A Wife In London Flashcards
Overview of the poem
A Wife in London” is a bleak anti-war poem by the English poet Thomas Hardy. It was composed two months after the start of the Boer War (1899). The poem focuses on a woman who receives the tragic news of her husband’s death in the war. Then, to make matters worse, a letter from the husband himself arrives, talking optimistically about future plans. Hardy made his name as a novelist, writing books but he focused on poetry later on in his
What does the title suggest “a wife in london”
“A” shows its not percisic. Many wives had to watch their husband leave with the possibility they never return. Waiting for news everyday.
What is the first line of the poem
“I - The Tragety
She sits in the tawny vapour”
Last line of the poetry
“And of new love that they would learn.”
Who wrote the peom
Thomas hardy
When whas it released
Late 1800
What war was it about
The boer war
What was hardy critical of
Critical of the victorian society
What was his comment on war
Commentary on the futility of war (pointless) only cause suffering.
What does this poem show
Shows how death of soldiers effect loves ones.
What are the two parts of the poem
The tragedy
The irony
“He-has-fallen……”
“He -has-fallen-in the far south land”
“His hand……”
“His hand who the worn now knows”
“Knew love……”
“New love they would learn.”
Analyse - “she sist in the tawny vapour” Stamza one (line 1)
“Sits” is not a very active verb, and it gently indicates the wife’s helplessness in her particular situation—her husband has gone to war and is far away, and whatever happens to him is out of her control.
“Tawny vapour” is the mist and fog that surrounded london at the time.
How many stazas are in the poem
4 stanzas
What does the two section of the poem show
The tragedy and the irony
Stucturally, emphasises the loss of the soldier.
Contrasts each other because first part is his death, however the second part is what he wants to happen in the furture which can no longer happen becuse hspe has passed.
Analyse - “the tragedy”
The title of the first stanza gives us an immediate insight into its contents, effectively building apprehension in the readers as we anticipate the tragedy. Hardy is straightforward in his disapproval of the conflict, and he conveys this unequivocally.
Analyse - “whose webby fold on fold” Stanza 1 (line 3)
The repetition of fold gives us a sense of endlessness of the entrapment and helplessness of ‘being in’ the fog, as well as being trapped in this mood that the pathetic fallacy gave us in the first line.
Analyse - “like a waning taper” Stanza 1 (line 4)
Simile
Idea of getting darker, fading candle light. She may feel issolated wothout her husband.
The fading ligth may mirror her fadin hope of her husband returnign saftley.
Analyse - glimmers cold.” Stanza 1 (Ine 5)
There is a sinister note already in this stanza that foreshadows the terrible news to come.
Analyse - “kock cracks smartly Stanza 2 (line 6)
The repeated hard ‘c’ sounds are percussive and onomatopoeic, replicating the knocking sound. The still, ominous mood of stanza one is shattered by activity.
At this stage it is not made clear if she predicts this news, though soldiers’ wives must have lived in constant fear.
Analyse - “flashed news” and “dazed to understand” Stanza 2 (line 7/8)
It was done qickly due to the verb “flashed” , this could idicate many were to be delovered with no time to waste. This poem references to many of the wives suggestiong many wives went through this becuse many soldiers died.
It is something wives would have dreaded. Yet when it comes the shock paralyses the mind.
Analyse - “shape so shortly” Stanza 2 (line 9)
This alliterative ‘sh’s and the compact phrase reflects the terseness of the telegram and its inadequacy in conveying news of this gravity and shattering impact. The line is like a tongue-twister, though concise it is difficult to say aloud, as if her mind and words are struggling to understand.
Analyse - “a letter has been brought” Stanza 3 (line 13)
“A letter is brought”–The wife got the telegram before the letter; telegrams travelled faster than letters. That’s the irony of it; she has been told that he has died and then got the letter promising his return.
Analyse - “fresh- firm”
Alliteration,
Implies her husband was a ‘fresh’, young man – with his whole life ahead of him. This shows the devastating impact of war. Alliteration couldsuggests many other soldiers were also young too.
Analyse - “new love that they would learn”
Last line
He was looking forward tondoing things with his love. Thst is all he though about. She would would never be able to experiance their new love because he is dead.
