the farmer's bride

author

charlotte mew

main themes

disappointment, loneliness, longing

quote mnemonic

look some fool has bowled back

quote key words

leveret speak fay house brown betwixt

look (leveret)

shy as a leveret

some (speak)

never heard her speak at all

fool (fay)

twasn't a woman - more like a little frightened fay

has (house)

some other in the house than two

bowled (brown)

the brown of...her hair, her hair

back (betwixt)

tis but a stair betwixt us

context 1

post-romantic: influenced by and rejects romanticism

context 2

Mew was a proto-feminist before it had actually been established (ie a feminist before that term was known)

context 3

Mew was terrified of experiencing the same mental health issues faced by much of her family

compare to

porphyria's lover

similarity 1 to PL

the line between who has control in both narratives is blurred

similarity 2 to PL

both men within the stories feel as though they are entitled to 'own' the respective women

difference 1 to PL

in TFB there is a longing for a deeper emotional connection within the marriage, but in PL's scandalous romance, this is already seemingly evidently established