A Complaint (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)

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A Complaint

Each GCSE poetry anthology contains 15 poems, and in your exam question you will be given one poem – printed in full – and asked to compare this printed poem to another. The exam is closed-book which means you will not have access to the second poem. This does not mean you need to remember every line from memory, but you do need to understand and remember aspects of the poem. Understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:

The meaning of the poem
The ideas and messages of the poet
How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods
How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology

Below is a guide to William Wordsworth’s poem 'A Complaint' from the Relationships anthology. It includes:

Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods
Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes
What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

Exam Tip

As part of the Relationships anthology, 'A Complaint' examines themes related to intimate love and loss. The exam question asks you to compare the way such ideas are presented in two anthology poems.

It is therefore as important that you learn how 'A Complaint' compares and contrasts with other poems in the anthology rather than understanding the poem in isolation. See the section below on ‘What to compare it to’ for detailed comparisons of A Complaint and other poems in the anthology.

Overview

In order to answer an essay question on any poem it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

The poem in a nutshell
A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section
A commentary of each of these sections, outlining William Wordsworth’s intention and message

'A Complaint' in a nutshell

A Complaint is a poem written by the Romantic poet William Wordsworth in 1807. The poem has been interpreted as a reflection on lost friendship but it can be seen as an exploration of lost love generally.

'A Complaint' overview

Lines 1–2

“There is a change—and I am poor;

Your love hath been, nor long ago,”

Translation

The poem begins describing a change in an individual’s circumstances:

The connotations of “poor” suggest a less rich and happy life without love rather than a change in economic circumstances

The speaker says “Your love hath been”, meaning the speaker’s love has gone away:

They add that it was not “long ago”

Poet's intention

Wordsworth’s poem immediately implies a lost love causes a damaging change in the speaker’s life

Lines 3–6

“A fountain at my fond heart's door,

Whose only business was to flow;

And flow it did; not taking heed

Of its own bounty, or my need.”

Translation

These lines describe the relationship as plentiful and generous

The speaker compares the relationship to a “fountain” at their “heart’s door”, suggesting an outpouring of love
The love does not take “heed” (pay attention) to limits or selfish needs

Poet's intention

Wordsworth describes the relationship as endlessly loving with rich imagery
Repetition of the word “flow” emphasises the love’s many benefits

Lines 7–8

“What happy moments did I count!

Blest was I then all bliss above!”

Translation

The speaker remembers their past when the pair were together and exclaims how happy they were
The speaker says they were blessed with happiness (“bliss”) from above (perhaps heaven)

Poet's intention

Wordsworth uses hyperbolic language and exclamations to present the strong emotions as the speaker reflects on their relationship
This emphasises not only the joy the love brought but also the pain they are in now

Lines 9–12

“Now, for that consecrated fount

Of murmuring, sparkling, living love,

What have I? shall I dare to tell?

A comfortless and hidden well.”

Translation

The poem returns from a memory to the present, marked by the word “Now”
The speaker contrasts their life with metaphorical imagery:

The once holy or “consecrated” fountain of their love that was “sparkling” with life is now a “comfortless” well
The speaker alludes to being isolated with the adjective “hidden”

Poet's intention

Wordsworth draws attention to the stark loss in an individual’s life when they lose a loved one
This is emphasised with a juxtaposition between a “sparkling”, flowing fountain and a dark, uncomfortable well to convey feelings of hopelessness

Lines 13–16

“A well of love—it may be deep—

I trust it is,—and never dry:

What matter? if the waters sleep

In silence and obscurity.”

Translation

The speaker returns to describing the well to convey their intense emotions:

They believe the well they feel they are in may be “deep” and full of water but nothing matters if the water is silent and hidden (in “obscurity”)

Poet's intention

Wordsworth highlights the speaker’s sense of isolation and grief by developing the metaphorical image of a well
The speaker’s recollections break and their tone implies frustration and resignation

Lines 17–18

“—Such change, and at the very door

Of my fond heart, hath made me poor.”

