Intro Quiz: The Farmer's Bride (Part 2)

Video: The Farmer's Bride (Part 2)

﻿Content warning. This lesson covers a poem which explores adult relationships and the objectification of women. If this is a sensitive topic to you, we recommend checking with a trusted adult before starting or completing the lesson with a trusted adult nearby. The poet reflects some of the attitudes of the time it was written. This does not mean that the attitudes are supported by the poet. Poets often use poetry to explore issues related to inequality and injustice. This means they sometimes betray ideas and attitudes the reader will object to. Hello and welcome to our next lesson, which is focusing on the poem, "The Farmer's Bride" by Charlotte Mew, and in this lesson, we will be looking at the language form and structure that's present in the poem. So as always, clear any distractions around you, and make sure that you have a pen and paper at the ready and let's make a start. So our key question today then is how does mew explore ideas about desire in the poem "The Farmer's Bride"? So desire is our key word today. So let's just run through our lesson structure. Part one, key vocabulary and terminology. Part two, central themes. Part three, language. Part four, form and structure. Part five, applying our learning. Part six, review quiz. Part one, key vocabulary. In the lesson, we will be learning the words monosyllabic and connotation. So let's start by looking at the word monosyllabic. Definition, a word which consists of one syllable. Literary use, the poet uses monosyllabic language in order to convey the speaker's overwhelming shock. So you might need to pause the video now to just write down the definition and just to be really clear on the word monosyllabic. So our next word that we are focusing on today is the word connotations. Definition, a connotation is something that is suggested or implied about a word. Literally use, the poet describes the bride as a mouse in order to evoke connotations of vulnerability. So it's what we associate with the word. Again, you might want to pause the video for a moment just to jot down that definition so that you are really clear on the term connotations. So let's see if we can correctly identify this key vocabulary. Our first word, monosyllabic. So we have three options. Option one is the word summers, monosyllabic? Option two is the word harvest, monosyllabic? Option three is the word soft, monosyllabic? So now choose your option, one, two or three. Okay, so it is in fact option three, soft is monosyllabic. We can only hear one syllable there. Our next question, identify the language connotations in the line, "more like a frightened fay." So we have option one or option two to choose from. Option one, the phrase frightened fay holds connotations of bravery and courage, or option two, the phrase frightened fay holds connotations of vulnerability and innocence. So take an opportunity now to write down either option one or option two. So the answer is option two then, the phrase frightened fay does hold connotations of vulnerability and innocence. And this term is used by the farmer to describe his bride, so we can see that he sees her as weak here. Let's just remind ourselves then of some terminology from some of our previous lessons, and we may be able to find this useful in the lesson today. The word possession, definition, to own or control something or someone. Objectification, treating someone as an object, as if they have no opinions or rights. Patriarchal, male dominance is the definition of patriarchal. So think about when we get to our final task today, being able to use some of those terms. So let's just remind ourselves then of the poem, "The Farmer's Bride" by Charlotte Mew, just so that we can hear this poem in action again, here we go.

"The Farmer's Bride" by Charlotte Mew Three summers since I chose a maid, Too young maybe, but more's to do At harvest-time than bide and woo. When us was wed she turned afraid Of love and me and all things human, Like the shut of a winter's day Her smile went out, and 'twadn't a woman More like a little frightened fay. One night, in the Fall, she runned away. "Out 'mong the sheep, her be," they said, Should properly have been abed, But sure enough she wadn't there Lying awake with her wide brown stare. So over seven-acre field and up-along across the down We chased her, flying like a hare Before out lanterns. To Church-Town All in a shiver and a scare We caught her, fetched her home at last And turned the key upon her, fast. She does the work about the house As well as most, but like a mouse, Happy enough to chat and play With birds and rabbits and such as they, So long as men-folk keep away. "Not near, not near." her eyes beseech When one of us comes within reach. The women say that beasts in stall Look round like children at her call. I've hardly heard her speak at all. Shy as a leveret, swift as he, Straight and slight as a young larch tree, Sweet as the first wild violets, she, To her wild self. But what to me? The short days shorten and the oaks are brown, The blue smoke rises to the low grey sky, One leaf in the still air falls slowly down, A magpie's spotted feathers lie On the black earth spread white with rime, The berries redden up to Christmas-time. What's Christmas-time without there be Some other in the house than we. She sleeps up in the attic there Alone, poor maid. 'Tis but a stair Betwixt us. Oh, my God, the down, The soft young down of her, the brown, The brown of her her eyes, her hair, her hair.

