At An Inn Flashcards
what is the poem about?
a man regretting his decision to let society dictate his actions by not consummating his relationship with a woman he loved, but was not married to.
who was this poem allegedly written about?
about Hardy and his lover, Florence Dugdale, who the inn owners believed were in a legitimate relationship.
- yearned for this unattainable relationship
what are the key themes in the poem?
regret
societal restraints upon love
other people’s fabrications imposing love stories upon people
what literary movement was Hardy a part of?
he was a Victorian Realist
what are some of the elements of realism?
detailed depiction of ordinary characters and realistic events avoidance of the exotic, sensational, and overly dramatic Use of everyday speech patterns to reveal class distinctions Focus on the ethical struggles and social issues of real life
what is the significance of the line “veiled smiles bespoke their thought//of what we were”
ironic as veil links to marriage. marriage and deception
enjambment - opinion vs reality - their relationship separate from what society thinks of it
what is the significance of the lines “Which quicks the world– maybe// The spheres above,// Made them our ministers”?
Religious language implies that their ‘love’ is blessed and right. The dash and ‘maybe’ are a reminder that they are strangers and that their love – if it existed – would be a sin. Hardy is married.
what is the significance of the lines “We aching are// O severing sea and land//O laws of men”?
separated by morality - Hardy criticising society?
