English Poetry Flashcards
(28 cards)
1
Q
Bayonet Charge - Ted Hughes
“Suddenly he awoke and was running - raw”
A
- media-res + adverb ‘suddenly’ = reader thrown into action, no context / warning, critique government, question why no training
- reinforced in adjective ‘raw’ = new or inexperienced, propaganda seized millions of helpless lives
- adjective ‘raw’ = soldiers were treated like animals - human characteristics were stripped away - return to primal state - evoking violence
2
Q
Bayonet Charge - Ted Hughes
“Sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest”
A
- simile = exhaustion, unable to cope with demands of war, bridges human sweat with ‘molten iron’ - dehumanizing nature of war
- ‘iron’ = weapons of war - soldiers are part of the machinery of war under propaganda
- ‘iron’ = lower class - malleable, may be a metaphor for how the poor were easily manipulated
3
Q
Exposure - Wilfred Owen
“Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knife us”
A
- premodifying adjective ‘merciless’ = winds are cruel, relentless mirroring soldiers pain
- premodifying adjective ‘merciless’ = sibilance - stealth, slyness - illustrating how many forgot the mental conflict
- ‘iced east winds’ = metaphor of violence when the wind ‘knife[d]’ the soldiers - physical wound
- adjective ‘iced’ = cold environment, numbness and desolation - sense of hope became numb
- phrase ‘our brains ache’ = repetitive exposure to death, violence plagues the mind - mental fog between illusion and reality - foreshadowing the rhetorical questions
4
Q
Exposure - Wilfred Owen
“Poignant misery of dawn begins to grow”
A
- verb ‘grow’ personifies ‘misery’ into a sentient quality - alive, persistent - conveying that ‘misery’ is not static but becomes more oppressive as time passes
- growth of ‘misery’ - mirrors repetitive cycle of war - contributes to the theme of futility - same torment without a meaningful resolution
- assonance of ‘oh’ in the verb ‘grow’ - monotone nature - war was drawn out for a long time, assonance continues throughout the poem
- paradox created through the noun ‘dawn’ - connotes hope and new beginnings, but instead used to intensify despair rather than alleviating it
5
Q
Remains - Simon Armitage
“Probably armed, possibly not.”
A
- phrase ‘probably armed, possibly not’ - different degrees of conclusivity conveys perplexion - subtle critique to the government - no equipment or training given
- alternatively portrays inner conflict between right or wrong - war blurs the line between morality and irresponsibility
- caesuras - soldier trying to recollect the flashback of war, guilt and trepidation is holding him back - highlights the severe long-lasting effects of PTSD
- however, caesuras + lack of certainty - oversimplify the outcome of war allowing the reader to grasp a portion of the pain the soldiers felt - links to an interview done by Guardsman where he compared the harrowing experiences of war to a mere car crash
- poet warning the reader how the true effects of war can only be envisaged first hand and therefore the soldier’s contributions should not be taken for granted
6
Q
Remains - Simon Armitage
“Somebody else and somebody else”
A
- repetition of the phrase ‘somebody else’ - anonymity - dehumanizing nature of war
- lack of description = how soldiers are interchangeable, lack of identity - war erases the soldier’s personal identity
- mirrors the soldier’s mental state as he deflects away from the focus point - doesn’t want to relive the harrowing experience
- vagueness in the phrase = events are not unique to the speaker but a collective experience - camaraderie of soldiers
- however - speaker may minimise his own role in war - only solution to his inner conflict is to share the guilt, dilute his own responsibility
- illustrates severe effects of PTSD
7
Q
War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy
“Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.”
A
- three short sentences = forces the reader to pause and reflect
- holophrastic phrase + lack of description = photographer attempted to maintain emotional detachment
- mirroring how media reduced human suffering to a mere headline, hiding the true effects of war
- vagueness = provoke the reader into researching the repercussions, but also to once again reflect - more personal + impactful experience
8
Q
War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy
“A hundred agonies in black-and-white”
A
- adjective ‘hundred’ = large quantity - photographer has witnessed countless amounts of pain
- vagueness of the adjective ‘hundred’ = photographer can’t keep count - suffering is extensive and not constrained to one place
- ‘hundred’ implies a collective experience - ‘agonies’ are not isolated incidents - suffering is experienced by all parties whether they win or lose
- grouping the victims = mere statistic - reduced to a number - losing their story + identity
- sense of dehumanisation is run throughout the poem, reader critiques the photographer for hiding the truth as he cannot fully recollect the events but also to the fact that he did not help these people but used them as a form of entertainment
9
Q
Poppies - Jane Weir
“All my words flattened, rolled, turned into felt, slowly melting.”
