When We Two Parted (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Each poetry anthology in the GCSE contains 15 poems, and in the poetry question in the exam you will be given one poem on the paper - printed in full - and asked to compare this given poem to one other from the anthology. You will not have access to the other poems in the exam, so you will have to know them very well from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to learn. However, understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-mark response:

• The meaning of the poem

• The ideas and messages the poet wanted to convey

• How the poet conveys these ideas and messages through their methods

• How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas and themes of other poems in the anthology

Below is a guide to When We Two Parted by Lord Byron, from the Love and Relationships anthology. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations

• Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods

• Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes

• What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

Overview

In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is essential that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

• The poem in a nutshell

• A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section

• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Byron’s intention and message

When We Two Parted in a nutshell

The poem When We Two Parted was written by Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) in 1808 and published in 1816.  Byron was one of the most prominent figures of the Romantic movement in English literature. It is believed that the poem was inspired by one of the many controversial romantic relationships that Byron had experienced in his lifetime. The poem explores the sorrowful conclusion of a romantic affair, hinting that it may have been forbidden and secret. The poet observes the situation from their own perspective, feeling overwhelmed with misery. The poem's overall mood is at the same time bitter, pensive and melancholic.

When We Two Parted breakdown

Lines 1-4

“When we two parted

In silence and tears,

Half broken-hearted

To sever for years,”

Translation

• The poem begins with the speaker talking directly to the woman about how they broke up and drifted apart 

• The speaker explains how the break up has led to the sorrow he feels now

Byron’s intention

• The silence expressed in the poem suggests many hidden emotions that are not openly shared, either because the separation was not mutual or because there was a secret or forbidden aspect to the relationship

• The image of being “half broken-hearted” conveys Byron's sentiment that a part of him has been lost or irreparably damaged due to the separation

• The term “sever” evokes a sense of violence and emphasises the emotional trauma resulting from their separation

Lines 5-8

“Pale grew thy cheek and cold,

Colder thy kiss;

Truly that hour foretold

Sorrow to this.”

Translation

• The speaker states that his lover became cold and distant in their demeanour towards him

Byron’s intention

• The woman's fading love and passion for him is indicated through symbols of death, specifically paleness and coldness

• These symbols serve as a metaphor for her dying emotions towards him

• Looking back on the past, the speaker comes to the realisation that the downfall of their relationship was foreshadowed by their partner's cold behaviour towards them

• It is now clear that their relationship was doomed from that moment onwards

Lines 9-12

“The dew of the morning

Sunk chill on my brow—

It felt like the warning

Of what I feel now.”

Translation

• The speaker feels rejection by his lover and this hints at the future demise of the relationship

Byron’s intention

• The speaker perceives the “morning” as a symbolic representation of new opportunities

• The cold “dew” on his forehead on this new beginning alludes to the unreturned love and rejection from his previous partner

• This serves as a reminder of the unpleasantness and animosity existing in their past relationship

• The speaker in the poem changes the tense from past to present while emphasising how her aloofness towards her partner in their relationship predicted its eventual collapse, and subsequently, the anguish he experiences presently

Lines 13-16

"Thy vows are all broken,

   And light is thy fame;

I hear thy name spoken,

And share in its shame."

Translation

• The speaker states that the woman was in a relationship with someone else

• The speaker hears her name mentioned and he is ashamed

Byron’s intention

• The speaker suggests that the woman who he was in a relationship with has committed adultery against him, causing their relationship to end

• He portrays her vows of love and devotion as broken, implying that she played a significant role in the ending of their relationship

• The last three sentences serve as additional proof that the woman in question is involved in an affair

• They depict the woman’s damaged reputation, and the speaker’s embarrassment upon hearing her name

• The speaker's empathy towards her situation suggests he is also ashamed of himself for not satisfying her

Lines 17-20

“They name thee before me,

A knell to mine ear;

A shudder comes o'er me—

  Why wert thou so dear?”

Translation

• The speaker repeatedly hears her name mentioned and it is painful for him

Byron’s intention

• A “knell” refers to the sombre ringing of a bell during a funeral service

• The memory of his relationship with her causes him to reminisce about their painful break-up, which is symbolised by this imagery

• The poet uses a rhetorical question that carries a strong emotional and personal impact

• Despite the woman's infidelity, the man acknowledges the depth of his love for her and mourns the absence of her reciprocal feelings

• The fact that the question remains unanswered underscores the man's profound sense of isolation, which is compounded by his overwhelming grief

Lines 21-24

“They know not I knew thee,

Who knew thee too well—

Long, long shall I rue thee,

Too deeply to tell.”

Translation

• The speaker suggests that he knew his lover too well

• He expresses bitter regret of having been in the relationship or for the loss of it

Byron’s intention

• The speaker subtly implies a level of intimacy, both emotionally and sexually, that they had shared during their time together

• Through the consistent use of direct address towards the female subject, the speaker portrays how thoughts of their past relationship and the sorrow of its ending continue to weigh heavily on his mind

• The speaker not only experiences grief but also bitter regret, as the reader discovers from the use of the word "rue"

• It is uncertain whether the regret pertains to the loss of the person or the fact of having been in a relationship with them at all

Lines 25-28

“In secret we met -

In silence I grieve,

That thy heart could forget,

Thy spirit deceive.”

