A Wife in London - context + structure

Question 1

what was the context of a wife in london?

Answer 1

thomas hardy was a novelist. the poem is probably related to the Boer War but the fact she is a ‘wife’ reflects the tragedy of how many lives were lost during the many wars

Question 2

structure: what is the poem divided in to?

Answer 2

2 events covering 2 days. ‘The Tragedy’ and ‘The Irony’

Question 3

structure: is there a rhyme scheme?

Answer 3

in each verse, there is a clear rhyme scheme creating a sense of inevitability to these tragic events

Question 4

what tense does Hardy use?

Answer 4

present tense to create a sense that this is a story unfolding in front of us, making it more dramatic and emotional