A
- metaphorical phrase = loss of expression and identity - mother’s words compressed under the weight of grief
- metaphor = sharp and distinct words transformed into “felt” - grief may soften overtime but is still a commanding presence
- verbs “flattened” + “rolled” = mechanical process - impersonal nature of war - source of mother’s grief
10
Q
Poppies - Jane Weir
“Blackthorns of your hair”
A
- word “blackthorns” = connotes pain and sharpness - reflects speaker’s emotional state - prickling thoughts of loss and worry that intrudes her mind as she reflects on her son
- word “thorns” = dual denotation conveys harm - also protection (for plants) - duality of the mother’s emotion
- imagery of “thorns” = crown of “thorns” worn by Christ - suffering + sacrifice
son sacrificed his life to war, benefitting the country, but hurting the mother
11
Q
Kamikaze - Beatrice Garland
“One-way journey into history”
A
- phrase ‘one-way’ = sense of finality - pilot is expected to accept his death for duty, immense societal pressure
- finality at the start of the poem = mirror how the life of a Japanese man is pre-written due to the values of honour and integrity being entrenched from a young age
- irreversible nature of the phrase foreshadows internal conflict - weight of pressure leads to doubt and rebellion
- word ‘history’ = death remembered as a collective not individual - embarking on a journey with his fellow countrymen
- however may be a critique by poet as it dehumanizes the pilot - grouping thousands of
individuals into a mere sacrificial tool
12
Q
Kamikaze - Beatrice Garland
“Embarked at sunrise with a flask of water, a samurai sword”
A
- noun ‘sunrise’ = hope + renewal, but is ironic in this context as it signifies the start of the pilot’s journey towards death
- noun ‘sunrise’ = the rising sun of the Japanese flag - highlighting at the start of the poem the immense societal pressure put onto the pilots
- emphasised through the ‘samurai sword’ - conveys honour and loyalty, readiness to die, symbolic reminder of the mission he is embarking on
- juxtaposes the ‘flask of water’ = building blocks of life - foreshadows later events
- the sense of doubt and reluctance to sacrifice his life is portrayed in the stanza length (6 lines) - links to how Japanese tradition remained the same, but the spontaneous enjambment illustrates the ones who altered their fate by going against duty
13
Q
The Charge Of The Light Brigade - Alfred Lord Tennyson
“Into the valley of Death”
A
- phrase ‘valley of Death’ = charging into a trap where their fate has been sealed
- emphasised through the capitalization of the noun ‘Death’ = personifying it into a tangible concept - active force waiting to capture a countless number of lives
- grows the sense of nihilism as it conveys the finality of the charge = no alternate path or possibility of survival
- however, the phrase alludes to a biblical reference = elevating the charge into a holy or spiritual act - the soldier’s bravery is noble and transcendent
14
Q
The Charge Of The Light Brigade - Alfred Lord Tennyson
“Someone had blunder’d”
A
- phrase ‘someone had blunder’d’ = identity of the person responsible is vague – soldiers bear the consequences of errors made by faceless or distant figures in positions of power
- emphasised through the rhyme scheme not following a succinct pattern - message was not passed on properly
- the stanza’s have similar lengths, but a different number of lines - a metaphor for how the instructions remained the same but were interpreted differently
- word ‘someone’ = anonymity perhaps to emphasise that the focus of the poem is not on blame, but on the soldier’s heroic response to the situation
15
Q
Storm On The Island - Seamus Heaney
“We are prepared”
A
- collective pronoun ‘we’ = strength of the community - preparation is shared not individual - unity is key to survival
- confident tone = narrator has normalised the storm, perhaps undermining the true power of nature
- assertion of the phrase seems ironic later in the poem = storm ferocity proves overwhelming, underlining the theme of human vulnerability
- serves as a warning to the islanders as not matter how fortified they believe they are, natures power proves to be far beyond their control
16
Q
Storm On The Island - Seamus Heaney
“But there are no trees, no natural shelter”
A
- repetition of “no” = barrenness of the island - absence of natural protection - exposing islanders to the full force of the storm
- phrase = unity - must rely on each other with no protection
- conjunctive word “but” = juxtaposes + undermines confidence in the opening line - underlining the futility of human efforts
- conjunctive word “but” = realisation of vulnerability - due to lack of defences and reprimanding effects of the storm
17
Q
The Prelude - William Wordsworth
A
18
Q
The Prelude - William Wordsworth
A
19
Q
Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley
“Two vast and trunkless legs”
A
- adjective “vast” = immense scale of the statue - reflects Ozymandias’ power + ambition - desire to be known everywhere by everyone
- juxtaposed through the adjective “trunkless” = fragility of the statue - legs are mere remnants - theme of decay and destruction versus the force of time
- frequent enjambment = power of time is ongoing and unstoppable
20
Q
Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley
“A shattered visage lies”
A
- adjective “shattered” = irreparable damage - face was not broken down over time but was inflicted instantaneously - hints at forces of nature, time or human rebellion
- placement of the “visage” on the floor = Ozymandias appreciates people remembering his power, symbolised by his legs, rather than his values and morals, represented through his “visage”
- adjective “lies” dual meaning = primarily conveys fall from power but also hinting at Ozymandias’s false claims of immortality and egoistical nature
21
Q
London - William Blake
“Marks of weakness, marks of woe”
A
- noun ‘marks’ = visible pain - psychological toll of life in an oppressive and dehumanizing society, imprinted by social issues
- repetition of the noun ‘marks’ = relentlessness of suffering, suffering is inescapable
- highlighted through ABAB rhyme scheme = poor are stuck in the cycle of despair
- ABAB rhyme scheme = the rich were always one step ahead of the poor due to their ability to exploit and manipulate those with less
- the unchanged rhyme scheme throughout the poem = how the poor were united - links to the French Revolution whereby the poor grouped together revolting against those in charge
22
Q
London - William Blake
“The mind forged manacles I hear”
A
- metaphor of ‘manacles’ = image of chains - imprisonment, lack of freedom - harsh rules and regulations set by the government - helps the rich, hurts the poor
- the fact that the ‘manacles’ are ‘mind-forged’ = pain was self-inflicted by the poor, due to societal pressure, but also the fear to go against with a higher social status
- perhaps a message to the lower class to revolt against the government - similar to the French Revolution
23
Q
My Last Duchess - Robert Browning
“Will you please sit and look at her?”
