Long Neglect Has Worn Away Essay Questions

What does Brontë imply the source of the woman's unhappiness is?

In the poem, the speaker opens with a description of the woman's diminished physical appearance and emotional state. She also describes her long period of "neglect," giving the impression that this is due to some kind of abandonment or lack of care. In the next section, she describes the traces of her beauty that suggest what she once was. Finally, she ends by describing a time when the main character was happily writing a love letter, suggesting that the source of her unhappiness was a broken love affair.

How does Brontë use rhyme in the poem?

Brontë uses the rhyme scheme of the poem to organize each stanza into one statement. The rhyme works to subtly bring together the different elements of the stanzas. The speaker moves from the woman's unhappy present to her hopeful past, and in between takes note of the traces of her former beauty. Each of these stanzas functions as a specific unit of thought and the rhyme scheme provides their unifying element.