Okay, so that's just our reading again then of the poem, "The Farmer's Bride" just to again, capture those key ideas and that key imagery throughout the poem. Part two, central themes. So let's explore the key theme of desire in the poem, and I've included a quotation here by William Blake who was part of the romantic movement. "Those who restrain desire do so "because theirs is weak enough to be restrained." And the reason I've added that is because we know that the farmers' desires grow even stronger towards the end of the poem, but he does still manage to restrain them. So I thought that that quotation worked quite well with the poem there. Mew explores the power of human desire throughout the poem, the farmer desires to possess his young bride. The farmer also expresses desires to grow his family. Perhaps Mew references this in order to show that in the Edwardian era, man's ability to reproduce supported their masculinity. Towards the end of the poem, the reader sees the farmers' sexual desires becoming more intense and powerful, and we can see to the right hand side there an image of the farmer, just so we can sort of set that scene as well. Our next theme then is the theme of fear. Mew uses the farmers' narrative voice to describe his bride's intense fear. We learned that she fears not only his advancements, but other men too. Animalistic imagery is used to convey the bride's fear throughout the poem, and this is used by Mew to present males as predators and the female as their prey. We learn that the maid is fearless when surrounded by nature. The bride goes more afraid in the final stages of the poem, as we learn that she now resides in the attic in order to protect herself. It could be argued that the farmer is afraid that his masculine reputation will be lost. So we can see in that theme there not just analysing the fear of the bride, which is perhaps more obvious, but dig in a little bit deeper to think about the farmers own fear himself. That's important. So let's now test your knowledge of our key themes. Your question, why might the farmer be afraid? We've got two options here, so you can select one of those. Option one, the farmer's afraid that his wife will leave him for another partner, or option two, the farmer's afraid that his reputation as a strong male could be at risk. So just make a decision now, do you think it's option one or option two? And it is in fact option two, the farmer is afraid that his reputation as a strong male could be at risk. Your next question, how does the farmer's desire develop throughout the poem? Option one, the farmer's desires become more intense and powerful in the final stages of the poem, or is it option two, the farmer's desires become less intense as the poem develops as he begins to lose interest in his bride. So make a decision now, do you think it's option one or option two? And the answer is option one here, the farmer's desires do become more intense and powerful in the final stages of the poem. Part three, language. So now we are going to have a look at analysing monosyllabic language in the poem, "The Farmer's Bride". Look at some of the monosyllabic words that the farmer uses to describe his bride, hare, eyes, hair, shy, soft, young. We've got two different types of hair there, describing her as an animal hare, but also describing her actual physical hair as well. So your question, what do these monosyllabic word choices suggest about the farmer's feelings towards his bride? So just take a moment now to have a go at answering that question. When you've done so, you can resume the video. So our answer then. Mew uses monosyllabic words to show that the farmer is in awe of his bride's beauty. The monosyllabic words convey the idea that his desires for her leave him almost speechless. So what we mean by the word awe is that he feels almost overwhelmed by that beauty, hence the sort of one syllable monosyllabic words there, he can't get his words out, deeming him speechless. So let's now look at exploring some of the connotations in the poem. Look at line 30 and analyse the connotations within this simile. "Shy as a leveret, swift as he." Your question, what do these language choices connote about the bride? So pause the video now and have a go at answering that question. Let's explore a possible answer. Mew uses the word leveret in order to create connotations of innocence and vulnerability surrounding the farmer's bride. However, the adjective swift contrasts this vulnerability by holding connotations of power and force. Mew might be implying here that the power of a female is often undermined in Edwardian society. Now, just thinking about that language analysis, what would make that higher ability is we're actually exploring contrasts there. So where we say, however, the adjective swift contrast this vulnerability and holds connotations of power and force, we're digging into that language a little bit more and thinking about contrast as well, so that's a little bit of a higher term to use. Part four, form and structure. So what we have here then is a dramatic monologue, a form of poetry that is dramatic in the sense that it is meant to be read to an audience. The word monologue means that these words are of one solitary speaker with no dialogue coming from any other characters. Your question, why has Mew deliberately used a dramatic monologue in this poem? And we can see our first line there, "Three summers since I chose a maid." So just to really showcase that dramatic monologue, which begins with the first line. Pause the video now to answer your question. Okay, let's explore our answer. Mew uses a dramatic