GCSE English Literature (AQA) – The farmers bride

1.6 - The Farmers Bride

7 min

Context

Understanding the context of The Farmer's Bride is key to unlocking its critique of relationships built on ownership. Mew explores the psychological impact of a society where women had very little power.

Social and cultural context

At the time of writing, women in Britain had few legal rights within marriage, which was often treated as a practical or economic arrangement.
A married woman was legally considered her husband's property, and her consent was often a secondary concern to family or financial arrangements.
Mew critiques these patriarchal [male-dominated] attitudes, showing how they can lead to the imprisonment and suffering of women.

Biographical context

Charlotte Mew never married and often felt like an outsider in society. Her poetry frequently explores themes of loneliness and female suffering.
She was deeply sympathetic to women who were trapped in oppressive or unhappy situations, which is reflected in her focus on the bride's silent terror.
Mew uses a male narrator to explore and criticise the male perspective from within, exposing the farmer's possessiveness and lack of understanding.

Overview

The Farmer's Bride in a nutshell

What literally happens in the poem: A farmer recounts how he "chose" his young wife three years ago. She became terrified of him, ran away, was hunted down, and is now locked away in their home, silent and fearful of all men.
Context and significance: Mew uses a dramatic monologue [a poem in the voice of a single character] to critique a society where marriage could be a form of female imprisonment, exploring themes of obsessive desire, power, and fear.
Key techniques and approach: The poem's power comes from the farmer's uncomprehending narration, animal imagery that dehumanises the bride, and a structure that breaks down to reflect his threatening obsession.

Translation and Mew's intent

Lines 1-9

"Three summers since I chose a maid,
Too young maybe - but more's to do
At harvest-time than bide and woo.
When us was wed she turned afraid
Of love and me and all things human;
Like the shut of a winter's day
Her smile went out, and 'twadn't a woman -
More like a little frightened fay.
One night, in the Fall, she runned away."

Translation

The farmer explains that he married a young girl three years ago. He admits she might have been "too young" but he was too busy with farm work for a long courtship.
As soon as they were married, she became terrified of him and any human contact. Her happiness disappeared, and she seemed more like a fearful fairy ("fay") than a person, eventually running away one autumn night.

Mew's intention

Mew immediately establishes the farmer's transactional view of marriage with the verb "chose", as if selecting livestock.
The farmer's admission that she was "too young" and his dismissive tone highlight his lack of concern for her feelings from the outset.
The simile [comparison using 'like' or 'as'] comparing her to a "frightened fay" begins the pattern of dehumanisation, suggesting he sees her as wild and otherworldly rather than as a terrified human being.

Lines 10-19

"'Out 'mong the sheep, her be,' they said,
'Should properly have been abed;
But sure enough she wadn't there
Lying awake with her wide brown stare.
So over seven-acre field and up-along across the down
We chased her, flying like a hare
Before out lanterns. To Church-Town
All in a shiver and a scare
We caught her, fetched her home at last
And turned the key upon her, fast."

Translation

The farmer describes how the local community helped him search for his wife.
They pursued her across the fields with lanterns, like a hunt, until they captured the terrified girl.
They brought her back home and locked her inside to prevent her from escaping again.

Mew's intention

Mew uses the language of hunting ("chased", "caught", "hare") to expose the brutality of the situation. The farmer sees it as retrieving his property, but the reader sees a terrifying pursuit.
The collective pronoun "We" shows that the entire community is complicit [involved in wrongdoing] in the bride's capture, reinforcing the patriarchal values of the time.
The act of locking her up ("turned the key upon her") confirms her status as a prisoner in her own home, making the themes of control and imprisonment explicit.

Lines 20-30

"She does the work about the house
As well as most, but like a mouse:
Happy enough to chat and play
With birds and rabbits and such as they,
So long as men-folk keep away.
'Not near, not near!' her eyes beseech
When one of us comes within reach.
The women say that beasts in stall
Look round like children at her call.
I've hardly heard her speak at all."

Translation

The farmer describes his wife's current life. She is a good housekeeper but is timid and silent "like a mouse".
She is only comfortable around animals and is terrified whenever men come near her.
Her eyes plead for them to stay away, and even the farm animals respond to her gently. The farmer notes he almost never hears her speak.

Mew's intention

The animal imagery continues with "like a mouse", emphasising her timid, trapped existence.
Her connection with animals, contrasted with her fear of humans, highlights the depth of her trauma and her complete isolation from people.
Her voicelessness is central. The only communication she has is through her eyes, which "beseech" people to stay away, showing her constant state of fear.

