Poetry and Relationships Flashcards
(31 cards)
When We Two Parted - Summary (Riley and Alfie S4)
Poignant and sombre poem written by Lord Byron to express the emotions of the speaker after parting from a lover. The separation is filled with sorrow and captures the depth of grief.
When We Two Parted - Form
Written in iambic pentameter which leads to a rhythmic and melancholic tone to the poem
When We Two Parted - “When we two parted / In silence and tears”
- Byron uses diction associated with pain, such as “silence and tears” .to depict the sorrow, anguish and vulnerability of the speaker following the end of the relationship.
*The opening lines also set the tone of the poem indicating a sorrowful separation filled with unspoken emotions.
*Sibilance - the repeated ‘s’ sound emulates a whispering noise which could reflect the secrecy of the woman’s infidelity - Cyclical structure as line is repeated at the end of the poem showing how he will never be able to move on and is trapped in this endless cycle of suffering
When We Two Parted - “A knell to mine ear”
- The metaphor of a “knell”, with its connotations of death, creates a sombre tone, illustrating the speaker’s pain and grief upon hearing the lover’s name.
- Alternatively the knell could also signifies the end of all hope and shows the speaker’s resignation as they move on.
When We Two Parted - Byronic Hero
- ‘Byronic Hero’ is an archetype named after the poet, Lord Byron, meaning a passionate man who rejects the rules of society and harbours a deep secret which shown in the poem.
- Byron was notorious for his many love affairs
Love’s Philosophy - Summary (Eldon and Emily S1)
A poem written by Percy Shelley where the speaker is persuading someone to love him through natural imagery and the idea that the universe is full of unions. All things in nature are interconnected and mingle with each other so the speaker pleas for the unification of the lovers based on the premise that unity is a fundamental law of the universe.
Love’s Philosophy - Form
- The poem consists of 2 stanzas which could reflect pairs and unity which is shown in the poem
Love’s Philosophy - “The fountains mingle with the river/ And the rivers with the Ocean”
*Shelley’s choice of the verb “mingle” evokes a sense of fluidity and unity, portraying the seamless blending of natural elements. Through this language, he highlights the interconnectedness inherent in both nature and love.
*The imagery of fluidity from the water bodies symbolises purity, love, nature and the inevitability of joining in love
-Love’s Philosophy - “And the winds of Heaven mix for ever”
- Use of personification to show unity in nature.
*Through the verb “mix,” Shelley personifies the winds, portraying them as active participants in an eternal union. All aspects of nature are engaged in a harmonious interaction which echoes the theme of everlasting love.
Love’s Philosophy - Shelley
*Shelley was a romantic poet who was interested in the sublime power of nature
* He was thrown out of oxford university for atheist views and has controversial views on the monarchy, atheism and free love
Porphyria’s Lover - Summary (Ozzy and Richelle)
- An unsettling poem by Robert Browning where after Porphyria has declared her love for the speaker, he strangles Porphyria with her own hair in a fit of passion and madness to preserve the moment eternally. He then sits beside the body, believing the God has not punished him for his act.
Porphyria’s Lover - Form
- The poem is written as a dramatic monologue and consists of a single stanza.
- The rhyme scheme of ABABB creates a chilling, suspenseful atmosphere as the speaker recounts the events leading to his lover’s death.
Porphyria’s Lover - “That moment she was mine, mine, fair, / Perfectly pure and good.”
*The speaker’s repetition of “mine” and idealisation underscores his obsessive possessiveness
*He only feels he truly owns Porphyria in death. Describing her as “perfectly pure and good” reduces her to an idealised object, exposing the disturbing link Browning draws between love and control.
Porphyria’s Lover- “And yet God has not said a word!”
*Religious allusion & irony as God’s silence immediately after the murder suggests the divine approval or the absence absence of punishment. This ironic twist reveals the speakers deluded belief that his violent act is justified in the name of preserving their perfect moment.
Porphyria’s Lover - Context
*The poem reflects Victorian ideas about strict gender roles and social respectability, where men held power and women were expected to be obedient. Porphyria’s assertiveness threatens this, so the speaker’s violent act can be seen as an extreme attempt to control and preserve her. Browning also explores psychological complexity, portraying the speaker’s disturbed mind and twisted justification of murder. Religious themes are shown when the speaker believes God’s silence means approval, challenging Victorian moral ideas.
