anthology poems Flashcards
(27 cards)
1
Q
the manhunt points
A
- written from the pov of laura beddoes, whose husband eddie beddoes had ptsd from the war
- physical and psychological suffering of a soldier and his family on his return from war
- enduring strength of love and relationships through hardships
- she allows the passing of time, making an effort to and wondering whether she will actually find her husband and recapture the relationship they once shared
- enjambment / first person narrator / half-rhymes / metaphors (frozen river, porcelain collar bone, foetus of metal)
- AWIL
2
Q
sonnet 43 points
A
- written for her husband she eloped with despite her father’s disapproval
- about the all-embracing and uplifting nature of love
- the relationship is so divine, believing that her love can transcend death - (also maybe above religion, and her husband is her salvation, because of losing faith in saints?)
- purity and spirituality of love - no sexual references
- petrarchan sonnet / metaphor / repetition / enjambment (natural flowing speech)
- CA / SWIB
3
Q
living space points
A
- describes the slums of mumbai, and how people migrate from all over india in search for a better life-HOPE
- the homes are fragile and could collapse at any moment, in the same way the lives of the people are insecure
- it is miraculous that the people and buildings survive, through the difficult conditions
- the community is emboldened by the faith and hope and determination that things will improve, giving them a bit of power.
- uneven free verse / simple language / personification / symbolism+imagery
- LON / OZY
4
Q
as imperceptibly as grief points
A
- recluse and a carer for her mother who passed away, whom the poem was written about
- slow, unnoticeable passing of summer, in the same way a person gradually recovers from grief TITLE
- end of a life, and her trying to make sense of death (“into the beautiful”)
- a struggle with religious belief, in the sense that god’s grace is something polite, but slightly disturbing and doesn’t last.
- simile / personification of nature / metaphor of death / enjambment (thoughts)
- OZY / AWIL
5
Q
valentine points
A
- several long-term relationships with men and women, so she likes to break conventions in her poetry and look at things in new ways
- honest and open attitude towards relationships, rejecting conventional ideas
- love can be pleasurable
- but also PAINFUL and TOXIC and DANGEROUS and POSSESSIVE
- uneven free verse / extended metaphor / negatives / simile / adjectives
- CA
6
Q
to autumn points
A
- keats had a deep appreciation for nature and wrote this ode after a countryside walk. he was dying
- nature is presented as in a warm, bright season full of optimism and plenty
- passing of time through stanzas ( early - mid - end of autumn), but each as beautiful as the other as presented through harvest
- underlying mood of sadness, because winter (APPROACHING DEATH) is coming - context link
- ode of praise / alliteration / personification / onomatopoeia / metaphor
- DOAN
7
Q
afternoons points
A
- during a time of great social time after wartime austerity, though there were still clearly defined male/female roles - women didn’t work after marriage
- time is passing, the season is changing and women are getting older as their family life brings the women disillusionment and is mundane
- the romance/wedding/courting is now dead, despite teenagers still using them,
- youth is fading - the children and lovers will follow the same life, they just don’t know it yet
- simple language / boring unromantic structure / metaphor/ sibilance
- CA / TPR
8
Q
dulce et decorum est points
A
- honest and brutal presentation of World War One, published after owen’s death a year after the war
- wounded, traumatised men and intense suffering of soldiers, with an eyewitness account dying in a gas attack
- danger and urgency in a war setting
- speaks to the propagandists pleading to understand the truth about the war - an unglorified version
- similes / exclamations / alliteration / graphic detail / direct address
- TS
9
Q
mametz wood points
A
- refers to the Battle of Somme where skeletons were still being discovered on a regular basis 85 years later
- passing of time - time grows older, but the soldiers never did
- the soldiers were vulnerable and their deaths were inevitable
- graphic description evoking the horros of war, but strangely the unity and support of each other
- list / disruption of long lines between short lines / alliteration / metaphor / simile
- TS / AWIL
10
Q
london opener
A
- William Blake uses “London” to explore the lack of power and freedom in a city with as much inequality as London. Blake illustrates how London has changed negatively over time beyond recognition due to its industrialisation, to the point where it has become almost hellish in how bleak and hopeless it is. There is such a lacking in individuality, that they are all described by Blake in the same manner - as inhabitants on the lower end of the social spectrum whose faces are marked with melancholic suffering. OZYMANDIAS / Living Space
11
Q
london points + quotes + techniques
A
- “I wander thro’ each charter’d street” - he is walking aimlessly around London - it’s not a pleasant place to be. he is also trying to emphasise through the word “charter’d” that the children are caged, and there is no place free from government control, because even the streets and the Thames, which are for the people are privately owned
- “The mind forg’d manacles I hear” ALLITERATION - almost hypnosis-like all the people are chained by the hands, and by the brain, losing it almost. ‘manacles’ also suggests the people have no freedom, and entrappped in poverty and misery. it is a hellish experience, and blake hearing it means he is getting closer and closer himself.
