The farmer is
clearly attracted to
his wife, however
she does not feel
the same.
(Unrequited love)
Fustration
The farmer wants to
be with his bride.
They have been
married a long time,
but she does not feel
the same way that he
does
Fear
Felt by the
farmer's bride
towards men.
Could be felt by the farmer when he
struggles to keep his desire for his wife
under control.
Summary
The Farmer has been married
to his wife for some time now
(years?). But she is a maid that
appears to be afraid of him and
other men. Throughout the poem
the relationship is portrayed as
being out of love. However the
farmer begins to have feeling of
love for his "bride". This love is
unrequited however. She has
rejected him, but he wants to be
with her and have children with
her. Towards the end of the
poem he is struggling to control
himself and it is unclear on how
long the farmer will be able to
resist taking her by force.
Possible Comparrisons
To His Coy Mistress-
Andrew Marvell
Status
Can be argued that the
women's status in both these
poems is considered less.
Time
The narrators are aware of the
passing of time while their
desires are unfulfilled.
To them the time seems
like a type of loss.
They want to change their
relationships for the better (in
their opinion). The women may
disagree.
Sonnet 41 - Shakesphere
Hour - Carol Ann Duffy
Context
Charlotte Mew
wrote the poem
during the 19th
centry
Based on her
story in the farming
community
During this time, marriages
were not necessarily
arranged, they were often
organised according to
valuable family matches
and convenience, rather
than love
Structure
Time
"Three Summers since" (1st line) -
(towards the end) Christmas time. So
a sense of time passing throughout
the poem.