Poem 1 - Lord Byron - When We Two Parted Flashcards
What is “When We Two Parted” about?
The narrator recalls the day he and his lover parted, she seemed to no longer have any feelings for him. Though time has passed, hearing people talk about her hurts him deeply, especially hearing about her affairs with other men. He also believes that he’ll always feel hurt and that he feels more pain now than he did when they broke up.
Who is the poet’s lover rumoured to be?
Lady Francis Webster, who at the time it was written was married to a friend of Byron’s and later had an affair with the Duke of Wellington. “…light is thy fame;” Suggests that the lover’s affairs are a kind of open secret.
Describe the form of the poem.
The poem is made up of four octaves with a strong ABAB rhyme scheme and regular rhythm which emphasises certain syllables which highlights the speaker’s pain.
Describe the structure of the poem.
The poem moves through time, constantly shifting between past, present and future. The juxtaposition between past and future emphasises that their’s no change in his feelings.
Describe the use of language about death.
The narrator compares his break up to a death, which emphasises his former lover’s lack of feelings for him.
Describe the use of language about the senses.
It contrasts normal love poetry’s pleasing imagery through negative descriptions such as the lover’s “cold” cheek, the cold touch of “dew” and the sound of a funeral “knell” in order to demonstrate how he feels like he’s lost love and is hurt by it.
Describe the use of language about silence and secrecy.
The use of silence in the poem is to show how their relationship was secret, the narrator and his lover were silent when they parted and he stays silent about it now. This contrasts how his friends talk about his ex-lover, unknowingly, and shows the reader that he feels that he’s unable to express how he feels.
When was the poet alive?
1788-1824
When was the poem published?
1816
When was the poem claimed to have been written?
1808
What is the significance of “we two” (Line 1)?
The narrator addresses the former lover directly, which makes the poem feel more personal. This contrasts with the use of “They” (Line 17) on stanza 3 which hints that he shared a bond with his lover that they keep separate and secret from others.
What is the effect of “silence” (Line 2)?
This may mean that they had nothing to say to each other any more but also could reflect that their relationship was a secret and couldn’t be loudly proclaimed as over.
What is the implication of “Half broken-hearted” (Line 3)?
It could suggest that they weren’t properly in love with each other- but it is clear that the narrator was deeply affected by their parting, so perhaps he’s accusing his lover of only being “Half” in love with him, or that he is the only “Half” of the couple that is broken-hearted and she isn’t.
What is the impact of “sever” (Line 4)?
The violent imagery suggests that the parting was a painful and traumatic experience.
What is the effect of “Pale” and “cold,” (Line 5)?
The narrator describes his lover like a corpse, which implies her feelings for him have died.
