Poems Flashcards
(42 cards)
what are 3 comparative ideas for Ozymandias?
Both “Ozymandias” and “My Last Duchess” explore the theme of power through arrogance and legacy, yet Shelley emphasizes the futility of power over time, while Browning presents a more personal and enduring control.
Like “London,” Shelley criticizes human constructs of authority, but whereas Blake attacks social structures, Shelley critiques individual hubris and its eventual decay.
When compared to “Tissue,” both poems reflect on impermanence, but “Ozymandias” uses the ruins of a statue, while Dharker uses fragile paper to symbolize transience.
what are 4 quotations and analysis for Ozymandias?
“Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” – This ironic command highlights Ozymandias’s deluded belief in his eternal dominance. The capitalized “Works” emphasizes his pride, but the irony is that nothing remains.
“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone” – The fragmented statue suggests the disintegration of power. The image of ‘trunkless legs’ implies absence and loss, underlining the theme of decay.
“The lone and level sands stretch far away.” – The alliteration of “lone and level” emphasizes the emptiness, reinforcing nature’s dominance over human achievement.
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings” – The biblical echo adds grandeur but also hubris, reinforcing the idea of man placing himself as god-like, only to be humbled by time.
what is the structure analysis for Ozymandias?
The poem is a sonnet, but not in traditional form—this subversion mirrors the breakdown of Ozymandias’s power.
The use of a second-hand narration (the traveller) distances the reader, emphasizing the fading relevance of the once-great king.
Enjambment reflects the boundless sands and the passing of time, symbolizing the erosion of legacy.
what are 3 comparative ideas for London?
Both “London” and “Exposure” confront suffering caused by corrupt systems—Blake attacks societal institutions like the monarchy and church, while Owen critiques military leadership and political futility during war.
In comparison with “Checking Out Me History,” Blake’s poem also tackles the manipulation of public knowledge. Where Agard exposes historical omission, Blake shows indoctrination through repetition and restriction.
Like “War Photographer,” “London” captures the emotional desensitization caused by constant exposure to pain and injustice, though Blake’s is more accusatory in tone, targeting systemic oppression.
what are 4 quotations and analysis for London?
“Mind-forg’d manacles” – This metaphor suggests mental imprisonment, imposed by societal norms and institutions. Blake presents this internalization of oppression as more damaging than physical chains.
“Every black’ning Church appalls” – A powerful criticism of religious hypocrisy. The adjective “black’ning” evokes both industrial soot and moral corruption.
“And the hapless Soldier’s sigh / Runs in blood down Palace walls” – This stark visual metaphor connects the soldier’s suffering with the monarchy’s indifference. It implies that the elite benefit from the pain of the powerless.
“In every cry of every Man, / In every Infant’s cry of fear” – The repetition of “every” conveys the universality of suffering and suggests that no one is immune to the oppressive environment.
what is the structure analysis for London?
The regular ABAB rhyme scheme mirrors the relentless control and structure imposed by society.
The use of quatrains gives a marching, constrained rhythm, echoing the restricted lives of London’s citizens.
Cyclical structure, with suffering introduced and maintained throughout, reinforces the inescapable nature of urban oppression.
what are 3 comparative ideas for The Prelude?
Both “The Prelude” and “Storm on the Island” explore man’s confrontation with nature’s power. However, Wordsworth focuses on awe and spiritual transformation, while Heaney’s tone leans more toward fear and hostility.
Like “Exposure,” nature is shown to dominate and challenge man, but Wordsworth’s nature is sublime and mystical, not brutal or lethal.
When compared with “Kamikaze,” both poems reflect on moments that change perception and identity. The epiphany in “The Prelude” is spiritual; in “Kamikaze,” it is moral and psychological.
what are 4 quotations and analysis for The Prelude?
“A huge peak, black and huge” – The repetition and plosive alliteration emphasize the speaker’s shock and awe. The mountain becomes a looming, almost supernatural presence.
“Troubled pleasure” – This oxymoron suggests a complex emotional response. While the speaker enjoys the experience, there is an underlying unease that hints at his later fear.
“There hung a darkness, call it solitude / Or blank desertion” – The abstract nouns reflect a deep internal response to the overwhelming force of nature. Nature is not just external but leaves a psychological impact.
“Upreared its head” – The personification of the mountain gives it agency and dominance, indicating how nature challenges human arrogance.
what is the structure analysis for The Prelude?
Written in blank verse, the lack of rhyme gives the narrative a natural, flowing quality, reflecting memory and introspection.
The enjambment mirrors the movement of the boat and the fluidity of thought, reinforcing the immersive experience.
The shift in tone from confidence to fear marks a structural turning point, reflecting the speaker’s emotional and philosophical transformation.
what are 3 comparative ideas for My Last Duchess?
Like Ozymandias, this poem explores pride and control; both characters try to dominate even after death.
Compared with Checking Out Me History, both expose power through manipulation of narrative, but Agard resists while the Duke imposes.
London and My Last Duchess both critique societal hierarchies, but Browning’s focus is aristocratic and personal.
what are 4 quotations and analysis for My Last Duchess?
“That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall” – Casual possessiveness reveals objectification and control.
“She had / A heart – how shall I say? – too soon made glad” – The Duke’s rhetorical question shows insincerity; he punishes natural warmth.
“I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together” – Euphemism for murder; chillingly calm tone displays authoritarian cruelty.
“Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse” – Mythological allusion symbolizes the Duke’s obsession with dominance.
what is the structure analysis for My Last Duchess?
Dramatic monologue allows insight into the Duke’s psychology—unfiltered and revealing.
Enjambment shows the Duke’s lack of control over emotion despite his intent.
Rhyming couplets give the illusion of order, hiding disturbing content beneath.
what are 3 comparative ideas for Bayonet Charge?
Compared with Bayonet Charge, both depict soldiers in action, but Tennyson glorifies sacrifice while Hughes highlights confusion.
Like Kamikaze, the poem raises questions about honour and duty, though Garland’s is more critical of societal pressure.
Both Exposure and Light Brigade show the dehumanisation of soldiers, but Tennyson emphasizes bravery over futility.
what are 4 quotations and analysis for Bayonet Charge?
“Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die” – Highlights blind obedience; heroic yet tragic tone.
“Into the valley of Death” – Biblical allusion evokes doom, yet also elevates the moment to epic status.
“Cannon to right of them, / Cannon to left of them” – Repetition creates a sense of entrapment and tension.
“Noble six hundred” – Final praise reinstates collective heroism, despite earlier tragedy.
what is the structure analysis for Bayonet Charge?
Dactylic rhythm mimics galloping horses, creating energy and urgency.
Refrains like “Rode the six hundred” unify the poem and honour the group.
Use of chronological structure mirrors stages of the charge—build-up, action, aftermath.
what are 3 comparative ideas for Exposure?
Both Exposure and Remains focus on psychological trauma, though Owen’s is collective and ambient, while Armitage’s is personal and specific.
Like Storm on the Island, nature becomes an enemy—impersonal but devastating.
Compared with Bayonet Charge, both challenge traditional war heroism, showing confusion and fear instead.
what are 4 quotations and analysis for Exposure?
“Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds” – Personification of weather as weapon; pain is mental as well as physical.
“But nothing happens” – Refrain conveys stasis and futility; their suffering leads to no glory.
“Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence” – Sibilance mimics bullets and highlights the momentary nature of action amid stillness.
“All their eyes are ice” – Metaphor shows emotional numbness and physical death, merging nature and suffering.
what is the structure analysis for Exposure?
Repetitive stanzas and refrain reinforce monotony and psychological drain.
Pararhyme (“knive us”/”nervous”) creates unease, reflecting the fractured state of mind.
Cyclical structure (starts and ends with “nothing happens”) emphasizes hopelessness.
what are 3 comparative ideas for Storm on the Island?
Both Storm on the Island and Exposure show nature as more threatening than enemy soldiers—unpredictable and unrelenting.
Like The Prelude, Heaney’s poem explores how the natural world unsettles human certainty, but here the focus is collective, not individual.
Compared with Tissue, both poems consider the fragility of human constructs—Heaney physically, Dharker metaphorically.
what are 4 quotations and analysis for Storm on the Island?
“We are prepared: we build our houses squat” – Declarative tone reflects human confidence, which nature soon undermines. The collective pronoun and assertive tone create an illusion of control, which the storm later dismantles.
“Spits like a tame cat / Turned savage” – Simile conveys betrayal; something familiar becomes wild and dangerous. A simile that transforms a domestic image into something threatening, reflecting how familiar things can become dangerous.
“Exploding comfortably” – Oxymoron suggests violent action is normalized, showing the precariousness of living with natural threat. An oxymoron suggesting contradiction: violence is expected, even normalised, showing how islanders live with chaos.
“It is a huge nothing that we fear” – Paradox highlights how the fear is psychological; absence can be more terrifying than presence. The abstract noun “nothing” paradoxically holds power, emphasizing how psychological fear is often greater than physical danger.
what is the structure analysis for Storm on the Island?
Blank verse mirrors natural speech and reflection, reinforcing the meditative tone.
Enjambment creates a flowing rhythm, like the wind and storm, building tension. Enjambment across lines mimics the force and flow of the storm, mirroring its unpredictability.
No stanza breaks: a solid block of text reflects both the compactness of the community and the overwhelming storm.
The lack of stanza breaks and its single, dense block of text reflect the overwhelming nature of the storm.
what are 3 comparative ideas for Remains?
Both “Remains” and “Exposure” explore the psychological scars of conflict. Armitage focuses on guilt and trauma from a single moment; Owen reflects collective despair.
Like “War Photographer,” this poem examines the aftermath of violence. Armitage shows lasting guilt; Duffy shows the challenge of emotional detachment.
Compared to “Bayonet Charge,” both describe intense experiences, but Hughes presents the heat of the moment, while Armitage reflects on consequences.
what are 4 quotations and analysis for Remains?
“Probably armed, possibly not” – The repeated uncertainty haunts the speaker, revealing the moral ambiguity of combat.
“His bloody life in my bloody hands” – This Macbeth reference evokes guilt. The repetition of “bloody” emphasizes emotional weight and responsibility.
“I see every round as it rips through his life” – Graphic imagery conveys the horror and clarity of the memory, indicating psychological trauma.
“The drink and the drugs won’t flush him out” – The verb “flush” suggests an unwanted presence, showing how guilt clings to the speaker.
what is the structure analysis for Remains?
The conversational tone creates realism, making the trauma relatable and personal.
The voulta occurs when the soldier returns home—introducing the lasting psychological impact.
The final couplet stands apart, emphasizing isolation and unresolved guilt.
