love and relationship poems Flashcards
(16 cards)
‘i decide to do it free without a rope or net’
climbing my grandfather - it is a metaphor for emotional risk and vunerability
suggests trust in a relationship. without rope is confidence and intimacy
‘the skin of his finger is smooth and thick like warm ice’
Climbing my grandfather - The oxymoron conveys both hardness and tenderness
reflects the contradictions of one and the complexity of a person
‘the slow pulse of his good heart’
climbing my grandfather - the end line suggests the tenderness and intimacy
symbolism of ‘heart’ shows the the speaker finds comfort and love in his grandfather
what poems can climbing my grandfather be compared to
follower (admiration)
mother any distance (close relationships - perspective of a child)
‘three summers since I chose a maid’
the farmers bride - suggests transactional or possessive view to marriage
‘chose’ implies a lack of mutual emotion or consent - reflects the patriarchal attitudes in society as it was written in 1916
‘like the shut of a winters day…her smile went out’
the farmers bride - simile and natural imagery suggests her emotional withdrawal
‘winter’ implies coldness, sadness, darkness - she loses warmth
‘the brown of her…her eyes, her hair, her hair’
the farmers bride - repetition and sensual imagery of the farmers frustrated desire
the breakdown in syntax (her hair, her hair) shows emotional or sexual desperation
what poems can the farmers bride be linked to
porphyria’s lover (dangers of desire, implied violence)
‘that moment she was mine, mine, fair…perfectly pure and good
porphyria’s lover - repetition of ‘mine’ reveals possessiveness and dangerous sense of ownership
he idolises her but also objectifies her
‘I strangled her, no pain she felt, I am quite sure
porphyria’s lover - the repetition suggests he is trying to justify or convince himself she had a painless death
suggests guilt or mental instability
‘and all night long we have not stirred…and yet God has not said a word’
porphyria’s lover - ends the poem with chilling calmness
the speaker sees no consequences or divine punishment - possibly delusional or unstable
what poems can porphyria’s lover be linked to
farmers bride, when we two parted (man bitter at the end of their relationship), walking away(choosing to let go), love’s philosophy(unrequited love), winter swans (working to repair a relationship)
‘when we two parted…in silence and tears’
when we two parted - the repetition of ‘silence and tears’ emphasises grief and secrecy
the parting is emotionally intense but wordless, suggesting suppressed pain
half broken-hearted…to sever for years’
when we two parted - ambiguous, were they both heart-broken or just the speaker?
‘sever’ suggests a painful and violent separation
‘in secret we met, in silence i grieve’
repetition of ‘silence’ and ‘grieve’ reinforces concealment and isolation
his suffering is private and ongoing
what can when we two parted be linked to
porphyria’s lover, neutral tones, loves philosophy
