A Wife in London Flashcards
who wrote a wife in london
Thomas hardy
what war is the poem about
the Boer war (1899-1902)
why did hardy write the poem
to criticise the war and show the impact it had on people and their families
what was hardy’s attitude to war
he strongly opposed to it
“she sits in the ______ _____”
“she sits in the TAWNY VAPOUR”
what is the poem about
a wife being hopeful of the return of her husband but later out he has ‘fallen’ and receives a letter of his hoped returns. The letter is a contrast to the misery of London
how is London described in the opening line
- ominous
- cold
- silent
- gloomy
why is pathetic fallacy used
to create tragedy
why is assonance used
the repetition of the vowel O reflects mourning
“______ folds”
“WEBBY folds”
what were the two sections the poem is split into
the tragedy
the irony
why is the poem organised into two sections
to show her double suffering. first the news of her husband’s death and second his hoped return about their future together
example of a euphemism
“he has fallen”
why is euphemism used
to suggest she cannot cope with the harsh reality
“_____ news’’
“FLASHED news”
what does the line “web folds” suggest and what could it mean
a spider web. this implies the wife is trapped by fog which could represent grief or sorrow
why is the word “flashed” effective
suggests the news was brief and shocking.
what could the verb “flashed” suggest about the delivery of the news
it was quick and heartlessly delivered. this could show the lack of personal connection during a rough time
“of new _____ they would _____”
“of new LOVE they would LEARN”
“like a waning ____”
“like a waning TAPER”
what could the quote “of new love they would learn” emphasise
the tragedy as there is no longer hope for “new love”. the future is bleak
what could the simile “like a waning taper” show
Adds gloom. a candle could symbolise the hope, happiness and light but the image implies these aspects are being extinguished.
“the ___ hangs _____”
“the FOG hangs THICKER”
what could the line “the fog hangs thicker” suggest
- ‘fog’ symbolises the weight of grief
- ‘hangs’ creates sense of doom
- ‘thicker’ implies sense of confusion and obscurity
