A Wife In London Flashcards
Author
Thomas Hardy
Context
- boer War
- Hardy wrote novels so that’s why the form is in two parts
Form
Split into two parts like a novel
What does the title mean
Indefinite article shows that lots of wives experience this. “Wife” not “widow” doesn’t give away ending could also link to hardy writing novels
First line which has image of uncertainty and obscuring future, also shows that she is waiting almost restless
“She sits in the tawny vapour”
Image of fly in a web she is stuck and can’t escape her fate
“Behind who’s webby fold on fold”
Image of candle which foreshadows husband life cut short and the love dying. Also semantic field of light- loosing hope
“Like a waning taper”
Sound scape of first line of second stanza shows the suddenness of the news
“Knock cracks smartly”
Last line of second stanza, use of euphemism which was used for soldiers, the dashes are pauses which represents her sadness, and they know nothing of where he has died, the elipses shows there is more of the letter but she has stopped reading
“He- has fallen - in the far South Land…
Use of pathetic fallacy which mirrors her grief, also obscures emotions
“The fog hangs thicker”
Grotesque image of him being dead in the ground, also euphemism
“His hand, whole only the worm now knows”
Quote that shows the simple pleasures that the could have enjoyed
“In the summer weather”
