Compare Vera Brittian

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Basing your answer on extract a and b you should:

  • Write a compression of the ways the poets present the loss of a loved one
  • Say how far you agree with the view that Hardys poem about a soldier’s death is more moving and effective than Brittains poem about her grief.

‘Perhaps’ by Brittain and ‘A wife in London’ by Hardy, both deal with the subject of the loss of a loved one through the destructions of war. Both poems are written from the point of view of a grieving female who has lost her husband, there are however two major differences that could affect how the poem is perceived by the reader and how much impact they will have in conveying the loss of a loved one. Hardy’s ‘A wife in London’ has been written by a male in the female perspective, this could affect the authenticity of the emotions portrayed, as it could be argued it is extremely difficult for a male to immerse themselves so far into the female mind that they would be able to present such personal, tragic and ultimately feminine emotions faithfully.  ‘Perhaps’ however has been written by a female (Vera Brittain) about her own emotions based upon real life experiences, as the poem was written after the death of her husband, expressing her grief. It is therefore implausible for one to question the realism, representativness of the female voice expressing the loss of a loved one or even the sheer rawness conveyed throughout the poem. A wife in London is also a fictionally based poem further affecting the impact it may cause upon the reader.

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Brittains Perhaps is very simplistic in its language, predominately using elements and colors of nature to express her grief: ‘’Perhaps someday the sun will rise again’ this phrase is extremely powerful as it effectively contrasts joy with sorrow, the use of the words ‘sun’ and ‘shine’ create a light atmosphere as they are usually associated with images of happiness and bliss however the intricate juxtaposition of the words in this opening line cast an effective dark gloom over the poem and express the heart wrenching emotions of sorrow, despair and grief upon which the poem is based.  The opening ...

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