Translation

The poem’s conclusion begins with a pause that may suggest a breakdown in the speaker’s emotions
They return to the same ideas mentioned in the poem’s first lines:

The speaker says that as the change affects his heart this has made him poor

Poet's intention

Wordsworth’s poem has a cyclical structure that reflects an unresolved ending for the speaker
Their bleak future is implied in the speaker’s distressing conclusions

Exam Tip

The exam question will ask you to compare how the given poem presents a key theme with another one from the anthology. It is always worth starting your answer using the wording of the question, summarising the key theme in the poem. This demonstrates to the examiner that you have understood what the question is asking of you, but also that you have a good understanding of the poems themselves. For example, "'A Complaint' explores the key themes of love and loss. This theme can be linked to…” . See the section ‘What to compare it to’ for further suggestions.

Writer’s methods

Although this section is organised into three separate sections – form, structure and language – it is important to take an integrated approach, focusing on the main themes and ideas of the poem and then evaluating how Wordsworth’s choices of language, structure and form contribute to these ideas. In essence, how and why the poet has made the choices they have, in relation to their intentions and message.

Focusing on the poet’s main ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. In the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Wordsworth’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

Form
Structure
Language

Exam Tip

To gain the highest marks in this question, your use of subject terminology should be judicious. This means it is best to judge what evidence to use. Therefore, try to choose relevant evidence (which may include quotations and usually includes a language or subject term) to support your analysis.

The last thing examiners want to see is what they call “technique spotting”, where a student identifies the use of a metaphor without any analysis about how the poet’s choice to use such a technique contributes to their overall message.

Form

The poem’s form reflects an individual who speaks intimately to a lost loved one. Wordsworth shows that the speaker is unable to come to terms with the changes brought by the end of the relationship.

Theme	Evidence	Poet's intention
Loss and acceptance	The poem is a first-person reflection that takes the form of a conversation to a silent listener: The speaker addresses a listener: “Your love hath been”	Wordsworth’s depiction of a conversation creates an intimate tone and reinforces the close bond shared
	The poem consists of three stanzas of six lines or sestets: This divides the speaker’s reflections as they compare their life with love and without it	The regular form indicates a speaker who is attempting to discipline their thoughts despite strong emotions as they reflect on their loss
	However, the poem ends as it begins: The speaker is by a pond on a winter’s day	The cyclical structure represents the unresolved feelings of the speaker after their reflection
	Wordsworth shows the hopelessness felt by an individual who reflects on the impact of a loving relationship

Structure

The structure of the poem indicates that the speaker attempts to control their emotions, yet a melancholic and resigned tone with outbursts of emotion present an individual’s deep feelings of love and loss.

Theme	Evidence	Poet's intention
Memory of love	The poem’s rhythm is in a regular iambic tetrameter: This creates, generally, shorter sentences and reflects a sad, resigned voice For example in the line “There is a change— and I am poor;”	The speaker in the poem is presented as depressed about their new life without love: They draw attention immediately to how “poor” they are (not economically but emotionally)
	Each stanza of the poem follows an ababcc rhyme scheme which creates a repetitive rhythm	This is suggestive of repeated similarly painful reflections and conversations
	Enjambment is used sparingly to create a slower pace: However, caesurae and questions disrupt the rhythm, for example: “What have I? shall I dare to tell?” Exclamations emphasise how happy the relationship was: “What happy moments did I count!”	The speaker’s unstable voice as he reflects to himself (and speaks silently to his loved one) shows the depth of love they shared together
	Wordsworth presents the mixed emotions of an individual remembering the happiness of a relationship and mourning its loss

Language

The poem, although believed to be about the friendship between William Wordsworth and fellow Romantic poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, speaks about the benefits of a relationship and the many riches love can bring.

Theme	Evidence	Poet's intention
Relationships and love	Emphasis is placed on the generous bounty of the relationship using alliteration: Such as in “fountain” and “fond” or “Blest” and “bliss”	Wordsworth draws attention to rich imagery to convey the happiness in the relationship
	Metaphorical language represents love as a fountain: It also evokes images of flowing water (the poem repeats the word “flow”) This is emphasised with present-tense continuous verbs such as “murmuring, sparkling, living love”	Wordsworth’s imagery presents love as vital and ceaseless
	However, the poem contrasts the “fountain of love” with a darker image: The speaker is now in a “comfortless and hidden well”	Wordsworth ends the poem with imagery evoking a dark, hidden well to represent the huge change the loved one’s absence brings
	Wordsworth conveys love as vital to happiness while exploring the emptiness experienced when it is lost

Context

Examiners are clear that context should not be written about separately. It is therefore important that you do not write about context separately, or include irrelevant biographical information about William Wordsworth or the Romantic era. The best way to include context is to start with the key themes and ideas in the poem, and then include an exploration of why the writer may have chosen to address these themes and ideas. This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Wordsworth explores:

