With Particular focus on content, language and structure examining the similarities and differences that exist between Love's Farewell by Michael Drayton and the Chilterns by Rupert Brooke.

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With Particular focus on content, language and structure examining the similarities and differences that exist between Love’s Farewell by Michael Drayton and the Chilterns by Rupert Brooke.

“Love’s Farewell” is a Shakespearean sonnet, written by Michael Drayton. It describes a relationship between a man and a woman. The man in the poem is bringing the relationship to an end. Michael Drayton came to prominence in the Elizabethan era. In the Elizabethan era there was a trend of following Shakespeare’s way of writing because it pleased the Queen. Michael Drayton wrote “Loves Farewell” in 1619. The poem starts with a bitter tone and this suggests that it is not a friendly end to a relationship. The mood changes in the poem and at the end there is a gentle and positive feeling to it, suggesting the relationship might recover. The words and the language used in Drayton’s poem reflects how he was feeling at the time. We have no information about Drayton’s love life but from what we can gather he had quite a well known love.

“The Chilterns” is a ballad, written by Rupert Brooke. This poem also describes a relationship between a man and a woman coming to an end. The mood also changes during this poem. At the beginning of the poem there is a positive mood. The man in the relationship is bringing it to an end because he believes that life experience is more important to him than relationships. Rupert Brooke is known as a war poet. Brooke had a lot of relationships which did not work out, this suggests Brooke is experienced when it comes to relationships.

On closer examination of “Love’s Farewell” Drayton starts with a negative tone on the very first line. The quote “let us kiss and part” indicates to us straight away that the relationship is coming to an end. When Drayton says “I am glad, yea, glad with all my heart” this tells us that he is glad to be braking up with his lover. We also find out from the quote “that thus so cleanly I myself can free” that Drayton wants the split to be a clean one. The man in the poem speaks with a bitter and nasty tone. The quotes “One jot of former love retain” and “be it not seen in either of our brows” show this. They also suggest he has no respect for his lover and if they see each other in the street they want to act as if they did never know each other. The quote “Cancel all our vows” means that the relationship is coming to a definite end and suggests that there is no chance of recovery for the relationship. The anger and the annoyance carries on throughout the verse. The fourth line “One jot of former love retain” suggests the relationship is coming to a bitter end and it’s not a friendly split. In the third quatrain there is a change from a bitter nasty tone to softer mood. This softer mood tells us that although we get the idea of the relationship definitely being over there might be a chance of recovery for the relationship. He talks about their love dying by saying “Now at the last gasp of love’s latest breath” this also tells us that his emotions are gone. The final couplet in the poem tells us that he is not sure the relationship has ended and also the relationship may recover the quote “thou mighst him yet recover” tells us this and also it tells us his emotions have re gathered.

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On closer examination of “The Chilterns” by Rupert Brooke, this poem is also about relationship coming to an end. The man is also ending the relationship. The narrator Brooke has had the relationship described in the poem for three years. The lines” Three years or a bit less” show us this. Brooke starts the poem off by patronising his lover. He says”Your hands, my dear, adorable”. When Brooke says “Quit of my youth and you” he is telling us his youth and relationship are gone. The quote “Forgotten at last” suggests the poet wants to end the relationship and ...

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