Poetry - Love and Relationships Flashcards
When we two parted:
‘In silence and tears, half broken-hearted …… ‘
‘To sever the years’
Analysis - ‘sever’ = violent and permanent separation
‘Silence’ = secret relationship or she is silent coz she doesn’t care as much
‘Tears’ = heartbreak
When we two parted:
‘Pale grew thy cheek ……’
’ and cold, colder thy kiss ‘
Analysis - ‘ cold ‘ = she is unaffectionate and emotional
When we two parted:
‘ Thy vows are …… ‘
‘All broken, and light is thy fame ‘
Analysis - her reputation has suffered. She had an affair and people will gossip about her.
When we two parted:
‘ long, long shall I ….’
’ rue thee, too deeply to tell ‘
Analysis- ‘rue’ = regret
‘Too deeply to tell = emotions are too strong to understand ( hatred, anger, sadness and bitterness )
When we two parted:
‘ In secret we met, in silence …… ‘
’ I grieve ‘
Analysis - because of the secrecy he cannot express his pain openly
When we two parted:
‘ How should I greet thee? …… ‘
’ with silence and tears ‘
Analysis- repeated = shows he hasn’t moved on from when the parted ( feeling of bitterness)
Love’s Philosophy:
‘ The fountains mingle with the river …….’
’ And the rivers with ocean ‘
Analysis- water gets stronger with two things combined ~ a relationship gets stronger wit two people combined
Love’s Philosophy:
‘ The winds of Heaven mix……’
’ for ever, with a sweet emotion ‘
Analysis- personifies natural elements
- he thinks that a relationship with the girl would be good in the eyes of heaven
Love’s Philosophy:
‘ Nothing in the world is single, all things by a law divine….’
’ in one another’s being mingle - why not I with thine? ‘
Analysis- rhetorical question = trying to persuade the woman
Love’s Philosophy:
‘ And the sunlight clasps the earth….’
’ And the moonbeams kiss the sea ‘
Analysis- ‘ kiss ‘ = his focus . His main purpose is to get a kiss
Love’s Philosophy:
‘ what are all these kissings ……..’
’ worth, if thou kiss not me? ‘
Analysis- nature’s pairings are worth nothing unless he can unite with his lover
Porphyria’ lover :
‘ murmuring …..’
’ how she loved me ‘
Analysis- that is what he wants but the reason why he kills porphyria is so she can commit to him completely suggesting that it is in his head.
Porphyria’ lover:
‘ made my ……’
’ my cheek lie there ‘
Analysis- porphyria is controlling
- her higher class allows her to be able to do this . The reference about her gloves suggests her status. - ‘soiled gloves’
- verb ‘ made ‘ suggests she is active and forces him to submit
Porphyria’ lover :
‘ at last I knew ……’
’ Porphyria worshipped me ‘
Analysis- what he wanted
- he has been waiting for this and wants to keep hold of this moment of control
Porphyria’ lover:
‘ only, this time ………’
’ my shoulder bore her head ‘
Analysis- he wanted to control ( compare to when porphyria did the same thing )
- he expects to get control coz he is a man although porphyria is of a higher class than him which may make him feel conflicted about the control he feels he has over her and the relationship.
Sonnet 29:
‘ wild vines ………’
’ about a tree ‘
Analysis- browning is the tree
- she always thinks about him
- he is always around her because vines wrap around a tree although he is not there physically.
Sonnet 29:
‘ renew …….’
’ thy presence ‘
Analysis- ‘ renew ‘ = imperative verb.
- she is becoming impatient and can’t wait to see him anymore
Sonnet 29:
‘ breathe within thy ……..’
’ shadow a new air ‘
Analysis- metaphor
- when he is physically with her she will feel renewed and hopeful. She is willing ( and keen perhaps) to be overshadowed by him
- when he is back and he will be in control she will be submissive and passive ( gender roles )
Sonnet 29:
‘ I do not think of …..’
’ thee - I am too near thee ‘
Analysis- once she is with him her thoughts will be unnecessary as he will be with her physically
- reassures herself that everything will be fine once he gets back and is with her
Neutral tones:
‘ grin of ……’
’ bitterness ‘
Analysis- juxtaposition = feels hurt by her uncaring attitude
Neutral tones:
‘ since then, keen lessons ……’
’ that love deceives ‘
Analysis- this is what he has learnt from the relationship
- ‘keen’ = sharp . He is still hurt by the relationship and expresses his hurt with a bitter attitude
- implies that he believes that love tricks the lover
Neutral tones:
‘ God - curst …..’