Lines 31-47

"Shy as a leveret, swift as he,
Straight and slight as a young larch tree,
Sweet as the first wild violets, she,
To her wild self. But what to me?

The short days shorten and the oaks are brown,
The blue smoke rises to the low grey sky,
One leaf in the still air falls slowly down,
A magpie's spotted feathers lie
On the black earth spread white with rime,
The berries redden up to Christmas-time.
What's Christmas-time without there be
Some other in the house than we!

She sleeps up in the attic there
Alone, poor maid. 'Tis but a stair
Betwixt us. Oh! my God! the down,
The soft young down of her, the brown,
The brown of her - her eyes, her hair, her hair!"

Translation

The farmer describes his wife's beauty using images from nature, comparing her to a young hare ("leveret"), a tree, and violets, but complains that this "wild self" is not for him.
As winter approaches, his loneliness and frustration build.
He obsesses over her physical presence in the attic, his thoughts dissolving into a fragmented list of her features, focusing on her "soft young down" and brown hair.

Mew's intention

The farmer's desire revealed
- The farmer's desire is shown to be possessive and physical, not romantic. He reduces her to a collection of body parts.
- The focus on the "soft young down" is an intensely physical and invasive detail, suggesting a predatory longing.
Breakdown of language
- The final lines are fragmented, with repetition and exclamation marks ("her hair, her hair!").
- This breakdown in language mirrors the farmer's loss of control as his physical desire overwhelms him, ending the poem on a deeply threatening note.

Writer's methods

Analysing form, structure, and language together reveals how Mew constructs the farmer's narrative to expose his possessive mindset. These elements combine to create a deeply unsettling portrait of a relationship based on power and fear.

Form

The poem is a dramatic monologue, which means we only hear the farmer's side of the story. This choice is crucial to the poem's meaning and effect.

Theme	Evidence	Poet's intention
Power and control	The poem is a dramatic monologue.	Mew uses this form to silence the bride. The farmer's complete control of the narrative mirrors his physical and social control over his wife's life.
Emotional turmoil	The rhyme scheme is irregular, sometimes AABB, sometimes ABAB, and with unrhymed lines.	The unsettled and unpredictable rhythm reflects the farmer's own confusion and agitation. He cannot make sense of his situation, and the form reflects this inner chaos.
Obsessive desire	The final stanza breaks into short, fragmented exclamatory lines.	The form breaks down to show the farmer losing his rational thought. His language becomes breathless and obsessive, showing his desire is overwhelming his self-control.

Structure

The way Mew organises the poem, from its timeline to its use of recurring imagery, emphasises the bride's inescapable suffering.

Theme	Evidence	Poet's intention
Ongoing suffering	The poem shifts from the past tense ("Three summers since") to the present tense ("She sleeps up in the attic there").	This tense shift highlights that the bride's trauma is not a single past event but a continuous, present reality. It makes her imprisonment feel immediate and unresolved.
Dehumanisation	The animal imagery progresses from a wild "fay" and "hare" to a timid, domestic "mouse".	Mew structures this progression to show the bride's spirit being gradually crushed. She moves from being wild and free to caged and frightened, reinforcing her loss of identity.
Hopelessness	The structure is cyclical, marked by the passing of seasons from summer to winter with no change in the relationship.	The changing seasons highlight the static, unchanging nature of the bride's imprisonment. Mew suggests this cycle of suffering is endless, creating a bleak and pessimistic tone.

Language

Mew's choice of language reveals the farmer's true attitudes towards his wife, showing he views her as property to be owned and controlled.

Theme	Evidence	Poet's intention
Ownership	The opening line: "Three summers since I chose a maid".	The verb "chose" suggests selecting an object or livestock, not marrying a partner. Mew immediately establishes the farmer's belief that his wife is a possession he has acquired.
Fear and vulnerability	The simile used to describe the hunt: "flying like a hare".	This image directly compares the bride to a prey animal known for its fear. It forces the reader to see the terrifying violence of the pursuit, which the farmer himself is blind to.
Predatory desire	The fragmented repetition at the end: "The soft young down of her, the brown..."	The focus on "down" (fine hair on skin) is an intensely physical detail that objectifies her. Mew shows the farmer's desire is not romantic but invasive and predatory.

What to compare it to

When comparing poems, focus on how different poets use similar methods or themes to achieve their specific purpose. For example, how do Mew and Browning both use dramatic monologues to explore male power, but with different outcomes?

