A Wife in London by Thomas Hardy (WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Helen Cunningham
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
What is the poem about?
Written in the Victorian period in 1899, shortly after the outbreak of the Boer War (1899–1902), Hardy’s ‘A Wife in London’ is about a woman in London who receives a telegram informing her that husband has died in battle. The following day, she receives a posthumous letter from him, full of life and hope. The poem focuses on the impact of war on those at home, exploring the far reaching impact of war on ordinary individuals who are powerless in influencing a country’s decision to engage in military action.
Language, structure and form revision | What happens in the poem? |
Language:
| Stanza One
Stanza Two
Stanza Three
Stanza Four
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Poems for comparison:
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Key words
Context: | Second Boer War | Victorian era | Anti-war | Realism |
Themes: | Isolation | Death | Tragedy | Love |
Poem analysis
'A Wife in London' by Thomas Hardy
I The Tragedy
She sits in the tawny vapour
That the Thames-side lanes have uprolled
Behind whose webby fold-on-fold
Like a waning taper
The street-lamp glimmers cold.
A messenger’s knock cracks smartly,
Flashed news in her hand
Of meaning it dazes to understand
Though shaped so shortly:
He—he has fallen—in the far South Land…
II The Irony
’Tis the morrow; the fog hangs thicker,
The postman nears and goes:
A letter is brought whose lines disclose
By the firelight flicker
His hand, whom the worm now knows:
Fresh—firm—penned in highest feather—
Page-full of his hoped return,
And of home-planned jaunts of brake and burn
In the summer weather,
And of new love that they would learn.
Language
The woman is nameless and referred only as “A wife”, symbolic of those widowed by war. Hardy implies that she is merely another wife affected by the consequences of war
The poem has an almost cinematic quality as he focuses on a solitary moment for one person in a large city, disconnected from their husband who is far away. (London may also symbolise the government, as its authority renders the wife isolated and alone)
“She sits” signifies inaction, suggesting the wife is powerless and devoid of agency over her own fate
Description of the “tawny vapour” alludes to air pollution in London, which led to poor health and deaths; Hardy explores the ills of the era, literally and metaphorically
The fog is “webby”, like a spider’s web, which hints at imprisonment or entrapment
Pathetic fallacy adds to the emotional depth of the poem, conveying a bleak, sombre mood and creating a sense of foreboding
The simile “Like a waning taper” alludes to the fading away of life
“glimmers cold” presents further Gothic imagery to connote the chilling presence of death
The onomatopoeic “cracks”: heightens the tension and sense of foreboding
The fire can only “flicker”, in contrast to the word “burn” in the last stanza, alluding to a lack of vigour and life
Structure
The present tense helps the reader to immerse themselves in the scene as if witnessing it first-hand
Enjambment in the first stanza emphasises the pervasiveness of the fog, representing confusion and the eerie sense of uncertainty
Structural repetition of “he” emphasises her husband as the subject and the lack of identity renders him a symbol of many others
The ellipsis at the end of the first stanza accentuates the gravitas of the news
Caesura in lines 10 and 16 contrast with each other; one is about the husband’s death, the other is about his life
As the poem progresses, the weather deteriorates, reflecting the prevailing mood of sorrow. This is in contrast to the mention of summer in the penultimate line
Form
The regular rhyme scheme (ABBAB) establishes an ordered pattern juxtaposed with the impending upheaval in the wife’s life. It fosters a melodic tone, suggesting inevitability. Coupled with pathetic fallacy, it instils a sense of unease from the outset
The partial rhyme in the second stanza, “smartly/shortly” highlights a disconnect, reflecting the juxtaposition between the knock at the door and the subsequent reading of the telegram
Overview of themes
Themes | Key quotations | Language, form and structure |
Isolation | “A wife in London” “She sits in the tawny vapour
| The title conveys the wife’s loneliness and the disconnect between her and her husband. London is depicted as a hostile, cold environment adding to the sense of discomfort The use of the indefinite article “A” implies there are numerous wives experiencing similar separations from their husbands The language is ominous. Isolated in the city, she is surrounded by fog, connoting a sense of confusion and uncertainty The simplicity of the language belies the weight of the postman’s visit. The mundane nature of his arrival is juxtaposed against the impact of the message he delivers |
Death | “A messenger’s knock cracks smartly, “He — he has fallen — in the far South Land…” “His hand, whom the worm now knows” | The onomatopoeic phrase “cracks smartly” evokes a suddenness and urgency and the verb “flashed” further adds to the abruptness. This reflects the sudden shift in the wife’s circumstances
The physicality of the imagery conjured by “hand” and “worm” emphasises the tangible reality of death and alludes to decay and inevitability |
Tragedy | “I The Tragedy” “Flashed news in her hand”
| The first part of the poem comes under the heading “Tragedy”, positioning the husband’s death as such. It is descriptive rather than emotive The verb “flashed” alludes to the shock and abrupt interruption to the wife’s life. The phrase “her hand” contrasts with “his hand”, conveying the juxtaposition between the wife’s immediate experience and her husband’s fate
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Love | “In the summer weather” “And of new love that they would learn” | Looking forward to “summer weather” has connotations of happy times The words “new love” is ambiguous but the poem concludes with a lost hope for renewal through love. It encapsulates a sense of waste and loss |
Historical and literary context
Thomas Hardy spent most of his life (1840–1928) in Dorset, with a period in London when he worked in architecture:
He was later ordained as an Anglican priest
Hardy was known first as a novelist, through his works such as Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd, and then as a poet, which he considered his true vocation
‘A Wife in London’ was published in 1901 in a collection called Poems of the Past and the Present:
An exploration of the impact of war on ordinary people, it reflects Hardy’s concerns about the impact of history on individuals and communities
The poem was written in the Victorian period at a time of expansion of the British Empire (using military force where deemed necessary)
At the same time, the Industrial Revolution was gathering pace in Britain with advancements in technologies such as steam power
The period when the poem was written also marked the start of the Boer War (1899–1902):
The Boer War was fought between the British Empire and the Boers (Dutch settlers living in the region)
Comparing poems
Look at this exam-style question about ‘A Wife in London’:
‘A Wife in London’ is a poem about loss.
