PLASTIC Poetry Notes – GCSE English Literature Past and Present: Poetry Anthology – Love and Relationships – When We Two Parted P.6

Poetic devices and their effects – form (ballad, sonnet, free

verse, dramatic monologue),

alliteration, rhyme, rhythm,

onomatopoeia,

Alternate rhymes – cold and foretold There is an ominous and foreboding feel – sense of impending gloom for their relationship – also the general alternate rhyme structure could show how they are now separate and will never be together

Dramatic monologue We see his very personal take on their relationship and his growing anger and grief

Alliteration of cheek and cold, colder The repetition of the consonant c is cutting and harsh suggesting their emotional distance

Language and its effects –

what sort of words are in the poem?

Violent, loving, colloquial, archaic,

semantic fields, diction, religious,

romantic language

Verb - sunk Sense of depression and this is juxtaposed to the notion of morning – should be a time of renewal and energy – instead it is a time of low emotion

Adjective - broken This suggests a severe break, which can never be fixed or reunited. It also suggests a betrayal of sorts.

Verb - Shudder The physical pain that comes from his emotional torment – she still has the power to hurt him – he is also portrayed as weak here.

Alternative interpretations

– Can quotations be read in two ways

for different meanings?

‘Thy vows were all broken’ A marriage vow has been broken by the affair but also maybe a promise between the lovers has been broken. Perhaps a ‘vow’ of silence to keep their affair secret.

‘the dew of the morning’ Could symbolise the man’s tears or it could symbolise a cold sweat of the fear of suffering

PLASTIC Poetry Notes – GCSE English Literature Past and Present: Poetry Anthology – Love and Relationships – When We Two Parted P.6

Structure and its effects –

tonal shifts, pace, caesura, what

rhyme stresses, beginning, middle,

end, repetition, dialogue and where it

happens, enjambment

Contrast of ‘in secret we met, in silence I grieve’ Shows the hushed, hurried clandestine affair in contrast to his pitiful present now alone with out her – he cannot share what happened.

Caesura of ‘long, long’ Introduces a pause to stress how infinite his pain feels and the time he will spend wallowing in regret.

Repetition of silence and tearsAt the start, both were sad and disconsolate – but now after all these years, if the speaker were to meet again, it would be he alone still grieving in the same way – it suggests he cannot get over her.

Tone and its effects – talking

about moods which are evoked and

where, narrative voice

Deathly tone evoked through words like ‘sever’, ‘pale, ‘cold, ‘chill’, ‘knell’

Suggests there is no life now for the man – a sense of emotional distance and a man trapped and constantly haunted by gloom

‘thy heart could forget’ Tone of isolation and betrayal from the man that his lover could move on.

‘Why wert thou so dear?’ Tone of anger and disbelief at himself that he could have ever love her.

Imagery and its effects -

metaphor, simile, personification,

visual sense

‘A knell in mine ear’ Sound imagery/metaphor which implies a bell being rung – the bell could represent a sense of loudness and inescapability from her memory.

‘half broken-hearted – imagery Sense of being destroyed and that he can never again be whole

‘colder thy kiss Sense imagery which shows she has moved on from him – uncaring and harsh

Context – authorial, social and

historical

Lord Byron (1788-1824) was an English poet and one of the most famous members of the Romantic movement.

This poem is said to be about his love affair with Lady Frances Webster. Not only was she a married woman, but she was also the wife of one of his friends. Later, after their affair ended, Byron learned of Lady Frances’ new affair with the Duke of Wellington.

Veiled references to vows – had to keep her name secret and only allude to what happened. Deliberately vague and could relate to most relationships. She could actually read it and know without ever being publicly accused. Way of attacking her?