog reflect the wife’s confusion and grief.
Euphemism: The phrase “He—has fallen” softens the harsh reality of death, indicating societal discomfort with direct references to mortality.
Irony: The arrival of the husband’s letter after news of his death underscores the cruel twists of fate and the impersonal nature of war communication
thematic analysis
Impact of War on the Home Front: The poem emphasizes the emotional toll on those awaiting news from the battlefield, highlighting the widespread reach of war’s devastation.
Isolation and Grief: The wife’s solitude in foggy London streets symbolizes the loneliness and despair experienced by those who lose loved ones to war.
Futility and Irony of War: The delayed letter filled with hopeful plans arriving posthumously accentuates the senselessness and tragic irony inherent in war
key quotations
‘she sits in the tawny vapour’
‘he - has fallen - in the far South Land…’
‘His hand, whom the worm now knows’
‘of the new love that they would learn’
‘she sits in the tawny vapour’
literary techniques:
Pathetic Fallacy: The “tawny vapour” serves as a manifestation of the wife’s emotional state. The oppressive fog mirrors her feelings of confusion, isolation, and impending doom.
Color Imagery: The adjective “tawny” (a brownish-yellow hue) not only describes the physical appearance of the fog but also conveys a sense of decay and melancholy, setting the mood for the tragedy that unfolds.
Metaphor: The fog can be interpreted as a metaphor for the wife’s lack of clarity and understanding regarding her husband’s fate, symbolizing the uncertainty and obscurity of her situation
thematic implications:
Isolation and Powerlessness: The act of “sitting” suggests passivity, highlighting the wife’s helplessness in the face of external events. She is portrayed as a passive recipient of news, emphasizing the limited agency of individuals, particularly women, during times of war.
Urban Desolation: The setting in London’s foggy environment underscores the theme of urban isolation. Despite being in a bustling city, the wife is depicted as alone and engulfed in gloom, reflecting the emotional desolation caused by war
structural considerations:
Positioned at the very beginning of the poem, this line sets the stage for the narrative. The use of present tense (“sits”) creates immediacy, drawing the reader into the current emotional state of the protagonist
‘he - has fallen - in the far South Land…’
contextual significance:
- The “far South Land” refers to South Africa, where the woman’s husband has been killed in battle.
- The line conveys the moment the wife receives a telegram informing her of her husband’s death.
- Hardy, known for his critical stance on war, uses this moment to highlight the personal tragedies that result from distant conflicts
literary techniques:
Caesura and Dashes: The use of dashes in “He—has fallen—in the far South Land…” creates pauses that mimic the wife’s shock and fragmented processing of the devastating news. This punctuation reflects the abrupt intrusion of tragedy into her life.
Euphemism: The phrase “has fallen” serves as a euphemism for death, a common practice in military communication to soften the harsh reality of loss. This indirect language underscores the emotional distance and the attempt to sanitize the brutality of war.
Ellipsis: The ellipsis at the end of the line suggests an unfinished thought or the overwhelming nature of grief that leaves the wife speechless. It also indicates that the impact of the news is ongoing and unresolved
thematic implications:
Isolation and Powerlessness: The wife’s receipt of the terse message highlights her isolation and lack of agency. She is a passive recipient of life-altering news, emphasizing the helplessness of those on the home front during wartime.
Emotional Impact of War: Hardy focuses on the personal and emotional consequences of war, rather than glorifying battle. The line encapsulates the sudden and impersonal manner in which life-altering news is delivered, reflecting the dehumanizing aspects of war.
Critique of War’s Reach: By specifying the “far South Land,” Hardy emphasizes the geographical and emotional distance between the battlefield and the home, yet also how war’s repercussions reach into the domestic sphere, disrupting lives far from the front lines
structural considerations:
- This line concludes the first section of the poem, titled “The Tragedy.”
- Its placement serves as a climax to the buildup of tension in the preceding lines.
- The abruptness and finality of the message contrast with the earlier atmospheric descriptions, marking a shift from foreboding to realization
‘His hand, whom the worm now knows’
literary techniques:
Metonymy and Double Meaning: The phrase “His hand” serves as a metonym for the husband’s handwriting. However, juxtaposed with “whom the worm now knows,” it also evokes the literal image of his decomposing hand, introducing a morbid double entendre that underscores the finality of death.
Personification: By attributing the action of “knowing” to the worm, Hardy personifies decay, suggesting an intimate and unsettling relationship between the corpse and the natural processes of decomposition.
Euphemism: The line employs a subtle euphemism for death, referring to the husband’s body being known by worms rather than stating his death outright. This indirect approach intensifies the emotional impact, forcing readers to confront the grim reality beneath the surface
thematic implications:
Irony and Tragedy: The arrival of the husband’s letter after his death is a bitter irony. The line encapsulates this by highlighting the contrast between the living words on the page and the lifeless hand that wrote them.
The Physicality of Death: Hardy’s vivid imagery confronts the reader with the corporeal realities of death, stripping away romanticized notions of dying in war and replacing them with stark, unsettling truths.
Emotional Detachment: The clinical tone of the line may reflect the emotional numbness or shock experienced by the wife, as well as society’s desensitization to the personal losses incurred during wartime
structural considerations:
Positioned at the beginning of the poem’s second part, titled “The Irony,” this line marks a shift from the initial tragedy to a deeper, more poignant realization of loss. The structure mirrors the wife’s emotional journey, moving from shock to a profound sense of sorrow
‘of the new love that they would learn’
literary techniques:
Irony: The line is steeped in dramatic irony. The husband’s optimistic vision of “new love” starkly contrasts with the reality of his death, known to the reader and the wife but not to the letter’s author. This dissonance underscores the futility of their plans and the unpredictability of life.
Ambiguity: The term “new love” is deliberately ambiguous. It could signify a renewed emotional connection after a prolonged separation or hint at the possibility of starting a family. This layered meaning adds depth to the husband’s aspirations and the wife’s ensuing grief.
Enjambment: The continuation of the sentence across lines without a pause mirrors the flow of the husband’s thoughts and the seamlessness of his dreams, which are abruptly halted by his untimely death
thematic implications:
The Cruelty of War: The line highlights the devastating personal losses caused by war. The husband’s dreams of a shared future are rendered impossible, emphasizing the human cost of conflict.
Hope and Futility: The husband’s hopeful tone contrasts with the grim reality, illustrating the futility of planning in the face of uncontrollable circumstances. This theme resonates throughout the poem, reflecting the uncertainty of life during wartime.
Isolation and Grief: The wife’s solitary experience of reading the letter accentuates her isolation. The “new love” they were to learn becomes a symbol of what is lost, deepening her sense of grief and loneliness.
structural considerations:
This line concludes the poem’s second part, titled “The Irony,” and serves as a poignant ending. Its placement reinforces the poem’s structural symmetry, with the first part detailing the tragic news and the second part unveiling the cruel twist of receiving the husband’s hopeful letter posthumously