- “flow…woe” RHYME suggests a sense of inevitability, because as long as the Thames is flowing, there will always be woe. woe is everywhere, in every face he meets, from the babies to the adults. MONOSYLLABIC words have a simplicity that belie the dark and complex subject matters like the plight of mankind. it’s almost like it has always been like this, and blake has no hope of it improving - LS
- “black’ning church appalls” CONTRAST churches aren’t typically blackening, what’s is meant to be divine, pure and meaningful is now blackened - CONTEXT LINK CoE corruption
- “harlot’s curse… marriage hearse” RHYME - the sound he hears are prostitutes cursing their children, painting a sad and sordid picture of London. SYMBOLISM+OXYMORON of a hearse is the idea that it represents death and mourning, even in marriage, which should be a celebration of life and love , suggesting there is nothing positive in what he sees - his final message is that death and pain are inevitable, especially in London.
12
Q
the soldier opener
A
Rupert Brooke wrote “The Soldier” as a deeply patriotic and idealistic poem that explores a soldier’s love for his homeland, England, which is personified as a nurturing paradise. There is a patriotic and uplifting tone as Brooke stresses that he is willing to sacrifice himself for his country, appearing to romanticise and idealise the war that would cause this. This heavily contrasts the true horrific conditions a soldier has to experience, but instead, positively displaying the theme of martyrdom throughout as a result. A WIFE IN LONDON
13
Q
the soldier points + quotes + techniques
A
- PETRARCHAN SONNET / IAMBIC PENTAMETER - LOVE for the country, and rhythmical tone gives a sense of formality and timelessness, aligning with contemplative tone.
- “If I should die, think only this of me.” CONDITIONAL CLAUSE + SHOULD - acceptance of death ADVERB - gloorifies propaganda, and loss of individualism or personality ; it’s remote and unrealistic (no wonder-CONTEXT LINK)
- “A pulse in the Eternal mind” IMAGERY it is the heart of the poem, signifying his own heart which will always beat for England. METAPHOR or Eternal revealing a belief in the afterlife, with religious imagery, showing his love as divine, and righteous by God
- “bore, shaped, made aware” PERSONIFIES England as a mother figure, showing the intensity of his unconditional love and connection. Also creates a warm, peaceful picture of England which seems to be uppermost in the soldier’s mind.
- “In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.” HEAVY RELIGIOUS IMAGERY - this is approved by God. REPETITION of england/english 6 times suggests poem was, not just patriotic, but jingoistic SEMANTIC FIELD of happiness, romaticising England as some utopia.
