When We Two Parted by Lord Byron

When We Two Parted by Lord Byron

1. explores the idea of love and loss and the death of a relationship

2. FORM - four 8-lined stanzas

3. Regular ABAB rhyme scheme and regular rhythm

   • The rhythm emphasises certain syllables which emphasise the speaker's pain
     • eg. 'cold' and 'kiss'

4. STRUCTURE - the poem moves through and flips from past to present to future

   • The juxtaposition between the past and present suggests that the speaker's feelings haven't changed

5. Lexical field liked with death

   • eg. 'knell' and 'grieve'

6. Describes his senses and in a negative way to emphasise the fact that he's lost love and that he's hurt by it

   • eg. the sight of his partner's 'pale' cheek, the cold touch of 'dew' and the funeral sound of a 'knell'

7. The affair with the speaker and this person was private so the speaker includes a lexical field of silence and secrecy

8. Use of metaphor 'knell' shows that her name sounds like a death bell to him and reminds him of the struggles in their relationship

9. Repetition of the phrase 'silence and tears' is located at the start of he poem and right at the end

   • Suggests that the speaker his still hurting and is unable to move on
   • Emphasises the secrecy and sorrow

10. The violent imagery ('half broken-hearted', 'sever') suggests that he has remained heart broken and is still in pain