where the picnic was

Question 1

summary

Answer 1

speaker recalls a memory of a place he and his friends had a picnic in the summer. a wind blows over him which leads him thinking about the changes of present day. he realises that the place is no longer filled with life. he uses the turn of summer to winter as the changes happen. speaker is in a state of grief

author: thomas hardy

Question 2

tone

Answer 2

• tone is refelective as the considers the changes that happened throughout his life
• tone is melanchinic as the speaker describes his feelings of loneliness and loss of his wife

Question 3

context

Answer 3

• poem was written after the death of his wife emma
• her death was unexpected and hardy was traumatised so he went to go visit the place that linked to their courtship

Question 4

quotes

Answer 4

• “i slowly climb”
• “a cold wind blows and the grass is grey”
• “the sea breathes brine”
• “has shut her eyes”

Question 5

“i slowly climb”

Answer 5

adverb slowly reinforces that he is taking a leisurly walk to an important location and the memories attracted to the location

Question 6

“a cold wind blows and the grass is grey”

Answer 6

• adjectives emphasise his sad mood

Question 7

“the sea breathes brine”

Answer 7

sea is personified to emphasise idea of sadness as he embrasses the salty air which could refer to him embracing his tears

Question 8

“has shut her eyes”

Answer 8

euthemism used to refer to the fact that emily is dead

Question 9

structure

Answer 9

• 3 stanzas which symbolise the past present and future
• inconsistent rhyme scheme to refelct his loss
• enjambement and exclamation marks used to refect his lack of control over his emotions

Question 10

poem

Answer 10

Where we made the fire
In the summer time
Of branch and briar
On the hill to the sea,
I slowly climb
Through winter mire,
And scan and trace
The forsaken place
Quite readily.

Now a cold wind blows,
And the grass is gray,
But the spot still shows
As a burnt circle - aye,
And stick-ends, charred,
Still strew the sward
Whereon I stand,
Last relic of the band
Who came that day!

Yes, I am here
Just as last year,
And the sea breathes brine
From its strange straight line
Up hither, the same
As when we four came.
- But two have wandered far
From this grassy rise
Into urban roar
Where no picnics are,
And one - has shut her eyes
For evermore.

Question 11

compare to

Answer 11

westminster bridge