14
Q
she walks in beauty opener
A
Lord Byron uses “She Walks in Beauty” as a vehicle to celebrate female beauty, in both a woman;s external appearance, and her inner goodness. It is an idealised portrait of a woman the poet has just met for the first time, and though he is impressed by her physical beauty, he also feels this must reflect her inner beauty. Love is portrayed as a major theme throughout the poem, but it is not a personal relationship; rather, Byron admires her from a distance, not expecting anything in return. COZY APOLOGIA
15
Q
she walks in beauty points + quotes + techniques
A
- THREE PERFECT SIX-LINE STANZAS / IAMBIC TETRAMETER / ABABAB CDCDCD EFEFEF - strong and unwavering, much like the woman’s beauty. very typical and traditional structure of a Romantic poet, which reflects the traditional theme of admiring a woman’s beauty from a distance - conventional actions
- “Like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies” ALLITERATION / SUBLIME / COMPARING woman to a perfect night sky with bright stars and not a cloud in the sky. there are connotations of mystery and beauty, and it’s an unconventional comparison. alliteration emphasises her perfection
- “One heart the more, One ray the less” ANTITHESIS - the woman’s beauty is so delicately placed, created by God, so it’s divine, and basically perfect. it is also a perfect balance of light and day, so her beauty is constant, night and day
- “So soft, so calm, yet eloquent… smiles…tints…” - TRICOLON - emphasis, to the point where her beauty is so admirable that it is genuinely unbearable SIBILANCE - creates a calm, soothing mood, just like the woman’s thoughts and behaviours
- “A heart whose love is innocent!” ENDING of poem on a celebratory tone of her morals and virtues - meaning as much as he might be infatuated by her beauty, it is what is inside that really counts. it sums up his admiration for the woman in an emotional, but calm and appreciative manner.
16
Q
cozy apologia opener
A
Rita Dove uses “Cozy Apologia” as a vehicle to show the depth in the idea of safety in a relationship - it brings health and positivity, but with that, depression, destruction and “the blues”. Dove explores the theme of love in a realistic modern setting, using the extended metaphor of a hurricane to depict the multifacetedness of her feelings concerning her relationship. SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY + A WIFE IN LONDON
17
Q
cozy apologia points + quotes + techniques
A
- “Cozy Apologia -for Fred” CONNOTATIONS of the idea of cosiness being under attack, feeling the value but also the limitations, longing for more passion DEDICATION - traditional dedication, she means what she says
- “Astride a dappled mare…As standing in silver stirrups will allow-“ IMAGERY - comparing her husband to a medieval knight, he is her romantic hero SIBILANCE - poem flows easier, more conversational, and in a more playful tone
- “Today a hurricane is nudging up the coast, Oddly male: Big Bad Floyd…” nudging UNDERSTATEMENT - the security she feels, because she does not expect to feel the way she does ALLITERATION + PERSONIFICATION - makes the storm seem threatening, but in a rather comical way, it’s almost funny remembering the thoughless young men in her youth
- “thin as liquorice and as chewy, sweet with a dark and hollow center” SIMILE - sweet but leaving a bitter taste / hollow centre - those relationships were superficial, they weren’t substantial. but she still appreciates and sort of misses them DISRUPTION OF RHYME SCHEME EARLIER also shows her wandering mind
- “Cussing up a storm.” COLLOQUIAL LANGUAGE she is no longer day dreaming, this is real and honest and this world. hurricane is also dangerous, but she feels safe CAESURA creates a forceful stop, like the hurricane did to many lives
- “I fill this stolen time with you.” DECLARATIVE SENTENCE + PRONOUN she really does love her husband deeply, and actively - she is grateful for him and chooses this relationship, because she wants to.
18
Q
a wife in london opener
A
Thomas Hardy uses “A Wife in London” as a vehicle to explore the devastating impact of war, criticising its loss, futility and emotional toll on individuals and their loved ones. His purpose was to write an anti-conflict poem, being a pacifist, to portray the deep emotional, yet universal pain, as well as to emphasise the cruelty of fate in wartime experiences. THE SOLDIER / Manhunt
19
Q
a wife in london points + quotes + techniques
A
- STRUCTURE - TWO PARTS, Tragedy and Irony + IRREGULAR RHYTHM - story-like, in a way that draws the reader in to the important message of the inevitable consequences of war on families everywhere.
- “She sits in the tawny vapour” PATHETIC FALLACY suggests a menacing atmosphere, whilst the woman sits passively - she doesn’t necessarily expect it in the sense that she is waiting for it, but maybe subconsciously she understands that it is coming, maybe due to the weather
- “Like a waning taper The street lamps glimmer cold” SIMILE implying a dim light that might be extinguished at any minute, connoting loss of hope, and ultimately death. The light of hope is fading, foreshadowing what is to come in the Irony
- “He - has fallen - in the far South Land” DASHES reflect the emotion of the wife - her mind is fragmented, as she tries to process the news. fallen is a EUPHEMISM for death, often used to support bereaving families. South Land is purposefully vague, so as to not be too blunt, link to the euphemism.
