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Summary In-depth analysis notes of 'The Farmer's Bride' by Charlotte Mew
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GCSE English Literature Poetry Anthology: Love & Relationships, 'The Farmer's Bride' by Charlotte Mew, Annotation
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Possessive Apostrophe - The subject of the poem isRomantic nameless, only described by her status - belonging The Farmer’s Bride
to her husband. Similar to ‘Porphyria’s Lover’.
Relationship
Adjective - “young” connotes vulnerability Charlotte Mew
yet the speaker quickly changes focus onto Noun - The woman is a “bride” to the speaker, not a wife
his work suggesting marriage is merely implying a lack of progression in their marriage since the
Dialect - “When us was wed” & another tiresome task, he has no time for
“runned” reflect the farmer’s wedding day. This idea is further emphasised in poem.
romantic effort or to “woo” her.
rustic, country background.
Perhaps implying the Verb - “chose” objectifies the bride
narrowmindedness or traditional suggesting she had no choice and reinforces
ways of the countryside. Three summers since I chose a maid, the possession presented in the title.
Too young maybe - but more's to do
Themes - Through this marriage she
Simile - Light imagery used At harvest-time than bide and woo. grows close to nature while withdrawing
suggesting how quickly night falls in When us was wed she turned afraid from human society due to the impacts
winter to demonstrate the drastic, of her husband and their marriage.
quick shift in the nature of bride. Of love and me and all things human
Like the shut of a winter's day Themes - The speaker dehumanises bride
Noun - “Winter” & imagery of nature Her smile went out, and 'twasn't a woman - through use of ‘it wasn’t’ or “’twasn’t”
instead of ‘she’ suggesting she has
connotes sterility representing lack of More like a little frightened fay morphed into another being or beast.
fertility and natural growth in the One night, in the Fall, she runned away.
relationship. No intimacy. Similar to
‘Neutral Tones’ & ‘Winter Swans’.
Contrasts to imagery in ‘Sonnet 29’. Simile - The noun “fay” means fairy. In conjunction Alliteration (Fricatives) -
with adjective “little”, it implies the bride is delicate Emphasises the fear in bride
& fragile while also otherworldly - she doesn’t and suggesting shivering.
belong to the world the farmer has made for her. Link to sibilance used later.
Themes - Bride is associate with
animal world. “sheep” can imply the
speaker’s ownership over her - like a
Shepard. Again, reinforcing imagery
of possession OR it could suggest she 'Out 'mong the sheep, her be,' they said,
doesn’t belong to the farmer as she Should properly have been abed; Simile - Presents bride as prey
is more in line with world of nature and farmer as predator.
& animals. Reinforces distance from But sure enough, she wasn't there Contributes to pattern of imagery
farmer as she is compared to wild Lying awake with her wide brown stare. around vulnerability & wildness.
beasts rather than domesticated So over seven-acre field and up-along across
sheep, as poem progresses.
the down
Active Verbs - “caught”, “fetched” We chased her, flying like a hare
& “turned” all to demonstrate the Before our lanterns. To Church-Town Rhyme - Used to associate “hare” &
dominance of the men in the village. “scare” together to show that the
They hunt as a pack as represented All in a shiver and a scare bride behaves like a frightened animal.
through pronoun “we”. We caught her, fetched her home at last
And turned the key upon her, fast.
Time & Tense Shift - She no
longer fights for her freedom
Themes - Continuation of from this unknown world but
animal imagery showing instead is an obedient wife,
Stereotypes - Suggests that the that the bride is not part of still silent and fearful.
farmer believes in traditional the farmer’s world.
roles of men and women,
including domestic jobs for She does the work about the house
women, e.g. cooking & cleaning. As well as most, but like a mouse Noun - “play” connotes childlike
imagery provoking her innocence
Happy enough to chat and play and vulnerability.
With birds and rabbits and such as they
So long as men-folk keep away
Italics - used to show the 'Not near, not near!' her eyes beseech Themes - Lack of communication
frustration of farmer that When one of us comes within reach. between bride & farmer
he cannot speak to his own continues. The only input from
wife. Increases emphasis on
The women say that beasts in stall the bride is here, talking with not
his emotion. Look round like children at her call. even words, but her eyes. Similar
themes of breakdown of
I've hardly heard her speak at all. communication and silence in
‘When We Two Parted’ and
‘Neutral Tones’.
Context about Charlotte Mew (A03)
• Mew published this poem in 1912.
• She is thought to have been homosexual, at a time where
homosexuality wasn’t accepted by society.
• This might explain the tone of longing and frustration in the poem.
Turn Over… 1
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