A Wife in London

• What should you do when reading a poem for analysis?

  • Identify the poem's subject
  • Determine the writer's attitude
  • Identify emotions and supporting words/images
  • Consider the poem's time period and evidence
  • Spot interesting structural choices
• What key skill is essential for GCSE English Literature?

  Identifying writing styles and their contexts
• Who is Thomas Hardy?

  A famous Victorian novelist and poet
• What did Hardy believe poetry concentrated?

  The essence of imaginative and emotional literature
• What did Hardy prefer to write in?

  Poetic form
• Which Romantic writers influenced Hardy?

  William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge
• What style does Hardy write in?

  Naturalist style
• How does Hardy approach writing in his naturalist style?

  As an observer rather than a participant
• What type of poetry did Hardy write based on the Boer Wars?

  War poetry
• How did Hardy feel about the patriotic nature of his poetry?

  He found it difficult to see only one side
• Why is Hardy's perspective on war poetry considered interesting?

  It develops a complex relationship with the reader
• What does AO3 focus on in relation to Hardy's literary style?

  Comparison to first impressions of the text
• What does AO4 encourage students to do with Hardy's poems?

  Compare them to other studied poems
• What were the Boer Wars about?

  Wars for independence in South Africa
• Who were the 'Boers'?

  Farmers in South Africa
• What type of economy did the stock farming Boers enjoy?

  Pre-capitalist, near-subsistence economy
• When did the second Boer War break out?

  11 October 1899
• What did the Transvaal ultimatum demand?

  Settlement of disputes by arbitration
• What does Hardy highlight through his poetry about war?

  The emotional anguish of waiting families
• What triggered the second Boer War?

  Britain rejected the Transvaal ultimatum
• What is the structure of the poem "A Wife in London"?

  • Split into two parts:

  1. The Tragedy
  2. The Irony

  • First part establishes mood and tone
  • Second part shifts reality from night to day
  • Rhyme scheme: ABBAB
  • Changing meter creates a monotonous tone
• What is the first part of the poem titled?

  The Tragedy
• What is the second part of the poem titled?

  The Irony
• What does the use of pathetic fallacy establish in the poem?

  The mood and tone of the poem
• How does Hardy create a sense of pathos in the opening stanza?

  Through imagery and metaphor
• What does the metaphor of a waning taper suggest?

  An image of fading hope or life
• What does the onomatopoeia in the line "A messenger's knock cracks smartly" suggest?

  A sharp and abrupt delivery of news
• What does the use of punctuation in the line "He--has fallen--in the far South Land" attempt to mirror?

  The shock and abruptness of the news
• Why is the second part of the poem titled "The Irony"?

  It contrasts hope with tragic reality
• What might the fog symbolize in the poem?

  Confusion and uncertainty
• How does enjambment affect the atmosphere in the poem?

  It creates a sense of continuity and flow
• What effect does alliteration have in the poem?

  It enhances the musical quality of the text
• What does the verb 'penned' imply about the letter in the poem?

  A personal touch from the writer
• Why does the phrase 'page-full of his hoped return' create a melancholic tone?

  It contrasts hope with impending loss
• How does the structure of the poem contribute to its themes?

  It mirrors the shift from hope to despair
• What are the key themes of the poem "A Wife in London"?

  Despair, loss, and the impact of war
• How does Hardy's observer's point of view affect the poem?

  It presents emotions more objectively
• How does Hardy's presentation of people contrast to Owen's?

  Hardy's focus is on waiting loved ones
• How does Hardy create a sense of desertion in "A Wife in London"?

  Through imagery and emotional distance
• What are the three Assessment Objectives (AOs) for the independent writing task?

  • AO1: Read and respond critically to texts
  • AO2: Analyze language, form, and structure
  • AO3: Understand relationships between texts and contexts