Poetry - Basic Knowldge 2

Question 1

1. Poem: “The Manhunt”

Answer 1

• Author: Simon Armitage
• Date: 2007
• Context: Explores the physical and emotional scars of a soldier returning from war, as his wife tries to reconnect with him.
• Literary Techniques: Imagery, metaphor, symbolism.

Question 2

2. Poem: “Sonnet 43”

Answer 2

• Author: Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• Date: 1845
• Context: Part of Barrett Browning’s collection “Sonnets from the Portuguese,” expressing intense love and devotion to her husband, Robert Browning.
• Literary Techniques: Sonnet form, metaphor, hyperbole.

Question 3

3. Poem: “London”

Answer 3

• Author: William Blake
• Date: 1794
• Context: Reflects Blake’s social and political criticism of London during the late 18th century, highlighting the suffering of its inhabitants.
• Literary Techniques: Repetition, symbolism, imagery.

Question 4

4. Poem: “The Soldier”

Answer 4

• Author: Rupert Brooke
• Date: 1914
• Context: Written during World War I, “The Soldier” portrays a romanticised view of death in war, glorifying patriotism and sacrifice.
• Literary Techniques: Sonnet form, patriotic imagery, personification.

Question 5

5. Poem: “She Walks in Beauty”

Answer 5

• Author: Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron)
• Date: 1814
• Context: Written about a woman Byron saw at a party, praising her beauty and grace.
• Literary Techniques: Metaphor, imagery, alliteration.

Question 6

6. Poem: “Living Space”

Answer 6

• Author: Imtiaz Dharker
• Date: 2002
• Context: Explores the idea of home and displacement, reflecting on the contrast between poverty and wealth.
• Literary Techniques: Imagery, contrast, symbolism.

Question 7

7. Poem: “As Imperfectly as Grief”

Answer 7

• Author: Emily Dickinson
• Date: 1865
• Context: Reflects on the complex emotions of grief and loss, comparing it to the imperfections in nature.
• Literary Techniques: Metaphor, simile, symbolism.

Question 8

Cozy Apologia

Answer 8

• Author: Rita Dove
• Date: 1986
• Context: Written as a response to her husband’s accident, Dove reflects on the fragility of life and the comfort of love.
• Literary Techniques: Imagery, metaphor, irony.

Question 9

9. Poem: “Valentine”

Answer 9

• Author: Carol Ann Duffy
• Date: 1993
• Context: Challenges conventional notions of love and romance, using unconventional metaphors to describe a relationship.
• Literary Techniques: Metaphor, symbolism, irony.

Question 10

10. Poem: “A Wife in London”

Answer 10

• Author: Thomas Hardy
• Date: 1899
• Context: Set during the Boer War, the poem depicts the tragic consequences of war on a wife who receives news of her husband’s death.
• Literary Techniques: Irony, imagery, contrast.

Question 11

11. Poem: “Death of a Naturalist”

Answer 11

• Author: Seamus Heaney
• Date: 1966
• Context: Reflects Heaney’s childhood experiences and his fascination with nature, exploring themes of growth and loss.
• Literary Techniques: Imagery, metaphor, alliteration.

Question 12

12. Poem: “Hawk Roosting”

Answer 12

• Author: Ted Hughes
• Date: 1957
• Context: Written from the perspective of a hawk, the poem explores themes of power, dominance, and the natural order.
• Literary Techniques: Personification, imagery, symbolism.

Question 13

13. Poem: “To Autumn”

Answer 13

• Author: John Keats
• Date: 1819
• Context: Celebrates the beauty of autumn and the cycle of life, while acknowledging its inevitable decay.
• Literary Techniques: Imagery, personification, ode form.

Question 14

14. Poem: “Afternoons”

Answer 14

• Author: Philip Larkin
• Date: 1960
• Context: Explores the passing of time and the loss of innocence, focusing on the lives of mothers in suburban England.
Literary Techniques: Imagery, metaphor, observation.

Question 15

Poem: “Dulce et Decorum est”

Answer 15

• Author: Wilfred Owen
• Date: 1917
• Context: Owen’s powerful anti-war poem depicts the brutal reality of warfare, challenging the notion of glory in war.
• Literary Techniques: Imagery, simile, irony.

Question 16

Poem: “Mametz Wood”

Answer 16

• Author: Owen Sheers
• Date: 2005
• Context: Inspired by the Battle of the Somme during World War I, the poem explores the lasting impact of war on the landscape and memory.
• Literary Techniques: Imagery, metaphor, alliteration.

Question 17

Poem: “The Prelude”

Answer 17

• Author: William Wordsworth
• Date: 1805
• Context: Considered Wordsworth’s autobiographical masterpiece, “The Prelude” traces his development as a poet and his spiritual relationship with nature, romantic poet
• Literary Techniques: Blank verse, imagery, personification.

Question 18

Ozymandias

Answer 18

• Poet: Percy Bysshe Shelley
• Date: 1817
• Context: “Ozymandias” was written during a friendly competition between Shelley and his friend Horace Smith to write the best poem inspired by a fallen statue of Ramesses II (Ozymandias) in Egypt. The poem reflects on the transience of human power and the inevitable decay of all empires.
• Literary Techniques:Irony, Imagery, Alliteration, Symbolism