In the poem, 'Our Love now,' the man and woman have different attitudes to the situation. The poem is a balanced dialogue, which is an antithesis.
The overall structure of the poem is an antithesis, that is, the whole dialogue of each person is opposing each other. It is constructed of eight stanzas consisting of seven lines. It can be compared to a pair of 'weighing scales' because the man would express his optimistic feelings to her while she would express her pessimistic feelings to him, she would outweigh him.
The man and woman both have different approaches towards the situation. The situation is that the man is persuading the woman for another chance to rebuild their damaged relationship and within time, she will stop feeling hurt. The woman disagrees with this and is balancing his positive comments by saying that there is no hope and the relationship is over. The whole conversation is based on contradiction as the woman is contradicting the man.
The man's speech is optimistic and hopeful using time as an aid of relieving the pain she is feeling, 'Observe how the wound heals in time,' yet the woman's speech is negative and objectionable as she speaks in a firm and serious yet calm tone, 'Although the wound heals and appears cured, it is not the same.'
'The beggar woman´ was written by William King. The poem is pre 20th century. The poem is narrative and tells a story, it is written in heroic couplets. A gentle man went hunting, but had other thoughts on his mind. He decided to lure the beggar woman into the forest in order to seduce her. The beggar woman went willingly but it becomes obvious from their conversation that she has an illegitimate child tied to her back. We presume that the gentleman is his father and he has taken to responsibility for the 'bastard´ child.
He suggests that they make love but the beggar woman fears for the child´s safety. The gentleman 'desperate´ to seduce the poor woman offers to have the child tied to his back, this had obviously been the beggar woman’s plan. She had out witted him and ran off leaving him with the burden and responsibility.
At the beginning of the poem the gentleman has set off to go hunting but changes his mind and decides to 'hunt down´ and seduce the beggar woman. 'A gentleman in hunting rode astray, more out of choice, than that he lost his way.´
The beggar woman is described sympathetically. 'A beggar by trade, yet not so mean, But that her cheeks were fresh and linen clean´. She was a respectable woman; archaic language is used when he propositions her. 'Mistress quoth he and if we two should retire a little way into the woods´. The beggar woman agreed. 'She need not courtship to be kind´. It was difficult for her to keep up because she had a baby on her back. This 'hinders´ her progress. Again she is favurable described.
The gentleman pressurizes her to expose herself but she is afraid and suggests that they retire to a more private place. She makes an excuse when asked to sit 'sitting´s not usually in my trade´.
Here the poem takes form of the dialogue. Desperate for satisfaction the gentleman suggests that the woman should untie the child and lay it on the ground. She protests and says the child will cry and draw attention to them; this will stain the gentleman´s honour.