When We Two Parted - Lord Byron Flashcards
When We Two Parted
Byron wrote the poem trying to achieve closure of his feeling about the relationship ending.
The poem brings out a message to Byron’s former lover that she hurts him and he regrets the relationship. Byron also implies that women deceive men which is ironic given that he allegedly had 200 affairs and he probably deceived them.
General Context
- Byron was a Romantic poet based on emotions.
- He claimed to not have sex with Lady Frances Webster but the poem suggests that he may have had an affair with her.
- It was scandalous in Regency England for a married woman to have affairs. Perhaps this is why Byron kept it as a secret to protect Lady Frances and her reputation.
- Byron claimed to have written this poem before the affair but in fact he wrote it after. Also, he omitted the final stanza which refers to ‘Fanny’, shortened form of Frances, in the published version. Perhaps Byron did this as he had a reputation as a great lover and was embarrassed at showing his feelings were hurt when their relationship ended due to masculine pride.
‘For woman once falling forever must fall’
The hidden stanza shows the speaker’s double sexual standards as he is critical of his love object being morally ‘undone’ by having affairs with him. He sees her as a morally fallen woman.
‘half broken-hearted’
I -
1. Their parting does not really break either of their hearts completely.
2. Only one of the parting people, the speaker, is broken hearted.
‘sever for years’
L - transitive verb
Implies the relationship ended severely and sharply and the separation is permanent.
‘pale grew thy cheek and cold, colder thy kiss’
L - comparative adjective
‘cold’ is being repeated, suggesting her emotions are cold and she no longer loves him.
‘thy vows are all broken’
L - adjective
I -
1. She might have vowed she would always love him but she broke that vow.
2. If the poem is based on Byron’s affair with Webster, he could be criticising her for breaking her marriage vows with her husband.
‘light is thy fame…and share in its shame’
L - rhyming words
The rhyming words could be implying that Webster is infamous for her affair which is shameful for a woman in Regency England.
‘they name thee before me, a knell in mine ear’
L - metaphor
Hearing her name sounds like a bell that announces death because he is grieving the death of their relationship after several years. He is still badly affected emotionally.
‘long, long shall I rue thee’
L - repetition
It shows how deeply he regrets the relationship with her as he will regret it for a very long time.
‘in secret we met - in silence I grieve’
L - anaphora
It shows their relationship is an illicit relationship which suggests that it may be an extra-marital relationship. That is why he cannot share his grief as no one knew about their relationship.
‘thy heart could forget, thy spirit deceive’
L - verbs
The speaker suggests that her love for him was not as genuine as his love for her because she forgets him quickly and he thinks her love was not genuine.
‘how should I greet thee?’
‘with silence and tears’
L - rhetorical question
The speaker does not know how to react if he sees her again as it is still painful to him.
I -
1. Suggests that he is still emotionally distraught.
2. It may also suggest their relationship was secret so they cannot speak to each other.
Cyclical Structure
‘silence and tears’ is repeated at the beginning and the end of the poem showing that the speaker has been unable to move on emotionally.
Written in octets
It suggests Byron tries to impose an order on the turmoil of his emotions by imposing an order on the structure of the poem.
