AQA English GCSE Poetry: When We Two Parted

A poem expressing sorrow over a lost relationship that was kept secret.

A poet who often writes about strong emotions and individual experiences.

A literary archetype embodying traits like rejecting authority, being alluring, self-destructive, an outsider, and secretive.

A relationship kept hidden from others, often leading to difficulty expressing emotions publicly.

The effect a separation has on the speaker's feelings.

Lord Byron's life was marked by scandal and rejection of social norms.

The experience of a relationship ending.

Events that cause embarrassment and outrage in society, often involving prominent people.

A poem exploring themes of emotional detachment, sorrow, and the end of a relationship.

Creates a sense of difficulty and emotional struggle in the poem.

Use of 's' and 'sh' sounds, creating an uncomfortable, mournful effect.

Emphasizes the lack of warmth and love in the relationship's end.

Means to separate violently, signifying the harshness of the breakup.

Imagery implying a deathlike feeling, highlighting the speaker's sorrow.

Contrasts with the sorrow, emphasizing the speaker's sadness.

A key theme in the poem, showing the speaker's sadness and the ending of the relationship.

The repetition of 's' sounds, like 'sh' and 's', in a phrase. It creates a hissing effect, intensifying the speaker's sense of shame and grief.

A sound like a funeral bell, used to symbolize death and the speaker's overwhelming sadness.

Mixing of senses – experiencing one sense through another, like seeing a sound, or hearing a colour.

A sudden quivering movement, used to show the speaker's deep emotional distress.

Repeating a word or phrase to emphasize the strong emotion it conveys.

A question posed to create emphasis or provoke thought, but not expecting an answer.

A private conversation with oneself, expressed as a poem, not meant for an audience

A symbolic image of dew, foreshadowing the speaker's tears, hinting at sadness to come

The poem is narrated from the speaker's point of view, making the poem feel deeply personal and immediate.

The poem's focus on the speaker's inner world creates a sense of isolation and confinement.

The speaker's intense focus on their feelings is a key aspect of the poem's tone and theme.

Words like 'we' and 'us' are used very rarely, highlighting the separation of the speaker and their former lover.

The way 'met' is used suggests a past time when the speaker and their lover were connected, now lost.

The line 'If I should meet thee after long years...' is crucial, showing the speaker's lingering hope for reconciliation.

The poem ends abruptly, highlighting the speaker's finality and the lasting impact of the separation.

The use of words that create a sense of sound in the reader's mind.

A comparison between two things using 'like' or 'as', making it easier to understand a concept.

A comparison between two unlike things WITHOUT using 'like' or 'as', which creates a deeper meaning.

The study of speech sounds and how they are organized and used.

The poem establishes a strong emotional impact from the beginning, using vivid language and imagery to convey the speaker's profound sadness.

The poem's narrative lacks progression, repeating the theme of the speaker's unending sorrow, highlighting the cyclical nature of his grief.

A type of poetry structure where the number of stressed syllables in a line is consistent, but the total number of syllables may vary.

Each line contains two stressed syllables, possibly symbolizing the two individuals in the poem, highlighting their separation.

The poem's consistent rhythm reflects the speaker's ongoing sadness, emphasizing its endless and monotonous nature.

The consistent rhyme pattern throughout reinforces the cyclical nature of the speaker's sadness and creates a sense of monotonous repetition.

The flexible nature of accentual verse allows for the passionate and emotional expression typical of Romantic poetry.