Loss and acceptance
Memory of love

Loss and acceptance

In 1795 William Wordsworth met fellow Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge
They began a collaborative friendship, with Coleridge acting as mentor
In 1798, guided by Coleridge, Wordsworth published his famous collection, “Lyrical Ballads”
This collection is considered pivotal in the development of Romantic poetry because of the way it deals with the emotional experiences of the everyday person
However, the relationship between the poets became conflicted:

Coleridge developed an addiction to opium and fell in love with Wordworth’s sister-in-law, Sara Hutchinson
Coleridge left England and the friendship came to an end

His later collection “Poems, Volume 2”, includes the poem A Complaint:

'A Complaint' is often considered to be about Wordsworth's sense of loss at the ending of this friendship
The metaphor of a fountain in the poem may symbolise the lessons Wordsworth learned under Coleridge's guidance
It may also allude to the collaborative and inspiring friendship

Memory of love

William Wordsworth, a leading Romantic poet, was born 7 April 1770 in the Lake District
Wordsworth’s life may be reflected in his poetry, which covers themes of joy and sorrow in pastoral settings
'A Complaint' is an introspective poem that examines the speaker's inner world, typical of Romantic poetry
His poetry explores the feelings and thoughts of everyday people to accentuate the poignancy of everyday experiences
Wordsworth is famous for Romantic poetry that uses the language of the average person rather than the heightened sophistication of traditional poetry:

'A Complaint' uses simple imagery, such as doors to symbolise love entering and leaving his life
The poem uses simple language, such as “fond heart”

Nevertheless, the unresolved ending deviates from conventional Romantic poetry, which usually offers a solution or epiphany (often found in nature):

In this poem the epiphany comes, but it is a tragic one
The speaker repeats how “poor” they feel and the poem ends as it begins

The poem emphasises the cyclical nature of grief unhealed by nature or reflection

What to compare it to

The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about love or relationships, in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that 'A Complaint' explores the ideas of romantic love and loss, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:

'A Complaint' and 'Love's Dog'
'A Complaint' and 'Neutral Tones'
'A Complaint' and 'The Manhunt'

For each pair of poems, you will find:

The comparison in a nutshell
Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

Exam Tip

You will be expected to explore the poem(s) in depth and make perceptive comments about the way themes are presented and conveyed by language, form and structure. It is therefore important that you have a thorough knowledge of key ideas, such as perspective, form, imagery or structure in all of the poems, rather than just memorising a series of quotations. It is also essential that you not only write about the named poem, but compare it to one other in the anthology. Only writing about the poem given on the paper will severely limit your marks.

'A Complaint' and 'Love's Dog'

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both William Wordsworth’s 'A Complaint' and Jen Hadfield’s 'Love's Dog' present relationships as contradictory in nature. Yet the speakers also describe love’s power. Nevertheless, while Wordsworth portrays a melancholic and intimate conversation in a Romantic poem, Hadfield’s poem is an unconventional and confident post-modern reflection.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both speakers describe their relationships’ powerful impact in their lives
Evidence and analysis	'A Complaint'	'Love's Dog'
	Wordsworth’s imagery represents love as a powerful force: Their relationship is compared to a holy fountain, a “consecrated fount” It is endless and vibrant: “murmuring, sparkling, living love” It is full of generous rewards, a “bounty”	Hadfield’s imagery relates love to magical treasure to show a similar idea: Love is described as a “shrinking potion”, suggestive of magical power: The poem refers to the magical story of Alice in Wonderland Love is related to treasure (“doubloons”) and pirates to connote to adventure
	Wordsworth’s poem emphasises the comfort the relationship brings: The emotive phrase “fond heart” suggests contentment The poet alludes to selfless care within the relationship A rhyming couplet stresses the words “heed” and “need”	Hadfield’s metaphorical imagery connotes to nurturing relationships: The idea of food is suggested in the line “What I love about love is its Eat-me/Drink-me” The speaker refers to care-giving in the line “What I love about love is its zookeeper – you”
	The poets both present love as exciting and vital as well as comforting

