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Poems Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a significant quote from Poppies and its effect?

A

“The world overflowing like a treasure chest” — The simile suggests the son’s excitement and the abundance of possibility, but also the risk and danger he is stepping into.

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2
Q

What is the tone and interpretation of Poppies?

A

The tone is tender, sorrowful, and reflective. The poem captures the silent grief of a mother imagining the loss of her child to war.

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3
Q

Who wrote The Prelude and what is its context?

A

William Wordsworth, a Romantic poet, wrote The Prelude as an autobiographical poem reflecting on his spiritual and moral development.

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4
Q

What are the key themes of The Prelude?

A

Power of nature, Childhood and growth, Awe and fear, Self-discovery and reflection.

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5
Q

What techniques are used in The Prelude?

A

Personification: “a huge peak, black and huge” — nature becomes threatening; Simile: “like a living thing” — nature as animate, powerful; Enjambment: creates fluid movement and mimics rowing.

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6
Q

How is The Prelude structured?

A

Blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter); Continuous verse — reflects natural flow of thought and memory.

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7
Q

What is a key quote from The Prelude and its effect?

A

“There hung a darkness, call it solitude / Or blank desertion” — shows the lasting psychological impact of the encounter with nature.

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8
Q

What is the tone and interpretation of The Prelude?

A

Starts calm and confident, shifts to fearful and reflective. The boy’s view of nature shifts from beauty to overwhelming power, symbolizing maturity and change.

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9
Q

Who wrote Remains and what is it about?

A

Simon Armitage wrote Remains based on interviews with a soldier who served in Iraq. It explores PTSD and the lasting trauma of war.

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10
Q

What are the main themes of Remains?

A

Psychological trauma, Guilt and memory, Dehumanization in war, Moral conflict.

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11
Q

What techniques are used in Remains?

A

Colloquial language: makes it personal and realistic; Graphic imagery: “rips through his life” — brutal and shocking; Metaphor: “the drink and the drugs won’t flush him out” — guilt as an invader.

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12
Q

How is Remains structured?

A

Free verse with irregular line lengths; Volta (‘End of story, except not really’) marks a shift from physical to emotional effects.

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13
Q

What is a significant quote from Remains and its explanation?

A

“His bloody life in my bloody hands” — repetition emphasizes guilt and possible double meaning of “bloody” (literal and emotional).

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14
Q

What is the tone and interpretation of Remains?

A

Tone is haunted and confessional. The soldier is emotionally damaged and relives trauma, highlighting the unseen cost of war.

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15
Q

Who wrote Storm on the Island and what inspired it?

A

Seamus Heaney, an Irish poet, wrote this poem about the relationship between humans and nature, with possible political undertones about the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

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16
Q

What are the main themes of Storm on the Island?

A

Power of nature, Fear and uncertainty, Isolation, Human vulnerability.

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17
Q

What techniques are used in Storm on the Island?

A

Oxymoron: “exploding comfortably” — unsettling juxtaposition; Enjambment: reflects ongoing storm; Direct address: “you can listen to the thing you fear” — engages reader personally.

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18
Q

How is Storm on the Island structured?

A

One stanza of continuous verse — mirrors an unending storm; Blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter).

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19
Q

What is a key quote from Storm on the Island and its meaning?

A

“We are bombarded by the empty air” — metaphor highlights invisible threats, possibly political or psychological.

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20
Q

What’s the tone and interpretation of Storm on the Island?

A

Tone is tense and wary. The poem reflects how power lies in the unseen and how humans are dwarfed by nature and conflict.

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21
Q

Who wrote The Émigree and what is it about?

A

Carol Rumens wrote this poem to express the experience of displacement and nostalgia for a homeland the speaker had to flee.

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22
Q

What themes are explored in The Émigree?

A

Identity and belonging, Memory and idealism, Conflict and oppression, Hope and resilience.

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23
Q

What techniques are used in The Émigree?

A

Personification: “my city hides behind me” — protective connection; Juxtaposition: light vs. darkness (hope vs. threat); Sensory imagery: enhances emotional vividness of memory.

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24
Q

How is The Émigree structured?

A

Three stanzas of unequal length; No consistent rhyme — reflects instability; First person perspective — deeply personal.

