When We Two Parted

• Who wrote When We Two Parted?

  Lord Byron
• When was WWTP written?

  1816
• What is When We Two Parted about?

  A past, clandestine relationship that the voice is reflecting on
• When we two parted /

  In silence and tears,
• Half broken-hearted /

  To sever for years,
• Pale grew thy cheek and cold, /

  Colder thy kiss;
• Truly that hour foretold /

  Sorrow to this.
• The dew of the morning /

  Sunk chill on my brow -
• It felt like the warning /

  Of what I feel now.
• Thy vows are all broken, /

  And light is thy fame;
• I hear thy name spoken, /

  And share in it's shame.
• They name thee before me, /

  A knell in mine ear;
• A shudder comes o'er me - /

  Why wert thou so dear?
• They know not I knew thee, /

  Who knew thee too well -
• Long, long shall I rue thee, /

  Too deeply to tell.
• In secret we met - /

  In silence I grieve,
• That thy heart could forget, /

  Thy spirit deceive.
• If I should meet thee /

  After long years,
• How should I greet thee? - /

  With silence and tears.
• What is the structure of WWTP?

  Cyclical
• Who is blamed in WWTP?

  The voice cannot blame himself so he blames it all on the woman
• Why is the word 'vows' significant?

  Vows are usually spoken at weddings, this suggests that the woman broke her promises with the voice of the poem as well as her wedding vows with her husband
• Why is the word 'knell' significant?

  A knell is a funeral bell - therefore this emphasises the end of the relationship
• What is significant about the line: 'Pale grew thy cheek and cold, / Colder thy kiss;'?

  The alliteration of clashing consonants creates a harsh sound which emphasises the emotional coldness and physical coldness within the line as well as the frustration the voice feels
• Why is the word 'sorrow' significant?

  It emphasises the deep sadness that the voice feels
• What is significant about the line: 'A shudder comes o'er me -'?

  It emphasises the discomfort the voice feels because of the wrongness of the clandestine relationship. Also the word 'shudder' suggests a physical reaction of discomfort as well as a physical reaction due to the cold. Coldness is relevant throughout the whole poem.
• Why is the word 'rue' significant?

  It is a very strong way to say 'hate' which suggests that he is very angry at the woman and hates her because she ended the relationship
• What does the line: 'I hear thy name spoken, / and share in its shame.' mean?

  People are talking about the scandal which he was also a part of
• What does the line: 'Long, long shall I rue thee, / Too deeply to tell.' mean?

  The voice is so angry and hateful but he cannot express it
• What is significant about the pronouns used in the line: 'In secret we met - / In silence I grieve,'?

  They emphasise that the love was unrequited which is why the woman ended the relationship - there is only one broken heart
• Why is the word 'deceive' significant?

  It suggests that the voice feels betrayed since to deceive someone means to trick them intentionally
• What is the tone of WWTP?

  Melancholic and longing on account of rejection
• What is the form of WWTP?

  4, 8 line, regular, end-stopped stanzas
• What is the rhyme scheme of WWTP?

  Regular, masculine, alternate rhyme
• What is the semantic field of in WWTP?

  Cold and death
• What words are within the semantic field of cold in WWTP?

  'cold', 'Colder', 'chill'
• What words are within the semantic field of death in WWTP?

  'Sorrow', 'knell', 'grieve'
• Why did Byron claim to write WWTP in 1808?

  To conceal the identity of Lady Frances Webster who it was rumoured Byron had an affair with
• What was Byron sometimes known for?

  His scandalous affairs
• What era was WWTP from?

  Romantic