Suggested comparisons

The Farmer's Bride and Porphyria's Lover - Both poems use a male dramatic monologue to explore dangerous, possessive love and the silencing of women.
The Farmer's Bride and Love's Philosophy - Both feature a male speaker trying to overcome a woman's reluctance, but they reveal contrasting attitudes to desire and consent.

The Farmer's Bride and Porphyria's Lover

Comparison in a nutshell

Both poems use a dramatic monologue to give a voice to a disturbed male speaker who objectifies and controls a woman. However, Browning's poem depicts a sudden, shocking act of violence, while Mew's poem explores a slow, ongoing psychological torment.

Similarities

Point

Both poets use a dramatic monologue to expose the delusional and dangerous mindset of a male speaker who feels he possesses his female partner.

Evidence and explanation

The Farmer's Bride	Porphyria's Lover
The farmer's narrative reveals his belief that he owns his wife ("I chose a maid"), yet he fails to understand her terror. This creates dramatic irony [when the audience knows more than the character], as the reader sees the cruelty he is blind to.	Similarly, Porphyria's lover justifies his actions by claiming she "worshipped" him and that in killing her, he granted her "darling one wish". The dramatic monologue exposes his warped logic to the reader.
Mew's farmer silences his wife through imprisonment ("turned the key upon her, fast"). Her voice is absent from the poem, which is a key part of her oppression.	Likewise, Browning's speaker silences Porphyria permanently by strangling her with her own hair. In both poems, the male speaker's control of the narrative mirrors his physical control over the woman.

Differences

Point

While both poems explore male control, Browning's speaker acts to preserve a perfect moment of love, whereas Mew's farmer is driven by frustration over his wife's rejection.

Evidence and explanation

The Farmer's Bride	Porphyria's Lover
The farmer's desire stems from a lack of connection. His obsession with "the soft young down of her" is threatening because it is unreciprocated and builds towards an unknown, implied violence.	In contrast, the lover kills Porphyria because she gives herself to him completely in that one moment. He murders her to possess that moment forever, believing "That moment she was mine, mine, fair".

Endings comparison

Point

The ending of Porphyria's Lover is chillingly calm and resolved, while The Farmer's Bride ends with unresolved tension and threat.

Evidence and explanation

The Farmer's Bride	Porphyria's Lover
The poem ends with the farmer's obsessive, fragmented thoughts ("her eyes, her hair, her hair!"). The lack of resolution leaves the reader feeling the bride is in imminent danger.	Conversely, Browning's poem ends with a sense of eerie finality. The speaker sits all night with Porphyria's body, noting that "God has not said a word!", suggesting he believes his actions were justified and the story is over.

The Farmer's Bride and Love's Philosophy

Comparison in a nutshell

Both poems feature a male speaker attempting to persuade a woman. However, Shelley's speaker uses romantic and persuasive arguments based on nature, while Mew's poem shows what happens when persuasion is replaced by force and ownership.

Similarities

Point

Both poets use imagery from the natural world to frame the speaker's arguments about love and union.

Evidence and explanation

The Farmer's Bride	Love's Philosophy
The farmer uses natural imagery to describe his bride ("shy as a leveret," "straight and slight as a young larch tree"), but these comparisons serve to dehumanise her and frame her as a wild creature to be tamed.	Similarly, Shelley's speaker uses nature ("The fountains mingle with the river / And the rivers with the ocean") as a grand metaphor for why the lovers should be together, arguing that union is a "law divine".

Differences

Point

Shelley's poem is an act of persuasion that respects the woman's choice, whereas Mew's poem explores a situation where the woman's choice has been completely ignored.

Evidence and explanation

The Farmer's Bride	Love's Philosophy
The farmer's desire is possessive and ignores consent. He complains "what to me?" showing his frustration that his "property" is not available to him. The relationship is based on force, not choice.	In contrast, Shelley's poem is structured as a rhetorical argument ending with a question: "What is all this sweet work worth / If thou kiss not me?". Although persuasive, it ultimately acknowledges that her consent is required.
The farmer's animal imagery ("hare", "mouse") diminishes and controls the bride. It frames her as something lesser than human, reinforcing his power over her as her owner.	Conversely, Shelley's natural imagery elevates the idea of love. The speaker connects their potential union to grand, powerful forces like mountains, heaven, and the sea, making his argument feel romantic and idealistic.