Choose one other poem from the anthology in which the poet also writes about loss. Compare the way the poet presents loss in your chosen poem with the way Thomas Hardy presents loss in ‘A Wife in London’. In your answer to you should compare:
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How you could approach this question:
Thesis/Essay introduction: Both Hardy and Heaney explore the theme of loss in distinct ways. ‘A Wife in London’ examines personal loss resulting from war, while ‘Death of a Naturalist’ addresses the loss of childhood innocence. Both poets employ vivid imagery of nature to convey their themes: Hardy uses weather imagery within an urban setting, contrasting with Heaney's rich descriptions of rural landscapes. | |
Similarities | Differences |
Both poems explore the theme of loss and the emotional and transformative impact it has on individuals. For both speakers this loss is profound and life-changing | ‘A Wife in London’ is about personal loss as a result of war while ‘Death of a Naturalist’ is concerned with the loss of childhood innocence |
Both poets use imagery of nature with Hardy’s urban landscape and Heaney’s rural environment underscoring the universality of loss | Hardy uses imagery of weather in an urban setting while Heaney describes the richness of rural nature through imagery of frogspawn and frogs |
Both poems are structured into two parts and each marks a different moment for the speakers. In Hardy’s poem the division contrasts the wife’s hopeful anticipation from the devastating realisation of her husband's fate. Similarly, In Heaney’s poem, the division delineates the speaker’s transition from childhood innocence to adult disillusionment | While ‘A Wife in London’ follows a regular rhyme scheme, ‘Death of a Naturalist’ is written in free verse. In Hardy’s poem, the transition between two parts is marked by a shift from innocence to tragedy; in Heaney’s poem, the shift is from childhood to adulthood |
Thesis/Essay introduction: Despite writing in different eras and with distinct styles, both poets capture loss experienced within the context of marriage. In ‘A Wife in London’, Hardy portrays a wife receiving news of her husband's sudden death in battle. Conversely, in ‘Afternoons’, Larkin explores a more gradual and subtle form of loss. He depicts the passing of youth, passion, and beauty in the lives of married couples, focusing on the mundane and routine aspects of their existence. | |
Similarities | Differences |
Both poets explore the theme of loss and its impact on individuals and relationships and its universal significance across different contexts and experiences | In ‘A Wife in London’, Hardy presents a wife’s loss of her husband who has died in battle. However, in ‘Afternoons’, the loss presented is that of youth, passion and beauty |
Both poems offer a poignant reflection on the institution of marriage | In Hardy’s poem, a wife is left bereft having learned that her husband has been killed at war, whereas in Larkin’s, marriage has become mundane, regimented and tedious |
Both poets use a sombre tone. Hardy’s sombre tone mirrors the grief experienced by the wife and similarly, Larkin’s sombre tone captures the melancholy surrounding the gradual decay of passion and intimacy | Larkin uses a sombre tone to capture the sadness of unfulfillment as mothers realise that their lives are passing by. In contrast, the sombre tone in ‘A Wife in London’ reflects the harsh reality that the woman's husband has died |
Predicted exam questions to prepare for
Compare the ways poets explore the theme of war in ‘A Wife in London’ and in one other poem from the anthology.
Compare the ways poets explore marriage in ‘A Wife in London’ and in one other poem from the anthology.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
To achieve the highest marks in your exam, it is important to explain how the context in which the poets were writing impacted their work, their motivations for writing, and the subsequent analysis of their poems. For example, understanding that Thomas Hardy was writing during the Boer War helps to explain what inspired him to write ‘A Wife in London’. Knowing that Hardy was concerned about the tragic impact of war on ordinary people helps the reader understand his reasons for writing the poem. Remember to integrate contextual points into your response rather than adding them separately just to show you know them. Context is only useful if it strengthens your analysis.
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