A leave taking – Notes

Introduction:
Septet, accomplished verse structure, repetitive sound quality, bitter tone and assertive.

Topic sentence 1:
Powerful feelings of resentment and betrayal towards ‘she”
Desperation and Delusion

“let us go hence my songs” introduces imperative that reveals the speakers desperation as
he attempts to create an impression of control. Caesura then establishes adversarial
relationship against….
“she””her” repeated throughout, identity is ambiguous but perhaps a woman who has left
him.
“will not hear us” vilification as she rejected him
“not you nor me as we love her”, chiastic construction might show how she causes
stagnation to his ideas. Further puts his ideas against her, creating sense of betrayal.
“Seaward” ambiguity shows desire to escape
“great winds” weakness of winds volatility, showing his instability
“blown…foam..go..no” repetition of “o” sound adds sense of lethargy. Here and throughout
poem
“She would not know” brutal iambic dimeter contrasts to previous long line, showing the
impact on him

Topic sentence 2:
The conveyance of his growing feelings of despair, portraying his relationship with the
woman as evanescent and dying
Betrayal and more self-pity

“home and hence” aspirance sense of letting go.

“dreams and days” hopes and aspirations which he feels cheated from. Betrayal
“let us go hence and rest” contradicting imperative shows mental instability
“love is barren sea bitter and deep” repeated ideas from 2nd stanza shows his creative
stagnation, self pitying perhaps.
“come hence, let be, lie still” lots of imperatives shows how he seeks to continue projecting
himself as in control.

Topic sentence 3:
The image of the the sea, displaying his entrapment caused by despair, lament about
heartbreak also
Redundancy, uncertainty and hopelessness

“moon-flower” “moon” is a symbol of instability because it is always changing

“waves went over us” and other descriptions of drowning very Anti-Patrachan, shows
flawed nature of love.
“;..;” in final stanza really emphasises how punctuation breaks up poem throughout. But this
contrasts to the flowing nature of the theme of waves.
“surely she/she too” anadiposis, which is when one line ends and the next starts with the
same word. Creates and adds to desperation.
“sighing” passive and resigned, admitting defeat
“all the men would pity” just very self-pitying