1. “The New House”

2. Now first, as I shut the door, I was alone In the new house ; and the wind Began to moan. Old at once was the house, And I was old ; My ears were teased with the dread Of what was foretold, Nights of storm, days of mist, without end ; Sad days when the sun Shone in vain : old griefs and griefs Not yet begun. All was foretold me ; naught Could I foresee ; But I learned how the wind would sound After these things should be.

3.  Edward Thomas (1878–1917) was born in London.  degree in History at Oxford University and went on to become a journalist and writer.  He started to write poetry in 1914, after some encouragement from Robert Frost.  was living near the village of Steep in Hampshire and this place inspired some of his poems.

4.  Before his poetry made it into print, Thomas was killed at the battle of Arras during World War I.  Poets such as Philip Larkin, Derek Walcott and W H Auden have suggested they have been influenced by Thomas’s work. Ted Hughes acknowledged his debt to Thomas when he referred to him as ‘the father of us all’.

5.  The poem ‘The New House’ is about a house that Thomas lived in near Steep in Hampshire.

6.  regular rhyme scheme and line lengths  alternates between lines of four syllables and lines of six to nine syllables.  some lines inverted  Indentation  All makes it seem a very traditionally structured poem.

7.  Consider the structure of the poem and how it might relate to the house which is itself a ‘structure’.

8.  The following slides highlight key phrases in the poem.  Use them to make notes

9. Now first, as I shut the door, I was alone In the new house ; and the wind Began to moan.

10. Now first, as I shut the door, I was alone In the new house ; and the wind Began to moan.

11. Old at once was the house, And I was old ; My ears were teased with the dread Of what was foretold,

12. Old at once was the house, And I was old ; My ears were teased with the dread Of what was foretold,

13. Nights of storm, days of mist, without end ; Sad days when the sun Shone in vain : old griefs and griefs Not yet begun.

14. Nights of storm, days of mist, without end ; Sad days when the sun Shone in vain : old griefs and griefs Not yet begun.

15. All was foretold me ; naught Could I foresee ; But I learned how the wind would sound After these things should be.

16. All was foretold me ; naught Could I foresee ; But I learned how the wind would sound After these things should be.

17. Now first, as I shut the door, I was alone In the new house ; and the wind Began to moan. Old at once was the house, And I was old ; My ears were teased with the dread Of what was foretold, Nights of storm, days of mist, without end ; Sad days when the sun Shone in vain : old griefs and griefs Not yet begun. All was foretold me ; naught Could I foresee ; But I learned how the wind would sound After these things should be.

18.  Link the poem to others in the anthology.

19.  How does Thomas create an ominous and foreboding atmosphere in the poem?  Write 1 PEE paragraph on:  language,  Structure  theme