Endings comparison

Point

The ending of Love's Philosophy is an open, hopeful question, whereas the ending of The Farmer's Bride is a closed, threatening statement of obsessive desire.

Evidence and explanation

The Farmer's Bride	Love's Philosophy
Mew's poem ends with the farmer's loss of control, his thoughts fragmenting as he obsesses over his wife's body. The final line feels like a prelude to a violation, leaving no room for hope.	In contrast, Shelley's poem ends with a final, persuasive question directed at his lover. The ending is open, leaving the possibility of union hanging in the air and centring on her response.

1.6 - The Farmers Bride

7 min

Context

Social and cultural context

At the time of writing, women in Britain had few legal rights within marriage, which was often treated as a practical or economic arrangement.
A married woman was legally considered her husband's property, and her consent was often a secondary concern to family or financial arrangements.
Mew critiques these patriarchal [male-dominated] attitudes, showing how they can lead to the imprisonment and suffering of women.

Biographical context

Charlotte Mew never married and often felt like an outsider in society. Her poetry frequently explores themes of loneliness and female suffering.
She was deeply sympathetic to women who were trapped in oppressive or unhappy situations, which is reflected in her focus on the bride's silent terror.
Mew uses a male narrator to explore and criticise the male perspective from within, exposing the farmer's possessiveness and lack of understanding.

Overview

The Farmer's Bride in a nutshell

What literally happens in the poem: A farmer recounts how he "chose" his young wife three years ago. She became terrified of him, ran away, was hunted down, and is now locked away in their home, silent and fearful of all men.
Context and significance: Mew uses a dramatic monologue [a poem in the voice of a single character] to critique a society where marriage could be a form of female imprisonment, exploring themes of obsessive desire, power, and fear.
Key techniques and approach: The poem's power comes from the farmer's uncomprehending narration, animal imagery that dehumanises the bride, and a structure that breaks down to reflect his threatening obsession.

Translation and Mew's intent

Lines 1-9

"Three summers since I chose a maid,
Too young maybe - but more's to do
At harvest-time than bide and woo.
When us was wed she turned afraid
Of love and me and all things human;
Like the shut of a winter's day
Her smile went out, and 'twadn't a woman -
More like a little frightened fay.
One night, in the Fall, she runned away."

Translation

The farmer explains that he married a young girl three years ago. He admits she might have been "too young" but he was too busy with farm work for a long courtship.
As soon as they were married, she became terrified of him and any human contact. Her happiness disappeared, and she seemed more like a fearful fairy ("fay") than a person, eventually running away one autumn night.

Mew's intention

Mew immediately establishes the farmer's transactional view of marriage with the verb "chose", as if selecting livestock.
The farmer's admission that she was "too young" and his dismissive tone highlight his lack of concern for her feelings from the outset.
The simile [comparison using 'like' or 'as'] comparing her to a "frightened fay" begins the pattern of dehumanisation, suggesting he sees her as wild and otherworldly rather than as a terrified human being.

Lines 10-19

"'Out 'mong the sheep, her be,' they said,
'Should properly have been abed;
But sure enough she wadn't there
Lying awake with her wide brown stare.
So over seven-acre field and up-along across the down
We chased her, flying like a hare
Before out lanterns. To Church-Town
All in a shiver and a scare
We caught her, fetched her home at last
And turned the key upon her, fast."

Translation

The farmer describes how the local community helped him search for his wife.
They pursued her across the fields with lanterns, like a hunt, until they captured the terrified girl.
They brought her back home and locked her inside to prevent her from escaping again.

Mew's intention

Mew uses the language of hunting ("chased", "caught", "hare") to expose the brutality of the situation. The farmer sees it as retrieving his property, but the reader sees a terrifying pursuit.
The collective pronoun "We" shows that the entire community is complicit [involved in wrongdoing] in the bride's capture, reinforcing the patriarchal values of the time.
The act of locking her up ("turned the key upon her") confirms her status as a prisoner in her own home, making the themes of control and imprisonment explicit.

Lines 20-30

"She does the work about the house
As well as most, but like a mouse:
Happy enough to chat and play
With birds and rabbits and such as they,
So long as men-folk keep away.
'Not near, not near!' her eyes beseech
When one of us comes within reach.
The women say that beasts in stall
Look round like children at her call.
I've hardly heard her speak at all."

Translation

The farmer describes his wife's current life. She is a good housekeeper but is timid and silent "like a mouse".
She is only comfortable around animals and is terrified whenever men come near her.
Her eyes plead for them to stay away, and even the farm animals respond to her gently. The farmer notes he almost never hears her speak.

