Analysing 'When We Two Parted'
I can explore how Byron uses language to show the speaker's multifaceted feelings about their illicit affair.
Analysing 'When We Two Parted'
I can explore how Byron uses language to show the speaker's multifaceted feelings about their illicit affair.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Byron uses an extended metaphor to compare the end of the affair to the loss of a loved one.
- The progression of this metaphor throughout the poem symbolises the progression of the speaker’s grief as time passes.
- Byron uses a euphemism to refer to the illicit nature of the relationship.
- Byron uses sibilance to emphasise the secretive nature of the affair.
- Byron uses anaphora to reveal how he has to hide his anguish in the wake of the affair.
Common misconception
The lines, "They know not I knew thee, / Who knew thee too well" refer to the close emotional relationship the couple had since they knew everything about each other.
These lines can also be read as a euphemism for the couple's sexual relationship, since 'know' was a term often used in the Bible to refer to sexual intercourse.
Keywords
Anguish - intense mental suffering or emotional distress
Euphemism - substituting a mild or indirect expression for something that is considered rude or taboo
Sibilance - repetition of hissing or hushing sounds, often involving the letters ‘s’, ‘sh’, or ‘z’
Anaphora - repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines of poetry
Grief - emotional suffering, typically triggered by loss, death, or a significant disappointment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of sexual content
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
"I rue thee, / too deeply to tell"
"half broken-hearted"
"In secret we met, / In silence I grieve"
"They know not I knew thee, / Who knew thee too well"
Exit quiz
6 Questions
“In secret we met — / In silence I grieve”
“They know not I knew thee, / Who knew thee too well”
“I hear thy name spoken, / And share in its shame”