Power and Conflict Poetry Flashcards
Who wrote Remains?
Simon Armitage
What is the context of Remains by Simon Armitage
These are poems of survivors - the damaged, exhausted men “who return from war in body but never, wholly, in mind”
Summary of Remains?
Speaker describes shooting a looter dead in Iraq and how it has affected him
Key Quote from Remains?
“his bloody life in my bloody hands” - alludes to Macbeth: Macbeth the warrior with PTSD and Lady Macbeth’s bloody hands and guilt
who wrote Exposure
Wilfred owen
Context of Exposure
written in 1917 before Owen went on to win the military cross for bravery and was then killed in battle
Context of Exposure
written in 1917 before Owen went on to win the military cross for bravery and was then killed in battle
summary of Exposure
speaker describes war as a battle against the weather and conditions
Exposure key quote
“the merciless iced east winds that knive us..” personification (cruel and murderous wind); sibilance (cutting/slicing sound of wind; ellipsis (never-ending)
who wrote war photographer?
Carol Ann Duffy
context of war photographer
Duffy was inspired to write this poem by her friendship with a war photographer
summary of war photographer
tells the story of a war photographer developing photos at home in England; as a photo develops he begins to remember the horrors of war - painting a contrast to the safety of his dark room
war photographer key quote
“running children in nightmare heat” - emotive imagery with connotations of hell
who wrote Storm on the Island?
Seamus Heaney
Context of Storm on the Island?
this poem was published in 1966 at the start of ‘the Troubles” in Northern Ireland. A period of deep unrest and violence between those who wanted to remain part of the UK and those who wanted to become part of ireland.
