Love and Relationships Poetry

When We Two Parted context

Bryon known for scandalous affairs. This is biographical poem about a secret affair he had with a prestigious well known woman.

Romantic poet - usually wrote about nature. Negative capability often used (usually Keates), idea that humans small and futile compared to nature.

When we two parted form and structure

cyclical structure + refrain - 'silence and tears' - inescapable, consumed by loss and overwhelmed by thought of her

AB rhyme scheme and octanes -

give sense of control in a situation that is out of his control entirely, octane (4x 8 line stanzas) creates rigidity - all of this creates an illusion of symmetry and balance which deceives the reader, mirrors Byron's feeling of deception by woman. Rhyme scheme creates a sense of dissonance and childlike tone which furthers deception

metrical disruption in final stanza - suggests sinking in and realisation of loss. It has disrupted his process of writing and his thoughts

when we two parted

When we...

In silence...

When we two parted

In silence and tears

cyclical structure - this is the first two lines of the poem.

silence and tears - is refrain

consumed by sadness and loss, reflect grief

When we two parted

A knell.......

to mine ear

death imagery - 'knell'

the loss of his partner has an impact feeling equivalent to loosing his life to Byron. Deathly imagery, grief. Hyperbolic: typical of romantic poets.

When we two parted

In silence......

I grieve

death imagery 'grieve' emphasises loss Byron is experiencing

pronoun change 'we' to 'I' indicates separation and change in relationship, emphasise loss and emotional as well as physical distance

Sonnet 29 contexts

- female poet discussing sexual taboos - blazon as she is listing body parts of object of love and praising them

- subversive as female poetic persona in a sonnet very unusual

- petrachant lover - traditionally male poetic speaker who uses sonnet form to praise woman as an object of love - subverted here she is a woman doing this about a man

Sonnet 29 structure and form

Volta (climax) - 'Rather' marks the Volta - becomes physical not just thoughts

Caesura - differentiate between freedom and release vs longing and un-fulfilment

Enjambement - her thoughts flow uncontrollable like vines

triadic structure - hyperbolic

Sonnet 29

Burst....

shattered, everywhere!

0rgasmic - subversive and breaking away from the literary Canon - reflects sexual content of poem

metaphor for her feminist voice breaking free in a male-dominated literary history - the canon

Sonnet 29

Rustle thy....

boughs and set thy trunk all bare

sexual euphemism - breaking from Canon, covered by euphemism but still very subversive

nature extended metaphor - nature used as a sexual metaphor throughout the sonnet

Sonnet 29

my thoughts...

do twine and bud

extended metaphor of nature - longs for him. intense. overwhelmed by longing.

Porphyria's Lover context

Robert Browning known for dramatic monologues of mania and psychosexual language

in line with patriarchal society - man has control in relationship and is the violent, dominating one

The Farmer's Bride - Context

Grew up in farming community. May have been inspired by her experiences there to write this poem. Author is a woman - perhaps written to highlight problems and criticise male control and violence - unlike Porphyria's lover

Porphyria's lover form and structure

rhyme scheme creates simplistic childlike tone, dissonant to the actual content and meaning, hasn't realised the gravity of his actions

final 3 lines shift to present tense, realise rest of poem is a retrospective narrative - she has been dead the whole time

enjambment and exclamatory punctuation - slow pleasure at killing her, orgasmic

unnamed men - innocence and removal of guilt

absent female voice reflects how they are diminished in the poem and society

The Farmer's Bride form and structure

simplistic/colloquial language creates the persona of the farmer and therefore a sense of normality - author saying this sort of relationship is normalised in society

6 stanzas have varying lengths, reflecting the unnatural relationship

Irregular rhyme scheme creates childlike tone, dissonant from subject of the poetry, overly pleasant, lacks awareness of actions

exclamatory punctuation and repetition creates excitement and orgasmic quality

unnamed men - innocence and removal of guilt

absent female voice reflects how they are diminished in the poem and society

Farmers Bride

soft.....

young down of her

extended animal metaphor, dehumanising, dissonant from the actual human that is being affected by him, objectifies her, possessive, small animal connotes innocence and purity

Farmers Bride

I chose.....

Too.....

a maid

young maybe

age is an afterthought to him, praying on her vulnerabilities

PAEDOCENTRIC DESIRE

Farmers Bride

We caught her fetched

her home at last

'we' collective pronoun - disgusting and disturbing, is he the sole issue or is he a part of a wider societal system that is causing this

dehumanising, possessive, treating her like an animal or an object

Farmers bride

her eyes....

