Analysis

• "A wife in London" - In this poem a wife is waiting at home in London for news of her husband who is fighting in South Africa. The poem is structured in two halves showing it is like chapters in a tragic story. The two halves could suggest her life has been destroyed.
• "sits in the tawny vapour" - The adjective ‘tawny’ suggests a dull, brown, foggy London.

  The language is ominous and may indicate the darkness and highlights the tragedy about to happen – her whole world is covered in gloom. It may also suggest a stark contrast to the place where her husband died.
• "City Lanes have been uprolled" - Describes the mist rolling up the streets. Poor houses all very close together.
• "Whose webby fold on fold" - This spider web imagery evokes the feeling of poverty, entrapment and anxiety. As a widow, she will be further trapped.
• "Like a waning taper" - The simile may imply that the light of her light is going out, perhaps with her hopes for the future.

  Taper - A thin candle often used to light lamps.

  Waning – Going out/diminishing
• "Flashed News is in her hand" - She receives a message to tell her that her husband has died.
• "It dazes to understand" - The news is speedy and difficult to take in. She struggles to comprehend the tragic news which she has just been told.
• "He--has fallen--" - The speaker uses the ‘euphemism’ fallen rather

  than died –may be trying to divert the horror.

  
  

  The dashes indicates the short sharp breaking sounds, perhaps this

  was how she read the letter. It may also suggest how her life is now broken.
• "The fog hangs thicker" - Pathetic fallacy of the ‘fog hangs thicker’ shows her grief is settling in. The fog is ominous and can cover things up, much like communications in war.
• "The postman nears and goes" - The phrase ‘nears and goes’ emphasises the normality of the post man’s round. Perhaps this also reinforces the normality of the causalities and bereavements in war.
• "Fresh--firm" - Further irony because he is no longer fresh and firm, just like their loves, hopes and dreams.
• "Page-full of his hoped return" - He was excited to be returning home.
• "In this summer weather" - Indicates of what they would do upon his

  return – simple pleasures.
• "And of new love that they would learn" - The final line heightens the tragedy of his death because they will never get to rekindle their relationship. Perhaps Hardy leaves it here because it is more powerful then describing the widow’s grief.