When We Two Parted:
‘thy vows are broken’
Poem starts to follow the scheme of a sonnet but is broken on this line, this reflects
how broken he feels because of the betrayal. Also shows the narrator felt the two
did have a loving relationship before the betrayal
Marriage lang of ‘vow’ may refer to the vows they made to each other rather than
marriage vows. Suggests he thought their relationship was as sacred and true as a
marriage
The narrator constantly shifts between past and present emphasising there no
change in his feelings
‘in silence, I grieve’
Grieving by himself is different to when he was in a relationship
Poetic Inversion – gives a greater emphasis on ‘silence’ which reflects how their
relationship was a secret – the narrator is unable to express how he feels because
he must stay silent about their affair – CONTEXT: POEM WAS SAID TO BE WRITTEN
ABOUT LADY FRANCES WEBSTER WHO WAS IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH BYRONS
FRIEND
‘grieve’ refers to death which reflects how he mourns the end of their relationship
like a death thus emphasises his great pain and suffering
Poem has a circular structure which emphasises his never ending pain
‘pale grew thy cheek and cold’
Semantic field of death ‘pale’ ‘cold’ – which reflects the death of their relationship
and the death of his happiness, emotion and future. Could also show how her
feelings for him died
This line breaks the form of accentual verse – which shows the rejection and now his
partner is physically and metaphorically cold – this action made the narrator feel
broken thus the break of the structure reflects it
, Eden Rock
‘Hp sauce bottle’
‘tin cups’
‘thermos’
Everyday object of specific things – shows the importance and affection he has for
his parents and the way his parents did things. Shows the narrators nostalgia for
that memory
Nostalgia also shows he wishes things were like before (simple and uncomplicated)
and shows how he idolises his parents
As the poem was published after both his mother and father passed away, it could
be his parents beckoning him to the afterlife
‘I had not thought it’d be like this’
There is a stable structure throughout (4 lines through per stanza) however this line
is isolated to show the separation between him and his parents. Alternatively, this
could show he has crossed the river bank and he is looking at what is beyond
Monosyllabic words which creates a child-like tone which refers to the memory
when he was young with his parents
‘Eden Rock’
‘Three suns’
Religious imagery – Biblical reference to the Garden of Eden which was a perfect
place just like the perfect place for the narrator was with his parents. Three sons can
refer to the trinity; God the father, Son and Holy Spirit refers to love because God is
omnibenevolent or it can refer to the family unit: the narrator, mother, father
‘thy vows are broken’
Poem starts to follow the scheme of a sonnet but is broken on this line, this reflects
how broken he feels because of the betrayal. Also shows the narrator felt the two
did have a loving relationship before the betrayal
Marriage lang of ‘vow’ may refer to the vows they made to each other rather than
marriage vows. Suggests he thought their relationship was as sacred and true as a
marriage
The narrator constantly shifts between past and present emphasising there no
change in his feelings
‘in silence, I grieve’
Grieving by himself is different to when he was in a relationship
Poetic Inversion – gives a greater emphasis on ‘silence’ which reflects how their
relationship was a secret – the narrator is unable to express how he feels because
he must stay silent about their affair – CONTEXT: POEM WAS SAID TO BE WRITTEN
ABOUT LADY FRANCES WEBSTER WHO WAS IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH BYRONS
FRIEND
‘grieve’ refers to death which reflects how he mourns the end of their relationship
like a death thus emphasises his great pain and suffering
Poem has a circular structure which emphasises his never ending pain
‘pale grew thy cheek and cold’
Semantic field of death ‘pale’ ‘cold’ – which reflects the death of their relationship
and the death of his happiness, emotion and future. Could also show how her
feelings for him died
This line breaks the form of accentual verse – which shows the rejection and now his
partner is physically and metaphorically cold – this action made the narrator feel
broken thus the break of the structure reflects it
, Eden Rock
‘Hp sauce bottle’
‘tin cups’
‘thermos’
Everyday object of specific things – shows the importance and affection he has for
his parents and the way his parents did things. Shows the narrators nostalgia for
that memory
Nostalgia also shows he wishes things were like before (simple and uncomplicated)
and shows how he idolises his parents
As the poem was published after both his mother and father passed away, it could
be his parents beckoning him to the afterlife
‘I had not thought it’d be like this’
There is a stable structure throughout (4 lines through per stanza) however this line
is isolated to show the separation between him and his parents. Alternatively, this
could show he has crossed the river bank and he is looking at what is beyond
Monosyllabic words which creates a child-like tone which refers to the memory
when he was young with his parents
‘Eden Rock’
‘Three suns’
Religious imagery – Biblical reference to the Garden of Eden which was a perfect
place just like the perfect place for the narrator was with his parents. Three sons can
refer to the trinity; God the father, Son and Holy Spirit refers to love because God is
omnibenevolent or it can refer to the family unit: the narrator, mother, father
