Themes across the cluster
Themes across the cluster
| Theme | Poems |
|---|---|
| Romantic love and desire | Love's Philosophy, Sonnet 29, Porphyria's Lover, Singh Song!, Winter Swans |
| Desire and control | Porphyria's Lover, The Farmer's Bride, Love's Philosophy |
| Love ending, loss and bitterness | When We Two Parted, Neutral Tones |
| Love across distance | Letters from Yorkshire, Sonnet 29, Mother, any distance |
| Parents and children | Walking Away, Mother, any distance, Before You Were Mine, Follower, Eden Rock |
| Grandparents and memory | Climbing My Grandfather, Eden Rock |
| Growing up and letting go | Walking Away, Mother, any distance, Follower |
| Nature reflecting feelings | Neutral Tones, Winter Swans, Love's Philosophy, Porphyria's Lover |
Most poems fit several themes, so learn each poem's main idea and two or three links.
Key terms
Romantic love and family love
The cluster splits roughly in two:
- : When We Two Parted, Love's Philosophy, Porphyria's Lover, Sonnet 29, Neutral Tones, The Farmer's Bride, Winter Swans, Singh Song!, and perhaps Letters from Yorkshire.
- Family relationships: Walking Away, Eden Rock, Follower, Mother, any distance, Before You Were Mine, Climbing My Grandfather.
A comparison across the two groups can work well, for example how love involves letting go in both Walking Away and When We Two Parted.
Key terms
Groups by period
The cluster spans about 200 years:
- (around 1800): When We Two Parted, Love's Philosophy.
- : Porphyria's Lover, Sonnet 29, Neutral Tones.
- Early 20th century: The Farmer's Bride.
- Later 20th century: Walking Away, Follower, Eden Rock, Letters from Yorkshire, Mother, any distance, Before You Were Mine.
- 21st century: Climbing My Grandfather, Winter Swans, Singh Song!
Knowing when a poem was written helps with context (AO3): for example, Victorian ideas about women in Porphyria's Lover.
Exam tip
Pick a comparison poem that gives you something to say: a clear similarity and a clear difference.