Topic sentence	Both poets convey the pain and loss resulting from a conflicted relationship
Evidence and analysis	'A Complaint'	'Love's Dog'
	Wordsworth uses contrasting imagery to represent the difference in the speaker’s life as a result of love shared and lost: They describe the isolation of grief by contrasting the “sparkling” fountain to a “comfortless and hidden well”	Similarly, Hadfield uses a metaphor that conveys the complex emotions love can bring: The speaker says love is a “diagnosis” and that they hate its “prognosis” They describe love as a “sick parrot”
	Wordsworth uses sibilance to highlight the speaker’s dark mood as a result of lost love: The line “if the waters sleep/In silence and obscurity” creates a sinister tone and may reflect the speaker’s lonely frustration	Hadfield uses imagery, highlighted by alliteration, to present love’s darker elements: Phrases such as “bird-bones”, “burnt toast and bonemeal” and “bent cigarette” link love to destruction
	Both poems conjure vivid allusions to present the conflicting elements of relationships

Differences:

Topic sentence	Wordsworth portrays a melancholy and intimate conversation in a Romantic poem, whereas Hadfield’s poem is an unconventional and informal assessment of love
Evidence and analysis	'A Complaint'	'Love's Dog'
	Wordworth’s first-person poem is an intimate conversation that reflects sadly on a relationship: Its melancholic tone is created in the regular rhyme structure Questions present the speaker’s distress: “What have I? shall I dare to tell?”	However, Hadfield presents a first-person personal reflection that conveys a confident, matter-of-fact voice: The repetitive “What I” makes the the speaker’s self-assured voice the focus of the poem Couplets emphatically contrast what the speaker loves and hates about love Simple rhymes or imperfect rhymes like “me” and “me” create an irreverent tone
	Wordsworth’s poem maintains a slow pace with pauses at line-ends and with caesurae: This contributes to the introspective nature of the poem and its Romantic traditions	Hadfield’s unconventional poem does not use punctuation: However, there is one caesura in “its zookeeper – you” This addresses the listener directly
	While Wordsworth’s sombre poem reflects the inner thoughts of a lonely speaker, Harding’s is a light-hearted and informal presentation of love

Exam Tip

It is a good idea to outline your choice of second poem in your introduction to your response, with a clear overview of the overarching themes within both poems. You can then use the theme to move between both poems to provide the substance to illustrate your arguments. However, this does not mean that you cannot focus on one poem first, and then the other, linking ideas back to the main poem. You should choose whichever structure suits you best, as long as comparison is embedded and ideas for both texts are well-developed.

'A Complaint' and 'Neutral Tones'

Comparison in a nutshell:

This is an effective comparative choice to explore the presentation of relationships and loss across the Relationships poems. However, while Wordsworth’s poem is a melancholic reflection, Hardy’s poem depicts the bitterness of lost love.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems portray how the loss of love brings sadness
Evidence and analysis	'A Complaint'	'Neutral Tones'
	Wordsworth’s speaker laments the change that comes with lost love: “There is a change—and I am poor”	Similarly, 'Neutral Tones' focuses on emotional detachment and the decay of a relationship: The speaker describes their conversation by the pond in terms of wintry death
	Wordsworth maintains a regular rhythm but uses short lines to emphasise the speaker’s sad tone	In Hardy’s poem, too, the rhythm remains consistent throughout the poem to reflect the speaker’s repressed melancholy
	Wordsworth uses a metaphor to describe the loss of love as bleak and lonely: “A comfortless and hidden well” where “waters sleep/In silence and obscurity”	Hardy also employs visual and sensory imagery to create a bleak atmosphere: The leaves have “fallen from an ash” and are “gray”
	The poems both reflect the sense of overwhelming isolation that comes from losing a loved one

Topic sentence	Both poems offer personal perspectives on their relationships
Evidence and analysis	'A Complaint'	'Neutral Tones'
	Wordsworth’s poem is a personal reflection that expresses the first-person speaker’s perspectives on their relationship	Hardy’s poem is also narrated in the first person and the voice is introspective and reflective
	The speaker in 'A Complaint' refers fondly to memories of their loved one: “Blest was I then”	Hardy’s poem also presents personal observations and reflections on their past: They refer to “tedious riddles of years ago”
	Wordsworth’s speaker’s frustration is conveyed with rhetorical questions to suggest feelings of emptiness: They ask “What have I?” and “What matter?”	Hardy’s poem maintains a nonchalant tone to suggest repressed pain: The speaker conveys resignation with informal language: “some words played between us to and fro”
	The poets convey the powerlessness that comes with the ending of a relationship

