- Poet: Charlotte Mew (1869–1928)
- Year: 1916
- Form: Ballad with irregular rhyme scheme
- Key techniques: Dramatic monologue, natural imagery, colloquialisms
About the poet
Charlotte Mew was an English poet known for her innovative, emotionally intense verse exploring themes of gender, isolation, and mental illness. She experienced early personal tragedy: three of her siblings died young, two were institutionalised for mental illness, and her family struggled financially. She maintained strict social and emotional boundaries, never marrying and frequently expressing unease with traditional gender roles. Despite professional success, Mew’s later life was also clouded by personal grief and depression. After the death of her sister Anne in 1927, Mew entered a deep emotional decline and died by suicide the following year. Her work is now recognised for its precocious modernism and psychological acuity.
Historical context
‘The Farmer’s Bride’ was written during a period when rural communities in Britain were still marked by patriarchal customs, with arranged or practical marriages often prioritised over emotional intimacy. In the early 20th century, psychological health and female autonomy were poorly understood; women were expected to conform to domestic roles, and their resistance was often pathologised. The poem reflects these dynamics: the bride’s fear and reclusiveness are interpreted by the farmer as irrational, whereas the forced nature of their relationship goes unquestioned, highlighting the imbalance of power and societal neglect of women’s autonomy.
Literary context
Mew’s writing combines Victorian sensibilities with emerging modernist techniques, including free verse, psychological interiority, and dramatic monologue. She retained aspects of traditional form but infused them with stark emotional introspection and modern concerns and focusing on marginalised female figures.
Key ideas
- Psychological repression and emotional isolation
- Power imbalance in marriage
- Alienation
- Obsessive love and unfulfilled longing
- Patriarchal control