- “His hand - whom the worm now knows” MORBID IMAGERY - unpleasant reference to his death and a SHARP CONTRAST to the previous euphemism - her husband isn’t in his state anymore, he’s dead, decomposed and won’t be returning to her,
- “Fresh - firm - penned in highest feather” IRONY - he isn’t fresh anymore. he’s dead and gone. DASHES create a painful emphasis of ewhen the soldier was young and well - it is a loss, not only of the wife, who is the focal point, but also the soldier himself.
20
Q
death of a naturalist opener
A
- Heaney uses “death of a naturalist” to explore the inevitable loss of innocence as shown in the shift from the persona’s feelings of fascination towards nature to sheer terror. Both themes of a loss of childhood, and the passing of time are introduced, through the ending, or rather, ‘death’ of their passion, themes that are likely informed by Heaney’s own upbringing in rural Ireland THE PRELUDE
- Nature is presented as powerful, being perceived by the persona as threatening and repulsive. Through the lens of a young adult who seems to have experienced a kind of sexual awakening, they are appalled by the elements of the natural world, introducing themes of a loss of innocence and childhood, likely informed by Heaney’s own upbringing in rural Ireland. HAWK ROOSTING
21
Q
death of a naturalist points + quotes + techniques
A
- “flax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods.” death SEMANTIC FIELD FORESHADOWS metaphorical death of a naturalist. nature is unsettling, weighing him down emotionally, changing from the view that is about to be shown
- “bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles wove a strong gauze of sounds around the smell” speaker moves into childhood memory, when he is fascinated by nature OXYMORON shows children can find pleasure in nature, regardless of how obtuse it is
- “and how he croaked and how the mammy frog laid hundreds of little eggs” REPITITION of and mimics speech pattern of a child, showing their enthusiasm and childlike passion - also his Irish background as a child, with word mammy. still protecting their innocence at this point, not transitioned into maturity yet
- “i sickened, turned and ran” RO3 and QUICK SUCCESSION OF VERBS highlights the horrified realisation and reaction, contrasting with the slow descriptiveness of the rest of the poem. he thinks they are dangerous and he is frightened (realising place in the real world against nature?)
- “the great slime kings were gathered there for vengeance and I knew that if i dipped my hand the spawn would clutch it” PERSONIFICATION of frogs as kings indicates respect and power as he understands the power of the natural world and its force that has come back to reclaim authority as the ephemeral force. childhood innocence and naievety are tainted by the wisdom you acquire as you transition into an adult,
22
Q
hawk roosting opener
A
Ted Hughes uses “Hawk Roosting” as a vehicle to explore the power and dominance of nature, through the lens of a product of the natural world itself - a hawk. Delving into the mind of a predatory bird, Hughes uses its perspective to examine the authority and apathy of nature, and simultaneously as an allegory for human nature - the instinctual drive for survival and supremacy, which in turn reflects on the power inequalities in the human world. OZYMANDIAS + LONDON + THE PRELUDE
23
Q
hawk roosting points + quotes + techniques
A
- VERY REGULAR STANZAS, STEADY STRUCTURE AND CALM PACE - EMPHASISES the dominance of the hawk, because he does not allow himself to be rushed by anything - nothing affects him. almost adds a story-telling tone
- “I sit at the top of the wood, my eyes closed.” FIRST PERSON NARRATIVE - he is controlling the poem, in the same way he is in total control of all that is around him, ruling everything. eyes are closed, with and END STOP because he knows his power - he feels perfectly safe, and doesn’t have enemies, because nothing dares to defy him
- “It took the whole of Creation to produce my foot, my each feather:” BIBLICAL ALLUSIONS - God had to work hard to create something with as much perfection as him. There is nothinh wrong about him - he is perfect, to the point where he seems divine
- “Now I hold Creation in my foot” - Creation is like his prey - so he sees himself as a God-like figure, but instead of being omnibenevolent, he is uncaring. in my foot also adds violent imagery - he kills brutally without emotion
- “I kill where I please because it is all mine.” - PERSONAL PRONOUNS - makes it clear he has power over life and death. he is in charge of death, and doesn’t feel he has to explain himself. MONOSYLLABIC WORDS - creates a sense of control, and nonchalance
- “I am going to keep things like this.” - CYCLICAL of starting and ending poem with I, reflecting his arrogance. He intends to retain his power snd control despite anything - yes he doesn’t have enemies, but could his enemies be the passing of time?