’ sun ‘
Analysis- negative description
- draining hope of the relationship
- regrets the relationship
Letters from Yorkshire:
‘ seeing the ….’
’ seasons turning ‘
Analysis- he is close to nature. Enjoys it despite that hard aspects. Time is passing
Letters from Yorkshire:
‘ feeding words onto ‘
’ a blank screen ‘
Analysis- personification
- her work seems lifeless and unrewarding.
- the man’s work is in nature so he experiences a lot more. This implies that his work is unpredictable whereas coz her work is unrewarding it’s predictable
Letters from Yorkshire:
‘ our souls tap out …….’
’ messages across the icy miles ‘
Analysis- ‘our’ collective pronoun
- ‘souls tap out messages’ connection between their souls remain strong through the letters.
The Farmer’s Bride:
‘ we chased her, …….’
’ flying like a hare ‘
Analysis- men are predatory
- simile shows she is helpless and vulnerable
- ‘We’ group vs. individual
The Farmer’s Bride:
‘ turned the key ……’
’ upon her, fast ‘
Analysis- imprisoned
- ‘fast’ = implies they see her as a danger
- a group had to catch her. This implies that she may be a danger
- but they reader may see sympathy on her and say it is just her way of self defence and her way of trying to escape
The Farmer’s Bride:
‘ Sweet as the …..’
’ first wild violets ‘
Analysis- ‘ wild ‘ refers to her madness
- ‘sweet’ juxtaposes ‘wild’ coz she is also described as young and innocent but is also seen as a danger
- she has a relationship with nature but not with him. Expects more
The Farmer’s Bride:
‘ But what …..’
’ to me ? ‘
Analysis- wants control over her but questions himself
The Farmer’s Bride:
‘ her eyes, her …..’
’ hair, her hair ! ‘
Analysis- repetition
- exclamation marks, no full sentences indicate his obsession with her
Walking Away:
‘ like a satellite wrenched…….’
’ from it orbit , go drifting away’
Analysis- simile = being taken away from safety
- ‘ drifting ‘ reflects the gradual process of separation
Walking Away:
‘ half - fledged thing …..’
’ set free into a wilderness’
Analysis- ‘fledged’ a bird ready to fly
- ‘Half’ suggests the boy isn’t ready walk away ( from his father’s point of view )
- ‘ set free’ imply the opportunities that come with independence
- ‘wilderness’ father’s views of the adult world
Walking Away:
‘ love is proved…….’
’ in the letting go ‘
Analysis- ‘ love is proved’ the strength of the father’s love for his son is demonstrated by letting him go and grow up
- ‘letting go ‘ it is the right thing to do, but he feels sad about it
Eden Rock:
‘ they are waiting for …..’
’ me somewhere beyond Eden Rock ‘
Analysis- mysterious
- ‘Eden ‘ = paradise
- suggests his parents are in heaven
Eden Rock:
‘ the sky whitens …..’
’ as if lit by three suns ‘
Analysis- ‘three suns ‘ trinity and the three members of the family
Eden Rock:
‘ crossing is not as ……’
’ hard as you might think ‘
Analysis- suggests he thinks it is worth suffering death and seeing his parents in heaven
Follower:
‘ an ……..’
’ expert ‘
Analysis- looks up to his father
- wants to be like him
Follower:
‘ I stumbled in his …..’
’ hob - nailed wake ‘
Analysis- struggle to keep up with his father
- ‘ hob- nailed wake ‘ tries to follow in his example
Follower:
‘ but today it is my ……..’
’ father who keeps stumbling behind me ‘
Analysis- he is now ahead and his father is struggling to keep up with him
- ‘stumbling ‘ the father is old and weak now
Mother, any distance:
‘ Anchor………’
’ kite’
- ‘anchor’ = mother, ‘kite’ = son
- ‘anchor’ security, holds him back, keeps him grounded
- ‘kite’ trying to be independent, weak in the wind = danger, relying on the string = relying on the mother
Mother, any distance:
‘ climb’ and ……..
’ reach ‘
Analysis- ‘ climb’ son trying to be independent
- ‘reach’ mother trying to keep hold of her son
Mother, any distance:
‘ fingertips……..’
