when we two parted

• “Half broken-hearted to sever for years"


  • Highlights emotional pain and secrecy in lost love.
• “Pale grew thy cheek and cold”


  • “pale” and “cold” evoke the physical signs of death, suggesting the end of the relationship feels like a bereavement.
  • lack of warmth reflects how emotionally distant and unfeeling she has become.
• “Long, long shall I rue thee"


  • Archaic word “rue”: Means to regret – shows how the speaker feels betrayed and will suffer for a long time.
  • Tone of bitterness: Suggests that love has turned to sorrow and that the memory will haunt him indefinitely.
• form

  • lyrical poem expressing personal emotion.
  • It consists of four octets (8-line stanzas), showing a regular structure that contrasts with the emotional turmoil of the speaker.
  • The consistent stanza length gives a controlled, measured feeling — reflecting the speaker’s attempt to contain or control his grief.
• Rhyme Scheme:

  • The rhyme scheme is mostly ABAB, creating a rhythmic and formal quality.
  • This regular rhyme reflects the restrained and formal nature of the speaker’s feelings — he hides his pain beneath a calm exterior.
• techniques:

  • The poem contains some enjambment, which reflects the speaker’s overwhelming emotions breaking through his control
  • Repetition mirrors the cyclical nature of painful memories — the speaker is trapped in his sorrow.
  • The poem uses iambic tetrameter (usually 4 beats per line), which is steady and deliberate