Maiden Name Flashcards
What is the speaker criticising the woman for in the poem?
That she’s married
What does the speaker suggest about her identity now and before?
Her identity now is weak and her old identity was pure
Who did Larkin have a close friendship with?
Winifred Arnott
Where did Winifred Arnott work?
The same library as Larkin
What happened between Winifred and Larkin?
Their friendship was never romantic and she became engaged to another man and Larkin never got married.
What’s the structure?
ABBACCA - 7 line stanza (septecs)
1) “it’s five light __”
- what does light show? what does the five show?
1) sounds
- it shows the freedom of the unmarried, syllabels of her name
2) “ by law with __ else”
- what does by law show? what does the speaker critique?
2) someone
- could be arranged or loveless, marriage as a whole
3) “scentless, __, strengthless”
- technique? what does strengthless show? what does that show? how has she been weakened?
3) weightless
- tricolon, she’s at loss of words, it shows what she has lost, by giving herself to another
4) “how __ you were”
- lacks? what isn’t she anymore? whats happened to her?
4) beautiful
- worth, she isn’t beautiful anymore, she’s aged
5) “__ her”
- what’s corrupted her? what does it show?
5) unfingermarked
- marriage, finality
6) “with your __ luggage laden”
- technique? 2 words to explain luggage laden?
6) depreciating
- alliteration, explosive and burdened
