6.1.1

Summary & Structure

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Summary of Letters From Yorkshire

Letters from Yorkshire by Maura Dooley contrasts the indoor life of the narrator ‘me’ with the outdoor life of the ‘you/he’ figure. Maura Dooley is contrasting how two very opposite people function in this relationship.

Background

Background

  • Maura Dooley lived in Yorkshire for several years before returning to London.
  • She published this poem in 2002.
  • The poem is not a traditionally romantic one. Instead Dooley explores the everyday aspects of a relationship that makes it special.
Summary

Summary

  • The poem begins with the narrator imagining her lover witnessing the first lapwings of the season, then running in to write her letter.
  • The poem then goes on to explore how differently the pair function in the world – she is indoors and writing, whilst he is outdoors and active.
  • She wonders if his life is filled with greater meaning as it is more active and closely linked with nature.
  • She is thankful for his letters as they allow for a connection between his outdoor, active world and her internal world of words.
Romance

Romance

  • In this poem, Dooley celebrates smaller, and sometimes more powerful, acts of love.
  • For the narrator, the act of her partner writing her letters is an important act of love.
  • By coming in from his outdoor world and entering her world of written words, he is trying to share something important to him in a way that is important to her.
  • When Dooley states that this isn’t romance – she doesn’t mean that it isn’t a loving relationship. She means that this letter writing doesn’t fit the traditional definition of a grand romantic gesture.

Structure and Form in Letters From Yorkshire

Here are some examples of the ways Dooley uses structure and form in Letters from Yorkshire:

Form

Form

  • Dooley has chosen to write the poem in free verse, instead of a more rigid poetic form.
    • This gives the poem a conversational tone, more similar to the tone of a letter.
    • This also reflects the less formal act of romance she's describing in the poem.
Enjambment

Enjambment

  • She also uses enjambment in the several of the stanzas, so there is continuous movement between the stanzas.
    • This could be seen to reflect the continuous changes of the season.
    • It also adds to the sense of the poem being conversational and free flowing.
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6.1

Letters from Yorkshire Analysis

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7

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7.1

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Follower Analysis

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Grade 9 - Comparisons

16.1

Grade 9 - Comparisons

16.1.1Grade 9 - Comparisons
17

Recap: Main Quotes

17.1

Recap: Main Quotes

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Practice questions on Summary & Structure

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  1. 1
    What year did Maura Dooley write _Letters from Yorkshire_ in?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    Summary of _Letters From Yorkshire_Put in order
  3. 3
    Features of _Letters from Yorkshire_:True / false
  4. 4
    Did Maura Dooley ever live in Yorkshire?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    Which of these are features of the structure and form of _Letters from Yorkshire_?True / false
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End of Topic Test - Sonnet 29 & Neutral Tones

Themes