Using the key below highlight the elements of the text that address PEEL (point/evidence/evaluation of significance/link to argument or text).

Question Reminder – Compare and contrast how the theme of love is presented.

Summary of Ideas in the Introduction

  1. Love is not always sweet and fair and can be damaging or ill-conceived.
  2. A sinister side to love exists.
  3. Love isn’t always romanticised in literature.
  4. Discussion of the use of sonnet form and tone.

Key

  • P - Point
  • E – Evidence/Explanation
  • E – Evaluate the significance of the language or technique
  • L – Link to the next text or argument

Instead of presenting love as an all-powerful, unrelenting force that controls her, she is being much more reasonable with her depictions in order to show that it is not as dramatic as romantics make it out to be.

Moreover, both the Lunch and My Last Duchess show how love can tamper with one's reasoning of what is right and what is not; it distorts reality. In After the Lunch, for example, Wendy Cope argues , "The head does its best but the heart is the boss." Here, the of personification helps to show clearly the stifling effect that love can have on a person's ability to think reasonably. The heart begins to take control, despite any protests from the head, and thus the individual is rendered brain-washed. , My Last Duchess also shows how love can corrupt someone's thoughts, but this poem deals with the damaging effects of paranoia and how love can be forgotten entirely. Browning says, "She had a heart – how shall I say> - too soon made clad." Here, the use of interrogative and conversational lexis shows how the speaker's love for his Duchess has been completely thwarted by the paranoia that she will look upon other people. To a contemporary audience, such fears would seem ridiculous and unnecessary, but to an audience of Browning's time they were acceptable because it was the norm for powerful men to control the emotions and behaviours of their wives.

Furthermore, all three texts offer a bleak take on love, one that strips away hope and romance. Firstly, in Sonnet 130, Shakespeare says, "And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare/As any she belied with false compare." This last couplet shows how, even though Shakespeare is trying at the end to make an optimistic point, it is still miles away from the usual praise that romantics shower lovers in; after all, Shakespeare has admitted that any compliment he gives his mistress would be a lie. Similarly, Wendy Cope also presents a brief picture of hopelessness of love. She says, “The weather conditions bring tears to my eyes” and “This is nothing. You’re high on charm and the drink.” Here, the use of pathetic fallacy, declaratives and abstract noun “charm” show how love is nothing more than a carefully constructed illusion that brings misery. If Cope feels any happiness at all, it is only because she is “high” on recreational substances. Similarly, My Last Duchess also creates a bleak picture of love by showing how loving too much will have grave consequences. Towards the end of the poem, after describing the duchess’s love for everything around her, the speaker says, “I gave commands, then all smiles stopped together.” The use of this abrupt declarative shows how the duchess’s price for loving too much was an ultimate one, and we begin to see how love’s bad consequences outweigh the good.

Instead of presenting love as an all-powerful, unrelenting force that controls her, she is being much more reasonable with her depictions in order to show that it is not as dramatic as romantics make it out to be.

Moreover, both After the Lunch and My Last Duchess show how love can tamper with one's reasoning of what is right and what is not; it distorts reality. In After the Lunch, for example, Wendy Cope argues that, "The head does its best but the heart is the boss." Here, the use of personification helps to show clearly the stifling effect that love can have on a person's ability to think reasonably. The heart begins to take control, despite any protests from the head, and thus the individual is rendered brain-washed. Similarly, My Last Duchess also shows how love can corrupt someone's thoughts, but this poem deals with the damaging effects of paranoia and how love can be forgotten entirely. Browning says, "She had a heart – how shall I say> - too soon made clad." Here, the use of interrogative and conversational lexis shows how the speaker's love for his Duchess has been completely thwarted by the paranoia that she will look upon other people. To a contemporary audience, such fears would seem ridiculous and unnecessary, but to an audience of Browning's time they were acceptable because it was the norm for powerful men to control the emotions and behaviours of their wives.

Furthermore, all three texts offer a bleak take on love, one that strips away hope and romance. Firstly, in Sonnet 130, Shakespeare says, "And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare/As any she belied with false compare." This last couplet shows how, even though Shakespeare is trying at the end to make an optimistic point, it is still miles away from the usual praise that romantics shower lovers in; after all, Shakespeare has admitted that any compliment he gives his mistress would be a lie. Similarly, Wendy Cope also presents a brief picture of hopelessness of love. She says, “The weather conditions bring tears to my eyes” and “This is nothing. You’re high on charm and the drink.” Here, the use of pathetic fallacy, declaratives and abstract noun “charm” show how love is nothing more than a carefully constructed illusion that brings misery. If Cope feels any happiness at all, it is only because she is “high” on recreational substances. Similarly, My Last Duchess also creates a bleak picture of love by showing how loving too much will have grave consequences. Towards the end of the poem, after describing the duchess’s love for everything around her, the speaker says, “I gave commands, then all smiles stopped together.” The use of this abrupt declarative shows how the duchess’s price for loving too much was an ultimate one, and we begin to see how love’s bad consequences outweigh the good.

Drag the sentences to the correct place in the table to help you structure your paragraphs.

Topic Sentence
Evidence
Evaluate and Explore
Link to Argument or Text if Comparing
Instead of presenting love as an all-powerful, unrelenting force that controls her, she is being much more reasonable with her depictions in order to show that it is not as dramatic as romantics make it out to be. Furthermore, all three texts offer a bleak take on love, one that strips away hope and romance. In After the Lunch, for example, Wendy Cope argues that, "The head does its best but the heart is the boss." Firstly, in Sonner 130, Shakespeare says, "And yet , by heaven, I think my love as rare/As any she belied with false compare." Here, the use of personification helps to show clearly the stifling effect that love can have on a person's ability to think reasonably. The heart beings to control, despite any protests from the head, and thus the individual is rendered brain-washed. This last couplet shows how, even though Shakespeare is trying at the end to make an optimistic point, it is still miles away from the usual praise that romantics shower lovers in after all, Shakespeare has admitted that any compliment he gives his mistress would be a lie. Similarly, My Last Duchess also shows how love can corrupt someone's thoughts, but this poem deals with the damaging effects of paranoia and how love can be forgotten entirely. Similarly, Wendy Cope also presents a brief picture of hopelessness of love.