When we two parted by Lord Byron

• When We Two Parted


  Poem by Lord Byron expressing sorrow at the loss of a relationship
• Byronic hero


  • Rejecting of authority, sexually attractive, self-destructive, an outsider, secretive
• These characteristics of the Byronic hero were based on Byron himself as well as some of his characters
• When we two parted

  Repeated "W" sounds allude to the difficulty being expressed by the speaker
• "Sever"

  Has violent connotations which show that the speaker is fully separated from their former lover
• "Thy"


  Suggests that the speaker is placing the blame for the breakdown of the relationship on his lover rather than his own actions or emotions
• Pale grew thy cheek and cold, Colder thy kiss


  Has death-like connotations, implying that the speaker is mourning the death of the relationship
• The dew of the morning Sank chill on my brow


  The fresh natural connotations of morning dew are subverted here to denote the speaker's sadness
• Thy vows are all broken, And light is thy fame


  Implies the breakdown of a marriage, showing that the speaker has lost a significant relationship and also a sacred promise has been broken
• A knell in mine ear

  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
• Why wert thou so dear?


  Shows the speaker has become uncertain around someone he was once intimately familiar with
• In secret we met

  Alludes to an affair
• The poem is written in the first person to show how personal the poem is
• The speaker is heavily fixated on his emotions and expresses them readily, implying that those emotions have built up over time and the speaker is desperate to express them
• The poem opens with the same line as the title to establish an intense tone from the start
• Cyclic narrative


  • There is no progression in the narrative, implying that the speaker's sadness is repetitive and ongoing
• Accentual verse


  • The poem is written in accentual verse which means the number of stresses per line must be consistent throughout the poem, with two stresses per line
• Accentual verse is very common in Old English literature, so it suggests that their relationship is traditional
• Rhyme scheme


  • The poem uses a regular ABABCDCD rhyme scheme which demonstrates the regularity of the speaker's sadness
• Line lengths


  • The line lengths are irregular which gives the poem a conversational tone, adding authenticity to the speaker's sadness
• Semantic field of death

  Byron frequently uses lexis from the semantic field of death to emphasise the significance of the speaker's suffering
• Auditory imagery


  Byron uses auditory imagery like "A knell in mine ear" to provide connotations of the bell used to somberly announce a death
• Sibilance


  Byron's use of sibilance creates an uncomfortable sound for the listener and demonstrates the speaker's discomfort
• Allusion to silence


  The regular rhyme scheme creates a strict rhythm, implying that things are being left unsaid by the speaker