A
- phrase “will you” = polite on face value - but carries a forceful and commanding tone
coupled with imperatives “sit” and “look” = dictating actions of his guests - manipulate them into a false pretence - courtesy in “please” - highlights his duplicity and his ability to maintain control when asking for something - making his character more sinister and callous
- verb “look” = reduces late wife into a form of visual entertainment - disregarding morals and values - prefers the Duchess in image form - cannot overrule him - assert control over her
- lack of enjambment + perfect form of iambic pentameter = mirrors his cold, calculated response - lack of self-awareness - believes his actions are justified
24
Q
My Last Duchess - Robert Browning
“Half-flush that dies along her throat”
A
- phrase “half-flush” = metaphorically represents Duchess’s innocence and vitality - juxtaposed by word “dies” - sinister tone - personify “flush” to fade away - similar to Duchess being erased from existence
- Duke’s possessive and tyrannical behaviour = shine limelight onto himself - remove obstacles who overpower him
- theme of control in “throat” = strangulation - Duke at the forefront - vulnerability + dominating power
- enjambment of the line = lack of clear pause - Duke gliding over the topic of death - cold + calculated nature
25
The Emigree - Carol Rumens
“But my memory of it is sunlight clear”
- affirming tone = despite acknowledging the difficulties of her past, chooses to recall the clarity and brightness of her memories
- speaker's determination to focus on the beauty of her memories is highlighted through the coordinating conjunction ‘but’ - indicates a contrast, shift from a potential negative to a positive memory
- optimistic demeanour - portrayed through the imagery of light
- adjective ‘sunlight’ - illumination and positivity - recollection of memories allows for her to dissociate from darkness
- however, despite feeling solace when recollecting her memories it serves as a constant reminder of loss and separation, hinting at how nostalgia may cause her more pain than good
26
The Emigree - Carol Rumens
“Branded by an impression of sunlight”
- verb ‘branded’ = unchangeable, permanent - memory of sunlight has left an indelible mark on her identity
- verb ‘branded’ = forceful, invasive act towards the narrator
- dual interpretation = mirrors speaker's complex relationship with her homeland - cherished memories are inseparable from her shadowed past
- word ‘impression’ - suggests a momentary experience rather than an eternal event - symbolizes the fragility of her memory - blurred through her reluctance to accept the devastation her country has endured
27
Checking Out Me History - John Agard
“Bandage up me eye with me own history”
- metaphor of “bandage” = denied access to their true history - metaphorically blind to their cultural identity
- irony of “bandage” = known for healing - used to blind highlights the harm caused by the suppression of history - turning a tool for care into one of control and ignorance
- irony of the phrase “me own history” = heritage is used to oppress + diminish him into something he is not - weaponising his own identity against himself
- free verse + lack of caesuras = John Agard intends to reject standardised English poetry - breaking free from constraints - allowing him to speak free on a passionate topic
28
Checking Out Me History - John Agard
“I carving out me own identity”
- verb “carving” = painstaking process - requires effort, resilience + determination
- reflect speaker’s struggle to uncover aspects of his heritage that have been erased by colonial education
- verb “carving” = art - identity is creative and personal - speaker can shape and define their own identity
- verb “carving” = act of rebellion - rewrite his own history - reject the one taught to them
- present continuous phrase of “I carving” = process to reveal all aspects of their heritage is ongoing - critique Eurocentric as they kept so much hidden that even to this day more is being discovered