Mew's intention

The animal imagery continues with "like a mouse", emphasising her timid, trapped existence.
Her connection with animals, contrasted with her fear of humans, highlights the depth of her trauma and her complete isolation from people.
Her voicelessness is central. The only communication she has is through her eyes, which "beseech" people to stay away, showing her constant state of fear.

Lines 31-47

"Shy as a leveret, swift as he,
Straight and slight as a young larch tree,
Sweet as the first wild violets, she,
To her wild self. But what to me?

The short days shorten and the oaks are brown,
The blue smoke rises to the low grey sky,
One leaf in the still air falls slowly down,
A magpie's spotted feathers lie
On the black earth spread white with rime,
The berries redden up to Christmas-time.
What's Christmas-time without there be
Some other in the house than we!

She sleeps up in the attic there
Alone, poor maid. 'Tis but a stair
Betwixt us. Oh! my God! the down,
The soft young down of her, the brown,
The brown of her - her eyes, her hair, her hair!"

Translation

The farmer describes his wife's beauty using images from nature, comparing her to a young hare ("leveret"), a tree, and violets, but complains that this "wild self" is not for him.
As winter approaches, his loneliness and frustration build.
He obsesses over her physical presence in the attic, his thoughts dissolving into a fragmented list of her features, focusing on her "soft young down" and brown hair.

Mew's intention

The farmer's desire revealed
- The farmer's desire is shown to be possessive and physical, not romantic. He reduces her to a collection of body parts.
- The focus on the "soft young down" is an intensely physical and invasive detail, suggesting a predatory longing.
Breakdown of language
- The final lines are fragmented, with repetition and exclamation marks ("her hair, her hair!").
- This breakdown in language mirrors the farmer's loss of control as his physical desire overwhelms him, ending the poem on a deeply threatening note.

Writer's methods

Form

The poem is a dramatic monologue, which means we only hear the farmer's side of the story. This choice is crucial to the poem's meaning and effect.

Theme	Evidence	Poet's intention
Power and control	The poem is a dramatic monologue.	Mew uses this form to silence the bride. The farmer's complete control of the narrative mirrors his physical and social control over his wife's life.
Emotional turmoil	The rhyme scheme is irregular, sometimes AABB, sometimes ABAB, and with unrhymed lines.	The unsettled and unpredictable rhythm reflects the farmer's own confusion and agitation. He cannot make sense of his situation, and the form reflects this inner chaos.
Obsessive desire	The final stanza breaks into short, fragmented exclamatory lines.	The form breaks down to show the farmer losing his rational thought. His language becomes breathless and obsessive, showing his desire is overwhelming his self-control.

Structure

The way Mew organises the poem, from its timeline to its use of recurring imagery, emphasises the bride's inescapable suffering.

Theme	Evidence	Poet's intention
Ongoing suffering	The poem shifts from the past tense ("Three summers since") to the present tense ("She sleeps up in the attic there").	This tense shift highlights that the bride's trauma is not a single past event but a continuous, present reality. It makes her imprisonment feel immediate and unresolved.
Dehumanisation	The animal imagery progresses from a wild "fay" and "hare" to a timid, domestic "mouse".	Mew structures this progression to show the bride's spirit being gradually crushed. She moves from being wild and free to caged and frightened, reinforcing her loss of identity.
Hopelessness	The structure is cyclical, marked by the passing of seasons from summer to winter with no change in the relationship.	The changing seasons highlight the static, unchanging nature of the bride's imprisonment. Mew suggests this cycle of suffering is endless, creating a bleak and pessimistic tone.

Language

Mew's choice of language reveals the farmer's true attitudes towards his wife, showing he views her as property to be owned and controlled.

Theme	Evidence	Poet's intention
Ownership	The opening line: "Three summers since I chose a maid".	The verb "chose" suggests selecting an object or livestock, not marrying a partner. Mew immediately establishes the farmer's belief that his wife is a possession he has acquired.
Fear and vulnerability	The simile used to describe the hunt: "flying like a hare".	This image directly compares the bride to a prey animal known for its fear. It forces the reader to see the terrifying violence of the pursuit, which the farmer himself is blind to.
Predatory desire	The fragmented repetition at the end: "The soft young down of her, the brown..."	The focus on "down" (fine hair on skin) is an intensely physical detail that objectifies her. Mew shows the farmer's desire is not romantic but invasive and predatory.

