Question 11
Consider the mood of the persona in The Good Morrow.
Most candidates that attempted this question only provided sketchy answers. The theme of the poem was also not stated and discussed. The meaning of mood was also not explained.
This question demands:
- Identification of the theme of love.
- Explanation of mood as a literary device.
- The discovery of new love: the persona’s mood is one of excitement: ‘I wonder by my troth, what thou, and I/ Did, till we lov’d?’ The rhetorical questions confirm the initial mood of excitement.
- Embracing the new love: the mood changes from excitement to certainty. He is sure that this new love is not subject to fear or distractions of the external world.
- Stability of the new love: he and his loved one are in a perfectly harmonious relationship: ‘where can we find two better hemispheres?’ There is the feeling of great confidence
- Excitement, certainty, assurance and confidence define the persona’s mood
Candidates’ performance in the question was good.