Translation

• The speaker reveals the secrecy surrounding their affair 

• He feels deceived by her false love for him

Byron’s intention

• The two lines contrast meaning with one illustrating intimacy and the other isolation and the reader can detect the speaker's bitterness in them

• The speaker expresses sorrow over how his former lover could forget him or cease to love him

• Furthermore, he laments how she was able to deceive him by faking her love while engaging in their affair

Lines 29-32

“If I should meet thee

   After long years,

How should I greet thee? -

   With silence and tears.”

Translation

• The speaker thinks about what would happen if he met his former lover again

• He states he would be silent and tearful

Byron’s intention

• The poem’s conclusion sees the speaker turning his attention to the future and he questions how he would react if he were to see the subject of the poem again

• Eventually, he concludes that he would be left feeling speechless and tearful

• The repetition of the phrase “silence and tears” used earlier in the poem to describe their initial parting, is used to emphasise that the speaker’s pain would remain just as strong, highlighting the lasting emotional impact of their separation

Writer’s Methods

Although this section is organised into three separate sections - form, structure and language - it is important to take an integrated approach to AO2, focusing on the main themes and ideas of the poem and then evaluating how Byron’s choices of language, structure and form contribute to these ideas. In essence, how and why the poet has made the choices they have, in relation to their intentions and message. 

Focusing on the poet’s main ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. In the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Byron’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

• Form

• Structure

• Language

Form

The poem is composed of four stanzas with eight lines each, which follow a strict ABAB rhyme scheme. 

Structure

Byron’s lightly controlled use of structure signifies the speaker’s emotions throughout the poem and signifies a reflective tone.

Language

Bryon employs vivid imagery and allusions throughout the poem and his use of foreshadowing illustrates the inevitable ending of the relationship.

Context

Examiners are clear that context should not be written about separately. It is therefore important that you do not write about context in a separate paragraph, or include irrelevant biographical information about Byron or the historical figures mentioned in the poem. The best way to include context is to start with the key themes and ideas in the poem, and then include an exploration of why the writer may have chosen to address these themes and ideas. This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Byron explores:

• Pain and Loss

• Secrecy

Pain and Loss

• Romanticism was a literary movement which dominated literature for centuries and was defined by a number of characteristics:

  • celebration of nature

  • the idealisation of the common man

  • focus on the individual experience and spirituality

  • idealisation of women 

  • celebration of isolation and meloncholy

• Romanticism pervaded much of the literature of the 19th Century

• Byron, a prominent poet of the Romantic era, upheld the significance of nature, emotion, and love, while rejecting the contemporary industrialised society of his time

• Although the Romantic poets are often connected with nature, their works delved deeper into personal struggles and emotional issues:

  • When We Two Parted demonstrates this inner emotional turmoil and the speaker’s inability to move forward

• The Romantics found inspiration in their surroundings, urging individuals to expand their horizons in physical and figurative ways:

  • Through their literature, they portrayed the world as a realm of boundless possibilities, capable of infinite growth

• Byron's passionate and rebellious nature, resonated with the spirit of Romanticism, which sought to celebrate the individual's freedom of expression and emotions

Secrecy

• Victorians were eager to ensure that they were adhering to the conventions of behaviour and etiquette and this was evidenced by the proliferation of guides about proper behaviour and conduct:

  • Byron was involved in a long list of scandals, such as failed romances and divorces

• Respectability was a key aspect of Victorian society and there were strict social codes regarding behaviour and moral and social conventions were highly valued

• Victorian social standards of the time expected gentlemen and bachelors to act in a dignified and respectable manner:

  • Gentlemen were expected to adhere to the highest standards of behaviour and one was expected to restrain themselves when it came to emotional and sexual desires

• These expected behaviours could be subject to enormous hypocrisy, as gentlemen could keep up the appearance of respectability but act quite differently in secret:

  • The secret affair explored in the poem links to this theme

• Byron's poetry challenged the conventional norms and values of Victorian society:

  • He rebelled against the strict moral codes and social constraints prevalent during the Victorian era

• His poems often explored themes of passion, love, and longing, presenting intense emotions and personal experiences that defied societal expectations:

  • In When We Two Parted, Byron depicts an illicit and secret affair

What to Compare it to

The essay you are required to write in your exam should be an integrated comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems (the one given on the exam paper and one other). It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents key ideas and themes, in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that When We Two Parted explores ideas of pain, loss and memories the following comparison would be a good place to start:

• When We Two Parted and Neutral Tones

For each pair of poems, you will find:

• The comparison in a nutshell

• Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem

• Differences between the ideas presented in each poem

• Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

When We Two Parted and Neutral Tones

Comparison in a nutshell:

This comparison provides the opportunity to compare the poets’ attitudes towards pain, loss and memory.

Similarities:

Differences: