When We Two Parted - Lord Byron
/When We Two Parted - Lord Byron/
A Poignant Lament for Love and Loss
Original Poem (English), line by line:
When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this.
The dew of the morning
Sunk chill on my brow—
It felt like the warning
Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
And light is thy fame;
I hear thy name spoken,
And share in its shame.
They name thee before me,
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o’er me—
Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
Who knew thee too well—
Long, long shall I rue thee,
Too deeply to tell.
In secret we met—
In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?—
With silence and tears.
Lord Byron’s “When We Two Parted” is a deeply personal and emotive poem that explores the lingering sorrow and sense of betrayal following a clandestine relationship. Composed in four stanzas, each of eight lines, the poem maintains a steady rhythm and rhyme scheme that mirrors the speaker’s pained and reflective tone. It begins with the recollection of an anguished farewell—“in silence and tears”—setting a mood of deep regret and heartbreak.
Byron draws upon physical sensations, such as the ‘chill’ on his brow and the growing ‘coldness’ of his former lover, to suggest a metaphorical frost creeping through the speaker’s emotional life. The repeated references to silence highlight the secrecy of their love; yet, even in private, the agony is unspoken and internalized. The poem’s second and third stanzas confront the loss of trust: her ‘broken vows’ and tarnished reputation now weigh upon him as much as they do upon her.
A critical tension arises from the speaker’s continuing attachment despite his realization that their relationship is irreparably ended. He expresses bitterness at her betrayal while still admitting the profound hold she has on his heart. The word ‘knell’ signifies how hearing her name resonates like a funeral bell, tolling for the end of this bond. Byron emphasizes that no one else truly grasps the depth of this secret knowledge and the pain it inflicts.
Ultimately, the poem closes on a note of resigned sadness, wondering how they might greet each other in future and concluding that, even then, silence and tears would return—reiterating a cyclical grief. This final image conveys the sense that the pain of past love is perpetual and unescapable. Throughout the poem, Byron’s understated yet vivid language communicates the dual realities of enduring love and irrevocable heartbreak, capturing a universal mood of longing and regret. (Approx. 250 words)
Key points
1. The poem captures the concealed anguish of a secret affair ended in heartbreak.
2. Physical imagery—cold cheeks, morning dew—symbolizes emotional distance and chilling sorrow.
3. Byron underscores the speaker’s ongoing turmoil, which society fails to recognize or understand.
4. Recurring motifs of silence highlight both secrecy and unresolved emotional pain.
5. The final lines reveal a cyclical grief, with future reunions evoking the same tears and regrets.