A Wife in London - W Flashcards
What does the title ‘A Wife in London’ suggest?
The title ‘A Wife in London’ suggests loneliness and something that is lost
Who wrote it?
Thomas Hardy
What is the poem about?
The poem is about a wife who is left on her own in London while her husband is fighting in the Boer War
Why was the poem written?
Hardy wrote the poem to be depressing yet relateable to other’s circumstances
What is the structure of the poem? What does it capture?
The poem has an irregular rhythm with a asymmetrical rhyme scheme and a use of dashes which captures how the wife struggles to take in the news & forces the reader to focus on the tragedy
Name the first theme of the poem. Explain.
One theme of the poem is CONFLICT. The husband is fighting in the Boer War and is stolen from the wife by the brutalities of war.
Name the second theme of the poem. Explain.
The second theme of the poem is LOVE. The irony of the love letter arriving late symbolises that his true love for her before the war was overwhelming and felt like it would never end.
“sits in tawny vapour”
pathetic fallacy
immediately creates a tragic & depressing atmosphere
“He - has fallen - in the far South Land”
dash/evasive tone
represents that the news is hard for wife to take in & promotes dignity
“His hand, whom the the worm now knows”
decomposing imagery
implies irony of fate
“new love”
dramatic irony/optimistic imagery
represents the contrast between husband’s death & their dreams of love & youthful excitement