24
Q
ozymandias opener
A
Shelley uses “Ozymandias” as a vehicle to reflect the oppression of powerful leaders and the transience of mankind’s power after the passing of time. Though Ozymandias, a supposedly great king who lived a long time ago, claims to have done great work in his lifetime, all that remains of him is a broken statue surrounded by sand, symbolising the uncaring and apathetic power of both nature and time in comparison to insignificant human achievements. HAWK ROOSTING + THE PRELUDE
25
ozymandias points + quotes + techniques
- Sonnet Structure + Iambic Pentameter - self love and arrogance, but it's all a story
- "I met a traveller from an antique land who said" - distance between humanity and nature CHARACTER of traveller represents awe and admiring of humans ADJECTIVE antique - fragile, old, outdated and the legacy is so insignificant and weak
- "Tell that its sculptor well those passions read ... the hand that mocked them" the artist themself is mocking the king - but he is so confident that he overlooks anything contradicting the grandeur, dismissing the power of the time that changed him. DOUBLE MEANING of mock'd could just mean make a model - no intention of a negative portrayal, bur his cruelty shows anyway (+ corrupt - context link? trouble with authoritative figures due to father)
- "king of kings... Mighty and despair!" IRONY - state of statue doesn't reflect his self-omnipotence, and it's almost a warning to leaders to remember their own mortality. RELIGOUS BRAGGING TONE because of the pride and arrogance, but he doesn't actually seem like much to anything else
- "boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away." ALLITERATION - nature is vast, unforgiving and lifeless, leaving the reader with a feeling of isolation, and fear, but not of Ozymandias - of the power of change nature and time hold
26
the prelude opener
- Wordsworth uses "the prelude" as a vehicle to herald the immense power and beauty of the natural world. the Romantic poet explores nature's sublime side, remaining calm and dignified in contrast to human chaos, which it seems disapproving towards, though it has not always been. OZYMANDIAS
- Wordsworth uses "the prelude" to celebrate and acknowledge the value of childhood memories spent in nature. However, the Romantic poet uses this honouring as a way to also present the uncomfortable loss of innocence and an end of childhood, shown through the apathetic presentation of the natural world. DEATH OF A NATURALIST
+ HAWK ROOSTING
27
the prelude points + quotes + techniques
- "and in the frosty season, when the sun was set" - ADJECTIVE frosty is indicative of the winter season and exemplifies the idea of something coming to an end, similar to childhood, through the IMAGERY of sun setting. winter is marking the end of the cycle of seasons.
- "i wheeled about, proud and exulting, like an untir'd horse" COMPARISON to a horse with positive ADJECTIVES emphasises how free and energetic they felt amongst nature, through the freedom of animals. connotations of vitality and energy, reflective of sheer enjoyment and limitless freedom when near nature.
- "the pack loud bellowing, and the hunted hare."
IMMERSIVE DESCRIPTION shows energy of childhood, but loud noises of the human world ALLITERATION followed by END STOP shows change - volta?
- "meanwhile, the precipes rang aloud,"
ADVERB meanwhile is sort of celestial and sublime. precipes mean boundaries conveying that the speaker is at the end of the memory, and must return to the reality of adulthood VERB rang shows natural world is alive with music, but not annoying like the "din" prior
- "an alien sound of melancholy"
alien as an ADJECTIVE shows the sudden distance between him and nature is a foreign unfamiliar feeling. he is leaving behind his chilhood and so is sad - MELANCHOLY
- "the orange sky of evening died away"
CYCLICAL STRUCTURE - symbolic of time passing, but just like a sun set, the memories of chilhood will visit again - in the same sense that nature is EVERLASTING