Sonnet 29 - Summary (Thalia and Eldon S3 - beginning)
- Poem written by Elizabeth Browning to her future husband, Robert Browning, using intense emotion and vivid imagery. The sonnet expresses the speakers deep longing for her beloved and she illustrates the intensity of their love through natural imagery.
Sonnet 29 - Form
*The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet rather than a Shakespearean one perhaps due to the overtly sexual nature of them.
*Written in an iambic pentameter with 10 syllables per line
Sonnet 29 - “I think of thee! —my thoughts do twine and bud/ About thee, as wild vines, about a tree,”
*The exclamation and caesura emphasises the intensity of the speaker’s thoughts and creates a sense of breathlessness
*The extended metaphor of a vine illustrates how her love is growing uncontrollably and intensely that its beginning to overwhelm her.
*Verbs like “twine” and “bud” highlight how the speaker’s thoughts have grown.
Sonnet 29 - “Yet, O my palm-tree, be it understood”
*The speaker shifts tone here, addressing her lover directly with an exclamation “O” and a metaphorical term of endearment “palm-tree”. This shift suggests a more passionate and direct plea
*Speaker is expressing a desire to be in the physical presence of her beloved.
Sonnet 29 - Context
*Elizabeth wrote a collection of 44 sonnets to her lover Robert Browning but they were not given to him until after marriage.
*They built their relationship through letters as Elizabeth’s father disapproved of their relationship however they ended up getting married .
Neutral Tones (Hunter and Emily)
Summary - Thomas Hardy .The poem describes a painful memory of a failed relationship, focusing on a winter day when the lovers meet. The setting is dull and lifeless which mirror the speaker’s feelings of loss and emotional numbness.
Form - Poem begins and ends by the pond and the cyclical structure shows how the speaker is entrapped in the is memory and can’t move on
Quote - “The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing/ Alive enough to have strength to die;”” - oxymoron captures the lifelessness of the relationship. It shows how love has become something that’s “dead,” highlighting emotional decay and bitterness.
Quote - “keen lessons that love deceives” - A significant amount of time has passed, and the speaker reflects on the harsh lessons learned from love. The use of strong verbs like “deceives” emphasises the speaker’s disillusionment.
Context - Poem believed to be about a loveless marriage and a maid who Hardy believed to be in an affair with. Hardy often wrote about societal injustice and failed love.
Letters from Yorkshire ( Michelle and Wisconsin in S3- Hunter as the pen pal)
Summary - The poem explores the connection between two people separated by distance and different lifestyles. One lives in the city; the other works in the countryside in Yorkshire . Through letters, they share their experiences and maintain a quiet bond. Contrast of rural area and urban, disconnected area.
Quote - “who sends me word of the that other world/ pouring air and light into an envelope” -metaphor showing her alienation from the place she loves, enjambement shows the separation, metaphor showing a sense of positivity, hope and nostalgia
Quote - “Our souls tap out messages across the icy miles.” - the personification of the souls “tapping” conveys the deep, almost instinctive communication between them. The “icy miles” emphasise the physical separation.
Context - Dooley lived in Yorkshire and expresses her homesickness. Written in a time when it was harder to keep in tough and she underlines how nature is missing from modern life
The Farmer’s Bride (Piper and Finn)
Summary -In the poem a farmer marries a girl who becomes frightened and distant, unable to adjust to married life. The farmer feels lonely and frustrated, which highlights the imbalance of power and communication between the couple.
Structure - Across the poem the animal comparisons of the girl becomes smaller (hare - baby bird) showing her vulnerability and power loss towards the end
Quote - “The soft young down of her, the brown, / The brown of her — her eyes, her hair, her hair!” -focus on physical details exposes the farmer’s lustful desires , ‘down’ are the soft feathers of a young bird can can also refer to reproductive parts perhaps showing how his desire became predatory and she is completely dehumanised, Caesura to show he is frantic and losing patience.
Walking Away -(Miss Kate and Eldon)
Summary - Poem by Day- Lewis which reflects on a father’s experience watching his son grow up and gain independence. The poem focuses on the memory of the boy’s first day at school and the father observes his son walking away
Quote - “Like a satellite wrenched from its orbit, / Go drifting away” -Simile comparing the child to a satellite emphasizing the sudden force of separation. “Wrenched” suggests pain for both father and son, while “drifting” conveys the inevitable but gentle pull of independence.
Quote - “half - fledged thing set free “ - imagery of baby birds half in flight suggesting the parents worry over the child’s vulnerability