, her hair, her hair!

objectifying her, male gaze, possessive, obsessive

exclamatory punctuation and repetition - excitement, orgasmic quality - paedocentric desire

Porphyria's lover

smiling.....

rosy little head

doll-like and childish persona - virginal fetish - however this is not true of her - she is part of an illicit relationship so this isn't actual fact

paedocentric desire

Porphyria's lover

Three...

And....

times her little throat around,

strangled her.

structural delay of including this phrase revealing what has happened suggests a slow pleasure in her murder

emphasised by the enjambment - excitement and joy at murder - orgasmic quality

Porphyria's lover

And all...

And yet...

night long we have not stirred,

God has not said a word!

religion - speaker is trying to detract from the severity of his own actions by claiming forgiveness from God

tense change to present reveals she has been dead whole poem - predatory, violent, disturbing

exclamatory punctuation - pleasure in her death, orgasmic quality.

Neutral tones context

Famous for the pessimistic tone in his writing, this is shown throughout this poem.

Hardy raised a strong Christian but lost faith - purposelessness throughout poem could be associated with the impact of a loss of faith

Neutral tones

We stood...

And the...

by a pond that winter day,

sun was white, as though chidden of God

plural pronoun - 'we' - currently together, symbolic of unity and their relationship

'pond'- stagnant unmoving water symbolises stagnancy of relationship and impossibility of that recovering

pathetic fallacy:

'winter day' - coldness of relationship, connotations of death

'sun was white' - unnatural, unsettling imagery

overall creates sense that relationship is dead. reflects Hardy's pessimistic writing style. creates dismal and depressing atmosphere.

Neutral Tones

The smile....

Alive....

on your mouth was the deadest thing

enough to have strength to die

juxtaposition of 'smile' and 'dead' emphasises the strange nature of their relationship and suggests it is bleak and lifeless

oxymoron of 'alive' and 'die' creates a contrast that is symbolic of a contrast of desires in relationship - she wants it to end, speaker wants them to fix it

dead smile suggests that the glimmer of hope given by a 'smile' is false

Neutral tones

Your face....

And a....

,and the God curst sun

pond edged with greyish leaves

pronoun 'you' different to collective pronoun 'we' at start suggests a distinct split in time and their relationship - he has accepted it is over

sun --> god curst sun suggests change from the unnatural and uncertain to bitter and resentful anger

'greyish leaves' uses nature imagery as it has throughout - to create a melancholic, bitter and depressing tone

enjambment - creates a pace that feels tumultuous and uneven, reflecting their relationship

Neutral tones structure/form

- follows traditional structure of an 'elegy' which is a lamenting poem about the loss of someone - emphasise themes of poem, similar to Hardy's reputation for melancholic poetry

- cyclical structure - stood by a pond at start and end - suggests an inability to move on

- regular four line stanzas (quatrains) provides relief from the pace created by the enjambment and creates a false sense of calm and order - could show he has been replaying memory

Love's Philosophy context

Shelley was a romantic poet - nature was key to them

he was an atheist (unusual at time) - makes heaven reference all the more pleading and pitiful

left wife for 16 year old Mary Shelley - unrequited love for Mary is potentially subject of this poem

Love's Philosophy

The winds...

of Heaven mix for ever

'winds' - nature imagery - makes their love seem natural and destined to happen - creates a sense purity and innocence surrounding their relationship

'heaven' - religious imagery - convincing her it is what would be wanted by God - Shelley was very atheist so this shows his desperation

enjambment - creates fluid tone suggesting both that his thoughts are logical and thought out, further encouraging her to be with him, but also suggesting that he is very passionate about their relationship through the flowing nature of it

Love's Philosophy

See the mountains....

And the waves....

kiss high heaven

clasp one another

personification of nature makes love feel like a part of it. Shelley links nature to intimate physical love.

'kiss' and 'clasp' are intimate physical verbs.

continues the pairing of natural elements - suggesting couples are the natural way of the world

'heaven' atheist Shelley and also suggesting that their love is set out by god

Love's Philosophy

What are all.....

If thou.....

these kissings worth,

kiss not me?

'kiss' - repeated direct use of intimate, physical language creates a sensual, romantic effect. Shelley presents his love for her as powerful and strong.

