Swinburne's Poetry Literary Elements

The poem 'Before Parting,' is written from the first person narrative perspective, from the poet's point of view.

'Before Parting,' is written in six regular sestets.

In the poem 'Love and Sleep,' the poet uses the simile 'pale as the duskiest lily's leaf or head,' to describe his 'love.'

The poet uses a lot of alliteration in the poem 'In the Bay,' for example, 'disrobed and disentrammelled,' as well as 'the fire and force that filled with ardent light,' in Stanza III.

The poem 'To a Cat,' could be interpreted as ironic, for example, it compares the love of dogs that 'may fawn on all and some / as they come,' with the friendship of a cat, 'a friend of loftier mind.' He then describes an aspect of this friendship: 'Just your foot upon my hand / Softly bids it understand.' This is not an enthusiastic gesture of friendship and so could be an ironic comment on the fickle nature of cats.

The poem 'A Channel Crossing,' is an action and narrative poem.

The poem 'A Channel Crossing,' is set at sea, where a boat is leaving from Calais.

The tone in the poem 'Choriambics,' is mournful and melancholic.

In the poem 'Choriambics' the protagonist is the speaker and the antagonist appears to be his 'Love,' but may actually be interpreted as death itself.e

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The climax of the poem 'A Channel Crossing,' is the point at which the storm starts, when 'sudden, sublime, the strong storm spake...' This is emphasized by the alliteration which is soft in tone, contrasting the reality of the storm being that is described.

In the poem 'A Forsaken Garden,' the end of the first stanza describes 'the weeds that grew green from the graves of its roses,' and stats that they 'now lie dead.' This death-filled sentence, speaking of dead roses, weeds that bring death and then the death of the weeds themselves, foreshadows the end of the poem when 'Death lies dead,' a phrase that ends the poem by directly mirroring the structure of the first stanza's last line.

The last line of the poem 'Choriambics' is an understatement of the realities of death, as the poet relays 'now in thine eyes sweeter than love is sleep,' indicating that his love has died but suggesting that she has chosen or prefers this death over his love, which is either haunting or metaphorical.

In the poem 'In the Bay,' the poet alludes to Hades and Elysium, as well as Shakespeare, the playwright.

In the poem 'Choriambics' the references to 'sleep,' are in fact references to death.

In the poem 'A Forsaken Garden,' the 'foam-flowers,' represent the white foam on the waves and the 'lovers none ever will know,' represent mankind, its hope and love, in general, rather than only a simple couple.

In the poem 'A Channel Crossing,' the poet personifies 'the waters, heaving and hungering at heart,' to give life and character to the sea.

The description of 'Morning,' in the poem 'To a Cat,' is hyperbolic in nature, as morning 'sheds its wealth of gathering light,' and 'thrills the gradual clouds with might.' This is an overly positive description of morning time.

The sibilance and soft alliteration of the phrase 'the soft sweep of the breathless bay / Southwestward,' in the poem 'In the Bay,' creates and onomatopoeic depiction of the calm conditions at said bay.