Month: May 2016

Charlotte Mew presents the girl as immature in ‘The farmer’s bride’. She does this by including actions which highlight the maturity of the young girl, and how she is far ‘too young’ for a relationship.

Charlotte Mew describes a girl who has ‘runned away’, which proves to us that she is childish. Instead of discussing and attempting to resolve her problems, she decides to leave the area, which is similar to how a very young kid would act. The immature response sums up the difference in age between the couple, and how it is actually a very big issue. Once she had left, they ‘chased her’ which also shows the

Neutral tones is a poem about a couple breaking up. In the poem, Thomas Hardy presents love as haunting in ‘Neutral tones’

The couple start by standing on a pond, which is traditionally a romantic setting. Thomas Hardy describes a pond on a ‘winter day’, which is a transition of seasons, where living things that have grown begin to fall apart and eventually die. This gives us a sense of foreboding as they’re stood in a bitter environment. He then goes on to describe the sun as ‘white’ like it is ‘chidden of God’. This suggests that they’re being punished by God for committing any sins. The description of the sun changes once they’ve broken up, which makes Thomas Hardy believe that God caused the ending of their relationship. Thomas Hardy describes her eyes as ‘eyes that rove’, which suggests that they are unfamiliar with each other, and have almost become complete strangers.

Shortly after, he describes her smile as ‘the deadest thing’. This suggests that she is replacing her true smile with a fake smile as Thomas Hardy no longer supply’s her with the same happiness he previously did. Despite the fact that it is a fake smile, it eventually comes to a conclusion, which also shows that the feeling’s involved in their relationship (on her behalf) have faded away. This also shows me that she has the strength to lose him. Thomas Hardy says there is a ‘grin of bitterness’, which suggests that the weather is enjoying the break up. Towards the ending of the poem, he explains that he has learnt that ‘love deceives’. I believe that this proves he has been in the same situation before and this has caused him to think love is haunting.

In the poem, Thomas Hardy also uses religious imagery to compare the white sun at the beginning of the poem to a ‘God-curst sun’.