Rhetorical question directly addresses the love interest - ambiguous: playful yet desperate. lacks catharsis for the reader in order to create a sense of ambiguity throughout the poem.

monosyllables emphasise the fact that Shelley views the situation as straightforward and uncomplicated - she simply should kiss him.

Love's Philosophy structure/form

two stanzas and rhyming couplets - represent the idea of couples present throughout the poem.

ballad form - emotional, lyrical tone - reflects theme of unrequited love

Singh Song - Context

Daljit Nagra is born in England, but his parents are Sikh Punjabi - cultural heritage explored in poem through Indian phonetic accent and references to things such as chapatis or the typically English 'pinnie' and rowing

His poems are often about the concept of Britishness

Nagra's parents owned a shop in Sheffield

Singh Song

cos up di.....

vee share....

vee share....

after vee...

like vee.....

stairs is my newly bride

in chapatti

in di chutney

have made luv

rowing through Putney

'newly bride' - introducing her by title that shows he loves her, happiness in honeymoon stage of marriage, unconditional love, sacrificing business to spend time with her shows this too

'my' - undertones of him being possessive over his wife, potentially suggesting all is not as well as it seems. imbalance in relationship.

'chutney' 'chapatti' 'Putney' Punjabi culture vs British culture - Nagra commenting on the combination of cultures in his life, saying British and Indian identity can go together.

'vee' - repetition of 'vee'/we suggests unity in the relationship. Equal treatment and respect, contrast 'my'

Singh Song

in di....

on di....

worst Indian shop

whole Indian road

hyperbolic - shows the levels of sacrifice he is willing to make for his wife. highlights difference in care for wife and shop.

Continuation of Indian phonetic accent shows the importance of the speakers culture. Nagra context.

Before you were mine context

- Duffy criticises societal expectations of women in the 50s - expected to be quiet mother and wife - contrast with depiction of her mother in poem

- society beginning to recognise adolescence as separate from childhood - mother enjoys these new found freedoms

- reflective of a generational divide caused by war

Before you were mine

I'm ten years away

With

from the corner you laugh on

your pals

'I' and 'you' pronouns create image of separation and distance between mother and daughter

'corner' symbolises liminal state - adolescence and adulthood - views mother as immature and young - context of society beginning to recognise adolescence in mums era

'pals' creates casual intimate tone and suggests sense of youth and close bond between mum and daughter

Before you were mine

Your polka-dot

dress blows around your legs. Marilyn.

'Marilyn' - single word sentence emphasises difference between pre child freedom and restrictions of motherhood. Monroe is symbol of glamour - female sexuality inherently linked to a woman's freedom - loss of freedom post-partum

Before you were mine

you sparkle

and waltz and laugh before you were mine.

'sparkle and waltz and laugh' positive playful glamourous adjectives provide contrast between change in lifestyle and behaviour after child

'before you were mine' carnivalesque depiction of mother daughter relationship - it is the daughter who feels possessive and responsible for her mum - suggests daughter feels guilt for the change in behaviour her mum experienced for her but also shows sense of love and care that she has for her mum

before you were mine form/structure

- contrast between short sentences and polysyllabic language: short syntax = child perspective, polysyllabic Lang = childhood through adult lens

- caesura: conversational tone - implies close bond between mum and daughter

- enaleptic frames: stories within stories eg flashbacks - reflective tone, admiration for mum, reflection of her upbringing and mums sacrifices

follower context

Heaney born in Northern Ireland into strong farming community - eldest of 9, faces pressures to set an example by being successful farmer and continuing family tradition - chose not to become farmer

Cited inspirations as Irish tradition and romantics eg Keates and Yates

follower

My father

His shoulders

worked with a horse-plough

globed like a full sail strung

'my' immediately centres poem around relationship and makes it personal

'horse-plough' we learn we are in farm environment, connotes old-fashioned traditional farming techniques, hard manual labour, difficult task - father is a dedicated man and he admires him

sibilance 'shoulders' 'sail' suggest father works smoothly and undisturbed

'full sail strung' simile for nautical power suggests dad is a physically and mentally strong man - emphasises admiration for his power

Follower

I stumbled

Fell sometimes

in his hob-nailed wake

on the polished sod

'stumbled' speaker is uncertain about ability to continue in path set out for him by father and wider farming community - also implies innocence and inexperienced child - poem based on childhood memories

'fell' 'polished' father is polished and perfect, speaker is struggling to mould identity when he cant follow fathers path - contrasting adjectives indirectly compare father and son

'stumbled' 'hob' are plosive sounds - jittery young speaker vs smooth sibilance of father

follower

it is

behind me

my father who keeps stumbling

and will not go away.

