when we two parted

• "when we two parted" is a poem by lord byron
• when was it written

  1816
• who wrote it

  lord byron
• when we two parted/in silence and tears
• half broken-hearted
• i hear thy name spoken
• a Knell to mine ear
• Long, long shall i rue thee
• in silence and tears annotations

  Byron’s use of sibilance here creates an uncomfortable sound for the listener and has funeral-like connotations.
• what does the structure and rhyme scheme represent?

  each line is broken down into stress syllables and is written in accentual verse. the structure develops from mourning to bitterness to a sense thats the speaker will never show his feelings.
• a knell in my ear annotation


  “knell” alludes to the sound of a funeral bell, furthering the theme of death in the poem and adding to the impression of the speaker being in mourning. This also Introduces the effect synesthesia, as he later references the physical sense of a “shudder” and here he has referenced noise. This overwhelming nature of the senses could be argued to mirror the all-consuming nature of the couple’s relationship.
• long, long shall i rue thee


  Emphatic repetition of “long” shows the speaker’s state of hopelessness.