monologue form in order to present a dominant male voice. This choice serves to highlight the patriarchal ideology that was present in the late 19th and early 20th century. So we're actually building some context into our answer there as well. So just take an opportunity to pause the video now if you need to add to your initial response. So let's explore this a little bit further then by looking at iambic tetrameter. A line consisting of four iambs. An iamb with tetrameter is a line of poetry with four beats. It consists of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable, and it is called iambic tetrameter. So you can see an example there from the poem, "At harvest-time than bide and woo." And you can see the stress syllables on the bold parts of the words there. The first thing we noticed about the poem is that it is split into six stanzas of irregular length. The line lengths vary throughout the poem. Your question then, why has Mew chosen to use iambic tetrameter and irregular stanza lengths? How does this link to the relationship in the poem? Okay, so let's explore the answer to this here. Mew's selects a fairly simple metre here and perhaps this simplicity mirrors the farmer's narrow-minded attitude towards women. The farmer views his bride's duties as straightforward, and this only adds to his frustration that they are unfulfilled. The irregularity of stanza sizes seems to symbolise the bride's lack of conformity to social norms. So we can see in that answer there, we're not just identifying form and structural features, but we're actually thinking about why they've been used and how they actually link to the poem itself. In addition to that, we've also added some contextual links there to further explain that. Part five then, applying our learning. Your task now, looking at our key question, which is how does Mew explore ideas about desire in the poem, "The Farmer's Bride"? Your task is to write a short response to the question above. Spend at least 15 minutes writing this and be sure to include Mew's use of language, relevant contextual factors, reference to form a structure, reference to key themes in the poem. And don't forget some of our key words that we've explored throughout this lesson, monosyllabic, the term iambic tetrameter,, the word desire, and connotation. So try to build those terms into your response. Pause the video now and spend 15 minutes on that task. When you've finished, you can resume the video. So let's now explore some model examples then. So if you look to the left hand side of your screen, you will see an example answer, which has a language focus. Mew uses monosyllabic language when the farmer describes his bride, her eyes, her hair, her hair. The use of language is simplistic, and it creates the idea that the farmer is passionate about his desires. The poet also uses repetition her hair, her hair to show that he views her as beautiful, as very beautiful in fact. So let's think about that answer then for a moment here, we've got our key term monosyllabic. We've explained that it's simplistic, and we've linked it to the idea of passion. We've also got another term repetition in there and a relevant quotation, but it's not quite developing those ideas enough. It's not explaining enough about why they've been used. So let's now look at a developed answer to compare that. Mew deliberately uses monosyllabic language when the farmer describes his bride, her eyes, her hair, her hair. This use of language is purposely simplistic, and it creates the idea that the farmer is overcome by desire, thereby suggesting that desire has left him incoherent. This is teamed with repetition, her hair, her hair, which showcases the idea that his sexual desires have now become frustrations. So hopefully you can see in the developed response, and we've highlighted that and made it bold, it's developing those ideas more so. So when we're talking about the idea of the farmer being incoherent, so explaining why that monosyllabic language has been used and what effect that's having, but also the last part of that, that it's showcasing the idea that his sexual desires have become frustrations. So it's just developing again, the reasons why those language features have been used. So just take a moment now to pause the video, use the developed response to see if you can add to your initial answer, and when you've done that, you can resume the video. So we've now reached part six of the lesson then, which is our review quiz. So I really encourage you now to go away and do your review quiz, which will test your knowledge from this lesson. Well done. So you've got to the end of the lesson now. You've worked really hard today exploring the poem, "The Farmer's Bride" by Charlotte Mew. Thank you.

Exit Quiz: The Farmer's Bride (Part 2)

Completed: The Farmer's Bride (Part 2)

In this lesson, we will continue to focus on the poem 'The Farmer's Bride' by Charlotte Mew.  We will closely focus on the language, form and structure of the poem. This lesson covers a poem which explores adult relationships and the objectification of women. If this is a sensitive topic to you, we recommend checking with a trusted adult before starting, or completing the lesson with a trusted adult nearby
The poet reflects some of the attitudes of the time it was written. This does not mean that the attitudes are supported by the poet. Poets often use poetry to explore issues relating to inequality and injustice. This means they sometimes portray ideas and attitudes the reader will object to.


English

The Farmer's Bride (Part 2)

Introductory Quiz

Video

Final Quiz

Lesson Complete