'stumbling' now affixed to father suggests time has led to a reversal of roles - circle of life

'will not' imperative suggests even in old age dad is still dedicated to farm - admiration by speaker for this

cyclical structure

follower form/structure

cyclical structure - stumbled, stumbling - role reversal, strong paternal bond, tradition

quatrains witch ABAB rhyme scheme but each stanza contains one perfect and one slant rhyme - perfect rhyme represents father, slant represents speaker - he will never grown to do as well as his father

mother any distance context

part of a series of sonnets by Armitage about significance of everyday moments

He often writes dramatic monologues that take on a specific person and voice

After studying, he returned to Yorkshire and lived near his parents, suggesting they had a close relationship.

mother any distance

Mother

,any distance greater than a single span

'mother' suggests speaker is maturing, places distance between him and mum

begins extended metaphor of measuring - 'distance' - as a symbol for child separating from parent to begin independence in own home

mother any distance

reporting

up the

years

metres, centimetres, back to base

stairs, the line still feeding out, unreeling

between us. Anchor. Kite.

extended metaphor of measurement symbolic of time and memories shared together and how these have changed over course of speakers life.

'base' mother is a constant in his life - not physically base being same home but emotionally somewhere he can return for stability and connection

'anchor. kite' contrasting images represent contrasting desires - stay close to mum or become independent and explore individuality.

enjambment suggests separation between desires and mum

single word syntax - reflective tone

mother any distance

to fall

or fly

'fly' suggests hopeful choice of independence

rhyme scheme implemented suggests new rhythm to life through gaining independence after period of uncertainty and reflection

mother any distance form/structure

sonnet - loosely based on sonnet so emphasis placed on last line - emphasises choice to be independent but suggests nerves at decision

uneven rhyme - uneven relationship dynamic - son relies on mum

enjambment - conversational. healthy relationship.

climbing my grandfather context

geographer and environmentalist

climbing my grandfather

I decide to

First, the old

do it free, without a rope or net

brogues, dusty and cracked

present tense 'decide' involves reader - speaker = active character

'without a rope or net' geographer context - mountaineering metaphor - 'without' = liberation and freedom - element of peril involved in getting to know relative - generational divide - or familiarity - feels safe, will catch him if falls

'cracked' connotes disconnect but 'old' and 'dusty' show experience - learn lessons despite generational divide

climbing my grandfather

At his still firm

shoulder, I rest for a while

'firm shoulder' shoulder often symbolises bearing weight of something in lit - grandfather is a strong resilient figure

'rest' suggests trust and comfortability - close familial bond despite gen divide

climbing my grandfather

watching clouds

and birds circle

'clouds and birds' nature imagery suggests a natural comfortability and safety around family - environmentalist context

climbing my grandfather form/structure

unbroken single stanza represents journey of mountaineering extended metaphor - child like nature of poem

enjambment and lack of rhyme = conversational, mirrors comfortable relationship

Winter Swans context

writes about nature and people in it

grew up in wales - countryside rural area

swans considered valuable and regal - owned by English monarch - represent grace and value in human relationships

Winter Swans

The clouds

two days

in which

had given their all-

of rain and then a break

we walked

'given their all' nature imagery, personification, pathetic fallacy represents turmoil of relationship, couple trying to make it worse but it is not successful - likens what is happening to their relationship to nature suggesting it is an unavoidable natural process

'two' motif of pairings - couples are part of nature - is it natural that they reconcile? or natural that they accept it is wrong for them to be together? - feelings of claustrophobia represented through rain keeping people inside

'we' collective pronoun suggests intrinsic link and unconditional love - anchored by pairing motif

Winter Swans

As if rolling

they halved

weights down their bodies to their heads,

themselves in the dark water

weights symbolic of issues of relationship bearing a mental strain on couple

'halved' couple motif - swans are unit that will separate but come back together

'dark water' represents hardships couple are currently experiencing but contrast of black water and white swans suggests their is duality to life and relationships - struggle is natural

