maude clare

• this poem has twelve quatrains therefore it is a ballad
• ballads are traditionally used to tell a moral fable or a story with a didactic lesson
• maude clare is a literary ballad
• maude clare is a narrative poem
• The originally published manuscript version of 'Maude

  Clare" had forty-one stanzas, compared to the 1862

  version, which only contains twelve. According to Anthony

  Harrison, the more detailed, longer version paints a picture

  of Maude Clare as a sympathetic character with whom the

  reader can truly identify.
• the poem comprises of 12 stanzas each of four lines
• The first stanza introduces the situation of Maude Clare following the bridal couple out of the church, the contrast between her and nel's appearance is highlighted
• In stanzas two and three, Thomas's mother is seen to be wishing the couple good luck. She also remarks how pale the two look
• In stanza four we learn of Thomas's unease at seeing Maude Clare
• In stanzas five to seven we see Maude Clare directly address Thomas as she gives him gifts that obviously hint at their previous relationship
• Thomas's response in stanza eight is faltering and incomplete
• Maude Clare then turns to Nel in stanzas nine and ten as she makes an offering of her "paltry love"
• Nel responds in Stanza's eleven to twelve as she declares she loves her lord and will love him until he loves her more than Maude Clare
• The entirety of the twelve stanzas have dialogue throughout
• As the bride is introduced there is an inversion. Normally on a wedding day the bride is usually described as the most beautiful in the room. However here in stanza one we see Nel being described as a "village maid"
• In stanza's two and three we see the groom's mother point out the sickly pallor of the newly married couple. This introduces tension and foreshadows a possible conflict
• Stanza four explains that the paleness of the new couple is for different reasons. While Thomas is pale due to stress his bride, Nell, is "pale with pride". We soon learn Thomas's "strife" is due to Maude Clare
• Stanzas five six and seven: Maude Clare now takes centre stage as she endows Thomas with some gifts that clearly showcase the previous relationship between Maude Clare and Thomas. She even offers "her half of the golden chain" they both previously shared
• stanza eight showcases a strange inversion of how men are usually presented in literature. Instead of a strong masculine figure. Thomas is shown to be completely powerless as he hides his face in shame at Maude Clares' actions.
• Stanza eight is the only stanza Thomas is given the chance to say anything yet he doesn't all he can do is falter. The narrator seems more interested in writing about the encounter between the former lover and his present wife than anything Thomas has to say
• In stanzas nine and ten the imagery derived from nature continues although we see the flowers and the fruits are now passed their prime
• In stanzas nine and ten Maude Clare claims to be happy to just be rid of Thomas however we know this is ingenious as why else would she show up and make such a dramatic performance
• However the final stanzas eleven and twelve empower Nell as although we as the audience may have expected her to submit to the "queen" like Maude Clare, she instead stands up to Maude Clare and asserts she doesn't care what Maude Clare has to say about their marriage
• maude clare is a narrative poem
• Maude Clare can be seen as a comment on marriage. It highlights the double standard of how men could have pre-marital relations without being judged e.g. Thomas however women like Maude Clare were deemed as fallen women.
• This poem opens with a trochee, this is one metrical foot comprising of one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable. Ballads usually start off with the opposite. This shows how Maude Clare is not just a simple ballad: it is a subversion
• "His bride was like a village maid, / Maude Clare was like a queen."
• My lord was pale with inward strife, / And Nell was pale with pride;"
• "With a lofty step"
• "I'll love him till he loves me best, / Me best of all, Maude Clare."
• The use of epithets like "fickle" and "paltry" conveys her disdain for his unfaithfulness.
• "I wash my hands thereof" This phrase is an idiom meaning to disclaim responsibility or involvement in a matter. Its origin traces back to the biblical account of Pontius Pilate in Matthew 27:24, where he washes his hands before the crowd, declaring himself innocent of Jesus's blood:
• "Here's my half of the golden chain / You wore about your neck,"
• My lord was pale with inward strife, / And Nell was pale with pride;"
• “That day we waded ankle-deep for lilies in the beck:”
• He strove to match her scorn with scorn, / He faltered in his place:"
• "Take my share of a fickle heart, / Mine of a paltry love:"
• "I'll love him till he loves me best, / Me best of all, Maude Clare."
• “I wash my hands thereof”
• "But he was not so pale as you, nor I so pale as Nell" - Thomas' mother in stanza three