What to compare it to

Suggested comparisons

The Farmer's Bride and Porphyria's Lover - Both poems use a male dramatic monologue to explore dangerous, possessive love and the silencing of women.
The Farmer's Bride and Love's Philosophy - Both feature a male speaker trying to overcome a woman's reluctance, but they reveal contrasting attitudes to desire and consent.

The Farmer's Bride and Porphyria's Lover

Comparison in a nutshell

Similarities

Point

Both poets use a dramatic monologue to expose the delusional and dangerous mindset of a male speaker who feels he possesses his female partner.

Evidence and explanation

The Farmer's Bride	Porphyria's Lover
The farmer's narrative reveals his belief that he owns his wife ("I chose a maid"), yet he fails to understand her terror. This creates dramatic irony [when the audience knows more than the character], as the reader sees the cruelty he is blind to.	Similarly, Porphyria's lover justifies his actions by claiming she "worshipped" him and that in killing her, he granted her "darling one wish". The dramatic monologue exposes his warped logic to the reader.
Mew's farmer silences his wife through imprisonment ("turned the key upon her, fast"). Her voice is absent from the poem, which is a key part of her oppression.	Likewise, Browning's speaker silences Porphyria permanently by strangling her with her own hair. In both poems, the male speaker's control of the narrative mirrors his physical control over the woman.

Differences

Point

While both poems explore male control, Browning's speaker acts to preserve a perfect moment of love, whereas Mew's farmer is driven by frustration over his wife's rejection.

Evidence and explanation

The Farmer's Bride	Porphyria's Lover
The farmer's desire stems from a lack of connection. His obsession with "the soft young down of her" is threatening because it is unreciprocated and builds towards an unknown, implied violence.	In contrast, the lover kills Porphyria because she gives herself to him completely in that one moment. He murders her to possess that moment forever, believing "That moment she was mine, mine, fair".

Endings comparison

Point

The ending of Porphyria's Lover is chillingly calm and resolved, while The Farmer's Bride ends with unresolved tension and threat.

Evidence and explanation

The Farmer's Bride	Porphyria's Lover
The poem ends with the farmer's obsessive, fragmented thoughts ("her eyes, her hair, her hair!"). The lack of resolution leaves the reader feeling the bride is in imminent danger.	Conversely, Browning's poem ends with a sense of eerie finality. The speaker sits all night with Porphyria's body, noting that "God has not said a word!", suggesting he believes his actions were justified and the story is over.

The Farmer's Bride and Love's Philosophy

Comparison in a nutshell

Similarities

Point

Both poets use imagery from the natural world to frame the speaker's arguments about love and union.

Evidence and explanation

The Farmer's Bride	Love's Philosophy
The farmer uses natural imagery to describe his bride ("shy as a leveret," "straight and slight as a young larch tree"), but these comparisons serve to dehumanise her and frame her as a wild creature to be tamed.	Similarly, Shelley's speaker uses nature ("The fountains mingle with the river / And the rivers with the ocean") as a grand metaphor for why the lovers should be together, arguing that union is a "law divine".

Differences

Point

Shelley's poem is an act of persuasion that respects the woman's choice, whereas Mew's poem explores a situation where the woman's choice has been completely ignored.

Evidence and explanation

The Farmer's Bride	Love's Philosophy
The farmer's desire is possessive and ignores consent. He complains "what to me?" showing his frustration that his "property" is not available to him. The relationship is based on force, not choice.	In contrast, Shelley's poem is structured as a rhetorical argument ending with a question: "What is all this sweet work worth / If thou kiss not me?". Although persuasive, it ultimately acknowledges that her consent is required.
The farmer's animal imagery ("hare", "mouse") diminishes and controls the bride. It frames her as something lesser than human, reinforcing his power over her as her owner.	Conversely, Shelley's natural imagery elevates the idea of love. The speaker connects their potential union to grand, powerful forces like mountains, heaven, and the sea, making his argument feel romantic and idealistic.

Endings comparison

Point

The ending of Love's Philosophy is an open, hopeful question, whereas the ending of The Farmer's Bride is a closed, threatening statement of obsessive desire.

Evidence and explanation

The Farmer's Bride	Love's Philosophy
Mew's poem ends with the farmer's loss of control, his thoughts fragmenting as he obsesses over his wife's body. The final line feels like a prelude to a violation, leaving no room for hope.	In contrast, Shelley's poem ends with a final, persuasive question directed at his lover. The ending is open, leaving the possibility of union hanging in the air and centring on her response.