When We Two Parted

The poem When We Two Parted, written by Lord Byron, interprets the sad account of a broken-hearted narrator, recounting his feelings towards a former companion.  Feelings of loss, loneliness, regret, and ill will are evidently shown throughout the piece.

The poem is divided in to four stanzas, containing their own respective rhyme pattern throughout each of the eight verses.  In terms of diction, the use of rhyme pattern gives the work a great deal of rhythm, almost adding a sense of musicality to the poem.  The most powerful device throughout Lord Byron’s piece is most certainly the choice of words.  The strength of the words used in the poem truly conveys the narrator’s feelings to the reader.  Communicating these feelings to the reader is crucial as this poem is largely based on emotion. I think Lord Byron successfully does so throughout the piece.  In the first stanza, we learn that when the poet and his lover parted, they felt half broken-hearted, as their kisses grew colder.  These first few lines set the stage for the rest of the poem. Byron begins by setting the feeling of love lost, an “hour [that] foretold sorrow to this.”  In the beginning of the poem, the narrator speaks of the separation by describing vows which have been broken and a shameful regret in hearing his lover’s name, “a knell to [the narrator’s] ear.” All of this is connected through the thought of what the narrator suspects will happen when he and his lover meet again, and what he plans to do when he is caught in that situation.  Ironically, the narrator’s response is similar to that at the beginning of the poem.  When he and his lover parted, they parted in silence and tears.  Similarly, when he and his lover meet again, the narrator concludes that he will greet her in silence and tears.

The imagery displayed throughout the poem adds to the sense of loss and regret.  In the first stanza, the speaker explains how when he and his former other parted, “in silence and tears.”  Also, the images of a cold feeling overcoming something that was once warm truly convey the emotion that is displayed through the work.  In the first stanza, the narrator repeats the word cold to great effect: “Pale grew they cheek and cold, colder thy kiss.”  In the second stanza, the image of the “dew of the morning” gives an interesting account of the setting.  This type of description also correlates with the “shudder” described in the third stanza.  The speaker states, “they name thee before me, / a knell to mine ear; / a shudder comes o’er me–  Why wert thou so dear?” This idea gives thought to whether or not the speaker has left his lover through a heart-breaking separation or through some sort of other cause, such as death.  In this second scenario, the “dew of the morning” could represent an early morning funeral procession; “the knell to mine ear” - funeral bells. This interpretation would give the “pale cheek” and “cold kiss” a more literal interpretation.

The voice of the poem is rather regretful, filled with the idea of a great loss, that of love.  One such moment that stuck out was line 20 in the third stanza.  The speaker makes use of a rhetorical question.  He asks, “Why wert thou so dear?”  This question displays the sense of confusion that the narrator is feeling.  He wonders to himself why he loved his lover so.

The irony of the entire piece is that when the speaker meets his lover again, he plans to greet this companion the same way in which they parted, “with silence and tears.” Whether or not this poem is dealing with the loss of a lover through a sad split or through an inevitable cause, such as death, Lord Byron clearly conveys the emotions of loneliness, loss, and regret that unfortunately come with any sorrowful parting. (WC: 656)

The Magistrate in Waiting for the Barbarians

In the novel Waiting for the Barbarians, the story's narrator, the Magistrate, provides great insight in to the tale of a barbarian girl, victimized by the immoral acts committed by Colonel Joll.  Through the tale of this girl, and having seen the very acts committed before him, the Magistrate comes to many significant realizations.

One crucial realization that the Magistrates comes to is that the Empire is in fact the enemy. Caught between the frontier town and the way of the barbarians, and the forces of Colonel Joll (which represent the Empire), the Magistrate becomes aware of the fact that the Empire, while it makes the barbarians out to look like savage beasts, is in fact the enemy, behaving in a cruel and inhumane manner towards its less-civilized counterpart. In an argument with the Colonel the Magistrate states, "'those pitiable prisoners you brought in-are they the enemy I must fear? Is that what you say? You are the enemy, Colonel! ... You are the enemy, you have made the war, and you have given them all the martyrs they need..."' Later on in the novel, the Magistrate declares, "'the crime that is latent in us we must inflict on ourselves.' I say. I nod and nod, driving the message home. 'Not on others,' I say: I repeat the words, pointing at my chest, pointing at his.

The Magistrate wants no part of the crimes that Colonel Joll and the Empire commit. He states that he could never live with himself if he committed the crimes that the forces of the Empire did. In one instance, the Magistrate asks Mandel, as they both stand outside a gate which detains a barbarian inside, "'Forgive me if the question seems impudent, but I would like to ask: How do you find it possible to eat afterwards, after you have been ... working with people? That is a question I have always asked myself about executioners and other such people.'"

