Relationships In The Farmer's Bride

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Analyse the presentation of relationships in the Farmer's bride and one other poem Relationships dictates ones behaviour. Similarly, Charlotte Mew's poem deals with the institution of marriage that gave authority and legal rights to the man. However, James Fenton's poem is about surfacing from a long relationship. The rural society depicted in the Farmer's bride is a traditional one. The structure of Mew's poem features a dramatic monologue that reiterates the peculiar relationship 'betwixt' the Farmer and the bride. Consequently the bride "turned afraid of love and him and all things human." The rule of three amplifies her fear of sex and his presence. Furthermore, the repetition of "and" elongates the phrase to emphasise her anxiety. This demands the readers to empathise with the bride. Simultaneously, this validates Mew's intention to justify a woman's position in an arranged marriage. A wife could not legally refuse the sexual demands of her husband. The tone of the Farmer's monologue is honest and matter of fact. The farmer appears to be overwhelmed with frustration and desire towards his bride, 'sweet as the first violets'. The connotations of an unspoilt …show more content…

The title of the poem "In Paris With You" further adds to the reader's initial impressions of a romantic relationship. In the contrary, this is apparent as the first line; "don't talk to me of love" a strong statement that implicates the narrator's tone and wish to break free from the conventions and constraints of a romantic love affair. The imperative "don't" is utilised to reveal a strong independent desire to rewrite the rules of the relationship. By the end of the poem the tone shifts dramatically from a light hearted but sensuous mood to a more assertive tone. Furthermore the line is repeated at the start of two more stanzas that implicates Fenton's adamant desire to subvert the stereotype of love in the reader's

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