Letters between Edward and Helen Thomas (W)

Question 1

Context

Answer 1

• ‘our bullet was shelled’ and others descriptions of the war
• 1915 joined the army but could have easily avoided it due to being a mature married man but felt that it was he duty

Question 2

Effects of Edwards letter being in present tense

Answer 2

seems like he is directly talking to her

Question 3

Difference in pronouns that the pair use

Answer 3

• Edward uses ‘i’, egocentric. only cares about himself, personal first person address
• Helen uses ‘we’, she thinks of them as a pair and as one

Question 4

What does the pastoral imagery in Edwards letter show ?

Answer 4

• the contrast between the surroundings at home and the violent setting of the war
• also shows he love for the countryside. Use to enjoy walks in nature

Question 5

Why could you argue that Edwards letter deviates from expectations ?

Answer 5

it seems more of an account than a letter
- stresses by the use of declarative a and lack of emotion

Question 6

What is the irony in ‘ all and always yours edwy’

Answer 6

Ironic as he cheated on Helen

Question 7

Structural difference between the two letters

Answer 7

• Edwards is longer than helens. Helen has more to say, misses him more ?

Question 8

Explain 3 significant parts of the postscript

Answer 8

• doesn’t begin with his name
• the use of last tenses e.g. ‘went’ suggests that she realised that he is dead
• tag questions ‘do you know, do you feel’ shows she wants a response from him

Question 9

The use of long sentences in Helens diary show what

Answer 9

Emotional outpouring

Question 10

Discourse

Answer 10

narrative voice in the letters are all in first person
The conventions of the letters show the sort of people they were - we see through Edwards letters that he was a poet through the use of lexical choices.

Question 11

Long declarative sentences

Answer 11

points that are most important events to him - very descriptive - ‘The artillery is like a stormy tide breaking on the shore of the full moon that rides high and clear among white cirrus clouds’

Question 12

Polysyndeton

Answer 12

‘But the sun shone and larks and partridge and magpies and hedge sparrows made love and the trench…’ - the repeated use of conjunctions give power to the words and adds rhythm to the sentence.

Question 13

Short Declarative sentences

Answer 13

show sadness in the letters - ‘I am so unstable’ and ‘But i cannot do that’ - shows the loss of hope and sadness.

Question 14

Register - the letters are informal

Answer 14

through the use of colloquial language - ‘Baba says ‘give Daddy 100 loves’ - shows the love between the couple and familiarity.

Question 15

Metaphor - simile - ‘The artillery is like a stormy tide breaking on the shores of the full moon that rides high and clear among white cirrus clouds’ - use of imagery of how the artillery is continuous like the waves.

Answer 15

This is contrasted to the image of ‘white cirrus clouds’ which predicts fine weather - but also could be a sense of hope.

Question 16

Context - Edward

Answer 16

Edward was a british poet in the 1900s - was a very well educated person who became a history scholar at oxford.
He went to fight in first world war where he was one of 37 million people to die.