Finally, the Magistrate comes to a critical realization when he states, "I was the lie that Empire tells itself when times are easy, he the truth that Empire tells when harsh winds blow. Two sides of imperial rule, no more, no less."

Untried Detentions During the Apartheid Era

The article that I found talked about the crimes committed by the government in South Africa during the Apartheid Era.  One such crime noted was the General Law Amendment Act, in which the police force were given the ability to arrest anyone they deemed suspicious (reading this reminded me of the laws that were passed in our own state of Arizona).  Also, journalist Ruth first, author of 117 Days, was mentioned. In her book she talks about the repeatable process in which the police force would arrest people, detain them, then set them free, only to re-arrest them (as soon as they exited the police station).  The article stated that, "the primary aim of the government was to extract as much information from detainees as possible."

Link to Source - "Overcoming Apartheid"

(Pictured Above: Ruth First, journalist and author of 117 Days)

(B. J. Vorster, Prime Minister of South Africa)

Darcy: A Misunderstood Man In His Own Right

Sue Birtwhistle and Susie Conklin interviewed Firth to find out how he was able to portray Jane Austen’s character of Darcy in such a clear light.  Birtwhistle and Conklin ask Firth questions ranging from how he tried to communicate the dynamic of Darcy’s character, to how he felt about Darcy in certain instances, to how certain scenes affected Firth, and finally to how Firth approached certain scenes.

Colin Firth’s thesis about Darcy is that Darcy is truly an unpredictable character.  He has a lot going on inside, but reads differently on the outside.

For example, in one part of the interview Firth states, “nobody ever knows quite what Darcy’s thinking.”  Furthermore, when referring to Darcy’s love of Elizabeth, Firth says that, “Darcy’s emotional and doesn’t want her to know it, he hates her because he fancies her.”  Thus, Darcy appears to be a misunderstood character, however this is his own fault, as, through his actions, he makes people confused as to what his true intentions are.  Firth states, “so there are a million things going on inside him, yet he has to keep himself together and not show that he is in the slightest but ruffled.”  Darcy masks his feelings and emotions, which ultimately lead to him being hurt because he is not true to others, but most of all he is not true to himself.

Firth goes on to explain that triggers that led to Darcy falling in love with Elizabeth.  Firth states, “in Darcy’s case, very little had ever attracted his attention…the first trigger is the moment when Elizabeth rejects him so impertinently…Darcy was used to looking at other people like that, but was not used to being looked at like that himself.”  Psychologically, this concept is true.  People often want what they can’t have.  When Elizabeth rejects Darcy, the rejection only makes him want her more.  This rejections leads to “bewilderment” and “curiosity” of Elizabeth; it is the first time that Darcy becomes “the pursuer rather than the pursued; it’s irresistible.”  Firth says, “what starts off as intriguing becomes profoundly erotic for him.”

Firth further remarks that, “to begin with, it was a bit of sport.  And then suddenly [Darcy] is feeling vulnerable and resents it bitterly…his behavior becomes rather confusing and paradoxical–he’s pursuing and rejecting Elizabeth at the same time…[For example,] he waits in places where he knows he’ll find her walking and then doesn’t speak to her…”

Furthermore, Darcy acts one way, but wants Elizabeth to think he’s the opposite.  Firth proves this by stating as Darcy, “I’m going to put to you a proposal that may make me seem rash, irresponsible, and even, possibly, juvenile, but I don’t want you to believe I’m those things.”  This truly shows that Darcy is a misunderstood and confused character.

One question in the interview was, “Does Lizzy’s rejection effect any real changes in Darcy, then?”

Firth responded, “Oh, yes…The fact that he writes her a letter explaining himself…is ostensibly a tremendously out-of-character thing to do…”

Finally, Firth declares, “[Darcy’s] real crime, I think, is silliness.”

I believe this is true.  Everything that happened to Darcy is entirely his fault.  He and Elizabeth play silly games with each other, and one or the other often end up getting hurt, but in the end, had Darcy not been the “conductor” of these games, they would never have existed.  Yes I agree wholeheartedly with Firth. Darcy is a misunderstood character, and that is his own fault.  The relationship that he shares with Elizabeth, although it is very unusual, makes sense given the causes of such a relationship.  Darcy made things the way they were.  Had he been honest and upright in the first place with her, things might have been different.

The knowledge that Firth stated about Darcy’s character helped me to understand the man.  At first, I thought Darcy was arrogant and conceited, but after reading Firth’s thesis, I realize that Darcy is just a misunderstood man.  He kind of puts on a show for everyone, and for Elizabeth especially.  He comes off differently to people; however, being misunderstood is his own fault.

Therefore, I believe reading this interview truly helped me to get a further insight in to Darcy’s character as a whole.