The farmer's bride- Charlotte Mew

• "Three summers since I chose a maid, Too young maybe – but more’s to do At harvest-time than bide and woo."


  This quote reveals the farmer’s practical and unromantic view of marriage. He chose a young bride out of convenience, not love.
• "When us was wed she turned afraid Of love and me and all things human"


  This line shows the bride’s fear and discomfort in her new role as a wife. She is afraid of her husband and the expectations placed on her.
• "Like the shut of a winter’s day Her smile went out, and ’twasn’t a woman – More like a little frightened fay."


  The comparison of the bride to a “frightened fay” (fairy) emphasizes her innocence and fear. Her smile disappearing like the close of a winter’s day suggests the loss of warmth and happiness in her life.
• "She does the work about the house As well as most, but like a mouse: Happy enough to chat and play With birds and rabbits and such as they, So long as men-folk keep away."


  These lines depict the bride’s preference for the company of animals over humans, particularly men. This further highlights her fear and discomfort around her husband.
• "The short days shorten and the oaks are brown, The blue smoke rises to the low grey sky, One leaf in the still air falls slowly down, A magpie’s spotted feathers lie On the black earth spread white with rime, The berries redden up to Christmas-time. What’s Christmas-time without there be Some other in the house than we!"


  This passage uses vivid imagery to convey the loneliness and longing the farmer feels as Christmas approaches. Despite the beauty of the natural world around him, he is acutely aware of the emotional distance between him and his wife.
• These lines reflect the themes of love, fear, and misunderstanding that are central to the poem. The poem is a poignant exploration of a marriage marked by a lack of understanding and compassion.