’ still pinch ‘
Analysis- mother is reluctant to let her son go
Mother, any distance:
‘ an endless sky……’
’ to fall or fly ‘
Analysis- ‘endless sky’ opportunity that comes with independence
‘Fall or fly’ alliteration emphasises the contrast. He may thrive to fail without his mother
- means he is taking risks
Before you were mine:
‘ my loud, …….’
’ possessive yell ‘
Analysis- negative and demanding
- tones changes from youth to motherhood ~ you have to look after someone else and tell them what to do ~ her new responsibilities
- when she was young she had no responsibility
Before you were mine:
‘ my hands in those ……..’
’ high - heeled red shoes, relics ‘
Analysis- her glamorous life has been taken away by
motherhood
- alliteration ‘r’
Before you were mine:
‘ sparkle and waltz……..’
’ and laugh ‘
Analysis- reflects the fun the mother had as a teen which was in the past and also the fun the mother can also have with her daughter in the future
Winter Swans:
‘ the clouds had ………’
’ given their all ‘
Analysis- pathetic fallacy ~ ‘clouds’ reflects something bad may have happened ( their argument )
Winter Swans:
‘ silent and apart, until ……’
’ the swans came ‘
Analysis- distance and awkwardness after the argument until the swans came and changed the focus
Winter Swans:
‘ hands had swum the distance……..’
’ between us ‘
Analysis- subconscious movement ~ swans guide the couple to make up ( it’s physical and emotional reconciliation)
- ‘swum’ personification links the swans to the lovers
Winter Swans:
‘ like a pair of wings………’
’ settling after flight ‘
Analysis- reflects the calm after the uncertainty of the argument
Singh Song:
‘ but ven nobody in…….’
’ I do di lock ‘
Analysis- contrast to older generation ~ stereotypes- Indians are seen as hard working whereas he doesn’t really care about work
Singh Song:
‘ my ………’
’ bride ‘
Analysis- he is possessive of her
- proud that she is his
- adores her
Singh Song:
‘ tiny eyes …….’
’ ov a gun ‘
Analysis - metaphor ~ assertive
- she is dangerous and strong and rebellious
Singh Song:
‘ is priceless ……..’
’ baby ‘
Analysis- tender and loving
- she is worth a lot to him ~ could be why he’s so possessive of her
Singh Song:
‘ vee stare past di half - price …….’
’ window signs […..] brighter moon’
Analysis- looking from normal, everyday life of the shop to the more romantic image of the moon
- ‘stare past’ desire for something more ~ doesn’t follow the stereotype
Climbing my grandfather:
‘ I decide to do it free …..’
’ without rope or net ‘
Analysis- ‘free’ = he has clear memories of his grandfather
Climbing my Grandfather:
‘ glassy ridge ‘ and ….
’ summit ‘
Analysis- fragile to him ~ doesn’t want to remember difficult times
Climbing my grandfather:
‘ climbing has …..’
’ its dangers ‘
Analysis- remembering could be upsetting or he might realise that he has forgotten details
Climbing my grandfather:
‘ knowing, slow pulse…..’
’ of his good heart’
Analysis- remembering has allowed him to know his grandfather. Close and affectionate relationship.
When we two parted:
What does the rhyme and rhythm reflect in this poem ?
The rhyme and rhythm reflects the lack of change in their relationship.
- the man will never recover
- people are gossiping about their relationship
When we two parted:
What is the rhythmic form ? What does this represent ?
ABAB rhyme scheme and regular rhythm. The rhythm emphasises certain syllables ( ‘cold’ and ‘kiss’ in line 6 ). This represents the speakers pain.
- ‘cold’ suggests she is unaffectionate
When we two parted:
‘ that hour foretold sorrow to this ‘
- Enjambement: the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line
- suggest this on going pain
- also suggests time passing
When we two parted:
‘ a knell in ….’
‘ mine ear’
- a knell is a funeral bell
- he has lost someone he loves
Love’s Philosophy:
What is the rhythmic form ? What does this represent ?
-The poem has a regular ABAB rhyme scheme, but two lines in each stanza don’t fully rhyme. The writer thinks he’s telling the woman the truth
When We Two Parted:
‘That thy heart could ……
Forget, thy spirit deceive’
- he feels betrayed she thinks that another man is better than him
- ‘forget’ and ‘deceive’ accusatory language - he is angry with her