Differences:

Topic sentence	While Wordsworth portrays the frustration of grief, Hardy presents bitterness at the end of a broken relationship
Evidence and analysis	'A Complaint'	'Neutral Tones'
	The poem’s speaker is emotional in Wordsworth’s poem: A rhyme scheme of ababcc conveys a desperate tone	Hardy’s speaker, however, is resentful: Four regular quatrains that rhyme in an abba pattern create an ironic voice
	Wordsworth ends with an emotional outpouring with enjambment and a rhyming couplet: ”—Such change, and at the very door/Of my fond heart, hath made me poor.”	However, Hardy’s poem ends with a bitter conclusion that implies a bleak future: “and the God curst sun, and a tree,/And a pond edged with grayish leaves.”
	Wordsworth uses alliteration to emphasise the love they shared: “A fountain at my fond heart's door”	In contrast, oxymoron presents discontent between the pair: “The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing”
	Wordsworth’s poem is a lamentation of loneliness and grief, whereas Hardy’s poem is a cynical comment on ending relationships

'A Complaint' and 'The Manhunt'

Comparison in a nutshell:

This is an effective comparative choice to explore the presentation of relationships and loss across the Relationships poems. However, while Wordsworth’s poem depicts the loneliness of a lost relationship, Armitage portrays an intimate reflection on emotional distance.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems portray how the loss of love brings sadness
Evidence and analysis	'A Complaint'	'The Manhunt'
	Wordsworth’s speaker grieves the change that comes with lost love: “There is a change—and I am poor”	Armitage’s speaker, too, suggests a change: “After the first phase,/after passionate nights and intimate days”
	Wordsworth maintains a regular rhythm but uses short lines to emphasise the speaker’s sad tone	Similarly, Armitage maintains couplets throughout the poem to present a melancholic tone: This also reflects repetitive moments like the one described
	Wordsworth uses a metaphor to describe the loss of love as bleak and lonely: “A comfortless and hidden well” where “waters sleep/In silence and obscurity”	Armitage uses metaphorical imagery to convey loss and pain, such as a “frozen river” and a “fractured rudder”
	The poems both reflect the sense of overwhelming sadness that comes from loss of some kind within a relationship

Topic sentence	Both poems offer personal perspectives on their relationships
Evidence and analysis	'A Complaint'	'The Manhunt'
	Wordsworth’s poem is a silent address to a loved one but the first-person speaker is introspective	Armitage presents a similarly introspective poem as a speaker describes their thoughts about their loved one
	Wordsworth represents the love in the relationship as alive: The speaker uses present-tense verbs to a “murmuring, sparkling, living love” They use a metaphor comparing the loving relationship to a fountain that has an endless “flow”	Similarly, Armitage depicts the care and tenderness of the relationship with a pattern of verbs to present its physical nature: The speaker would “explore”, “mind” and “attend” to the loved one
	Both poets convey intimate and tender reflections on relationships

Differences:

Topic sentence	While Wordsworth portrays the powerlessness of grief, Armitage conveys a relationship attempting to bridge emotional distance
Evidence and analysis	'A Complaint'	'The Manhunt'
	In 'A Complaint', the speaker’s frustration is conveyed with rhetorical questions to suggest feelings of emptiness: They ask “What have I?” and “What matter?”	Armitage repeats the phrase “only then” to reflect the rebuilding of intimacy
	Hardy’s speaker is emotional: A rhyme scheme of ababcc conveys a desperate tone	Armitage, however, creates a calm tone with repeated couplets and enjambment
	Wordsworth ends with a bleak conclusion that creates a cyclical structure: ”—Such change, and at the very door/Of my fond heart, hath made me poor.”	However, Armitage closes his poem on a hopeful note with the speaker’s enthusiastic: “Then, and only then, did I come close.”
	Wordsworth’s poem is a lamentation of frustrated loneliness while Armitage conveys the hope of regaining lost love

Exam Tip

Choose whichever poem you are able to make the most in-depth comparisons with in the exam. For example, you could choose to compare the presentation of conflicted relationships in 'A Complaint' and 'Love's Dog'. Or you might wish to explore the idea of loss of love in 'A Complaint' and 'Neutral Tones'. What is important is that you view the poems thematically, with a clear emphasis on relationships. This will give you a better framework in which to write your response in the exam.

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A Complaint (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)

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Author: Sam Evans