People Place Power Flashcards
A wife in London context
Hardy was against war and called it pointless/destructive.
His poems often deal with grief/fate and appear simple.
He was critical of Victorian views of society.
A wife in London title analysis
Stereotype of wives often being lonely during times of war and being widowed as a result.
‘A’ is an article.
A wife in London start quotes
Divided into two acts or chapters, setting poem up for bad news: ‘The irony’ and ‘The Irony’
‘Tawny vapour’ – foreboding imagery, which he uses in his works.
‘Webby fold on fold’ - depicts intricate layers, symbolizing the tangled complexities and constraints within Victorian societal expectations.
‘Glimmers cold’ - sensory imagery to depict emotional isolation, amplifying the sense of loneliness.
A wife in London middle quotes
‘Flashed news’ – similar to telegrams being sent to deliver news of the soldier’s death to their wife.
‘He – has fallen – in…’ – uses euphemism of ‘falling’ instead of ‘dying’.
‘Knock cracks’ – Harsh tone because of onomatopoeia.
A wife in London end quotes
‘The Irony’ – creates uneasy tone/mood.
‘Fog hangs thicker’ – more foreshadowing of bad news.
‘The postman nears and goes’ - reflects fleeting hope and disappointment, symbolizing the transient nature of communication.
‘And of new love that they would learn’.
Afternoons context
Larkin never married, had no children and never left UK.
He was solitary and hated fame.
He’s famous for observing other peoples’ lives and writing about them.
Poems are usually pessimistic.
Afternoons title analysis
Plural noun shows how all afternoons are monotonous.
Afternoons start quotes
‘Summer is fading:’ - employs personification to depict the gradual decline of summer’s warmth and vitality.
‘The leaves fall in ones and twos’ – showing uncontrollable change to autumn.
‘Hollows of afternoons’ - Showing how the mothers’ routine is empty and that afternoons are all monotonous.
‘Young mothers assemble’ – They lose their individuality. ‘Assemble’ shows how they have a repetitive routine.
‘Setting free their children’ – Suggest domestic life is restrictive.
Afternoons middle quotes
‘Behind them’ – Women are anonymous again.
‘Stand husbands in skilled trades’ – more stereotypes as working-class men perform jobs instead of their wives.
‘Our Wedding, lying near the television’– Pun shows how any intimacy or feeling in the marriage has been lost. Also, could show how the couple are rewatching the only thing that gave them a spark (their marriage).
Afternoons end quotes
‘That are still courting-places (but the lovers are all in school)’ – Repetition of ‘courting-places’ suggests that even though the ‘lovers’ change, their pattern in life hasn’t.
‘Something is pushing them’ – This ‘something’ is ambiguous. Could mean the women’s responsibilities which take place over their ‘beauty’, remove their individuality once more. Could also refer to their children, who will be brought up to be like the mothers once again.
‘Their beauty has thickened’ - employs a metaphor, describing how the allure of afternoons has intensified or deepened over time.
As imperceptibly as grief context
She wore a lot of white clothing to reflect her recusant nature.
She lived in isolation for many adult years.
She was obsessed and afraid of death. Nature also featured in her poems.
She mostly published poems after her death; possibly due to lack of confidence.
As imperceptibly as grief title analysis
Title establishes melancholy tone before poem even begins.
As imperceptibly as grief start quotes
Short lines are used throughout to show simplicity and acceptance on the speaker’s part.
‘As imperceptibly as Grief
The Summer lapsed away-‘ – Simile grief fades as slowly as Summer.
Dashes used show instability and difficulty to accept grief. Also slows the pace of the poem.
‘To seem like Perfidy’ – Dickinson seems sad about summer being over and doesn’t welcome its end. Similar to how she feels about dealing with grief.
As imperceptibly as grief middle quotes
‘The Dusk drew earlier in’ – Light imagery highlights how her happiness is coming to an end (linking to theme of death and life). Also shows how the passing of time is uncontrollable.
‘The Morning foreign shone’
‘A courteous, yet harrowing Grace’– Indicates an uncomfortable change to warmth and happiness, for the poet.
As imperceptibly as grief end quotes
‘And thus’ – Signals shift to a conclusive and hopeful mood.
‘Our Summer’ – Indicates how dealing with grief is universal and applies to all people.
‘Into the Beautiful.’ – Full stops suggests she has accepted the loss and ends on a positive tone. The quote suggests that the end of grief is ultimately beautiful.