Winter Swans

our hands ,that

swum the

had, somehow,

distance between us

'our' collective pronoun suggests shift to reunification

'swum the distance' nature/swan extended metaphor- comparing actions of couple to nature suggests inevitability that they get back together - human relationships are a part of the natural world - swans mating for life and representing value - value in relationships

Winter Swans structure/form

- no rhyming scheme/syllabic pattern creates uneven tone - uneven path of human relationships is natural

- 4 sentences over 20 lines = symmetry and pairings motif

- final lines as couplet = together again but no rhyme so still struggle to work through

- caesura = break in relationship and conversation

Letters from Yorkshire context

poet lived in many places during life including Yorkshire - long distance relationships

modern eco-poetry - depicting natural world to encourage conservation of nature

Letters from Yorkshire

In February, digging

he saw the

in his garden

first lapwings return

'digging' active verb presents subject as active character - suggests respect and admiration as they are an active character, not just speaker

'first lapwings return' - journey - long distance relationship - cyclicity of nature - hopefulness

Letters from Yorkshire

his knuckles

as they

singing

reddened in the warmth

'knuckles singing' colloquialism suggests comfortable relationship between the two, joyful connotations of singing show love between characters and connection prompted by letters

'reddened' typical connotations of anger subverted into warmth suggests an atypical relationship as they are long distance subverted to find the positives

Letters from Yorkshire

our souls

tap out messages across the icy miles.

nature metaphor showing they do not let distance disturb love - pathetic fallacy of icy miles subverted to be a positive that brings them closer - seasonal change and nature's cyclicity

Letters from Yorkshire form/structure

first 4 stanzas focus on separate lives, last one on life together - mirrored with pronoun changes

3 line stanzas suggest brief nature of communication

walking away context

initial subtitle was 'for Sean' his first son - sent to boarding school age 7 - auto-biographical poem

walking away

like a

Wrenched from

satellite

its orbit, go drifting away.

'satellite' space metaphor for steady exploration and independence into the unknown, freedom yet dangers

'wrenched' 'drifting' verbs that suggest father is reluctant to let son go yet son is ready - contextual info - 'wrenched' sounds aggressive - impact amplified

walking away

with the pathos

of a half-fledged thing set free

'pathos' (evoking pity) son = vulnerable and young

'half-fledged' nature imagery of a young bird - anchors previously suggested vulnerabilities - son is like prey

walking away

who finds no

path where the path should be

'finds no path' fricative consonants create onomatopoeia for flight - son feels lost and uncertain - dad's guilt amplified

walking away form/structure

rhyme scheme suggests regular love of paternal relationship despite adversity

direct address 'you'/'your' encourages reader to place themselves in sons situation to create empathy and consider own familial bonds

Eden Rock context

father died when he was 7

from Cornwall and often used its landscape as inspo

garden of Eden in title - religious reference to suggest innocence and purity in childhood with family

written after both parents death

Eden Rock

spread the stiff

her hair

white cloth over the grass

the colour of wheat, takes on the light

'white' connotes purity and religion - his parents are depicted as their best most pure selves in heaven

'the colour of wheat' nature imagery further connotes an innate, natural comfort at Eden Rock, adding to the idea that the location is infact heaven - garden of Eden in title is referenced here - God given natural beauty in environment and familial relationships

'takes on the light' gives angelic imaging, mother is angel in this scene - suggests speaker looked up to his mum and saw her as divinely perfect

Eden Rock

over the

drifted stream.

'drifted stream' - stream represent divide between mortal world and afterlife in mythology - speaker holds religious belief in heaven and so is at peace with knowledge he will see parents after death - 'stream' nature imagery furthers sense of tranquillity and comfort, literally in the countryside, metaphorically in religious beliefs of afterlife

Eden Rock

They beckon

to me from the other bank

'they' third person plural pronoun distances speaker from parents - distance put in place by their death is shown here, as well as in the separation by river

'beckon' verb suggests temptation (garden of Eden echo) - perhaps suicidal ideation? - feels connected to family

Eden Rock form/structure

quatrains - even structure suggests speaker still has comfort in life despite death of parents - perhaps brought by belief in afterlife

single line stanza at end - divided between mortal world and afterlife reflected here

half rhyme - incomplete nature of relationship

Before you were mine

'shriek

at the pavement.'

'shriek' - playful image, very carefree before becoming mother, enjoying freedom of youth - comment on societal pressures placed upon mothers including discrepancies in expectations between mums and dads