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25
What is a key quote from The Émigree and its significance?
“It may be at war, it may be sick with tyrants” — realistic acknowledgment of conflict, but her emotional bond persists.
26
What is the tone and interpretation of The Émigree?
Tone is nostalgic, defiant, and proud. The speaker clings to an idealized version of home, showing the strength of memory.
27
Who wrote Tissue and what is it about?
Imtiaz Dharker, a contemporary poet, uses Tissue as a metaphorical reflection on human structures, fragility, and the transient nature of life.
28
What are the themes of Tissue?
Fragility of human power, Identity and heritage, Impermanence and change, Religion, history, and materialism.
29
What techniques are used in Tissue?
Metaphor: tissue = human life, power, and history; Repetition: “paper smoothed and stroked” — tenderness and reverence; Imagery: of maps, receipts, buildings — man-made control vs. natural change.
30
How is Tissue structured?
Free verse, enjambment; Short stanzas — mimic fragility; Final single line: “turned into your skin” — powerful closure.
31
What is a key quote from Tissue and its meaning?
“Paper that lets the light shine through” — transparency as a metaphor for truth, openness, and human connection.
32
What’s the tone and interpretation of Tissue?
Tone is thoughtful, gentle, and philosophical. It encourages us to embrace impermanence and human vulnerability.
33
Who wrote War Photographer and what’s its background?
Carol Ann Duffy wrote this poem to explore the emotional toll on those who capture images of war while others remain detached.
34
What are the main themes of War Photographer?
War and suffering, Guilt and detachment, The role of media, Emotional conflict.
35
What techniques are used in War Photographer?
Contrast: “Rural England” vs. war zones; Metaphor: “spools of suffering” — literal and symbolic; Irony: public’s fleeting reaction vs. deep trauma of the photographer.
36
Describe the structure of War Photographer.
Four regular stanzas, ABBCDD rhyme scheme — mirrors the photographer’s attempt to bring order; Juxtaposition of calm and chaos.
37
What is a key quote from War Photographer and its explanation?
“A hundred agonies in black and white” — photographs capture real pain, but are reduced to mere images for consumption.
38
What is the tone and interpretation of War Photographer?
Tone is solemn, critical, and reflective. Duffy condemns how society views war as distant entertainment, ignoring real human cost.
39
Who wrote Exposure and what is its background?
Wilfred Owen, a WWI poet and soldier, wrote Exposure to depict the real suffering soldiers faced due to cold, fear, and hopelessness in the trenches.
40
What are the main themes of Exposure?
The futility of war, Nature as a powerful, hostile force, Psychological trauma and waiting, Suffering and death.
41
What literary devices are used in Exposure?
Personification of nature ('merciless iced east winds') intensifies the enemy's force; Repetition ('But nothing happens') reinforces monotony and despair; Sibilance creates a bitter, cold atmosphere.
42
How is Exposure structured?
8 stanzas, each ending in anti-climactic lines; ABBAC rhyme scheme, often using half-rhyme (e.g., 'knife'/ 'life').
43
What is a significant quote from Exposure and its meaning?
“Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us...” — Shows physical and mental agony caused by the cold; nature is as deadly as weapons.
44
What is the poem’s tone and interpretation of Exposure?
Tone is bleak, hopeless, and critical of war. The mood is weary and reflective. Owen expresses the slow, draining suffering soldiers endure rather than glorifying battle.
45
Who wrote Kamikaze and what inspired it?
Beatrice Garland, a British poet, wrote Kamikaze to explore the inner conflict of a Japanese pilot ordered to carry out a suicide mission in WWII.
46
What are the main themes of Kamikaze?
Conflict between personal desire and national duty, Nature's beauty vs. war’s destructiveness, Memory, legacy, and cultural expectations.
47
What language techniques are used in Kamikaze?
Natural imagery: “green-blue translucent sea” — beauty of nature contrasts with violence; Enjambment: reflects freedom of thought.
48
How is Kamikaze structured?
Free verse with enjambment — reflects natural speech and inner thoughts; Shifts from third to first person (daughter’s voice), showing emotional distance.
49
What is an important quote from Kamikaze and why?
“He must have looked far down / at the little fishing boats strung out like bunting.” — Simile evokes innocence and beauty, symbolizing what the pilot sacrifices by returning.
50
What is the tone and personal response to Kamikaze?
Tone is reflective and melancholic. The mood is one of regret and loss. The poet critiques the cultural consequences of blind patriotism.
51
Who wrote London and what is its historical context?
William Blake, Romantic poet, wrote London in response to the social and political corruption of 18th-century England.
52
What are the central themes of London?
Social injustice, Oppression and misery, Corruption of power and institutions, Suffering of the innocent.
53
What techniques are used in London?
Repetition: “every” emphasizes widespread suffering; Imagery: “marks of weakness, marks of woe” show visible pain; Oxymoron: “marriage hearse” combines life and death to criticize moral decay.
54
What is the structure of London?
Four quatrains with regular ABAB rhyme; Iambic tetrameter, suggesting order — ironically highlighting society’s rigid control.
55
What is a key quote from London and explain it?
“The mind-forged manacles I hear” — metaphor shows how people are trapped by mental and societal constraints, not just physical chains.
56
What tone does London have and what is your interpretation?
Tone is angry and despairing. Blake criticizes the systems (church, monarchy, industry) that perpetuate suffering.
57
Who wrote My Last Duchess and what is its context?
Robert Browning, a Victorian poet, wrote this dramatic monologue inspired by the Renaissance duke Alfonso II, suspected of murdering his wife.
58
What themes are present in My Last Duchess?
Power and control, Objectification and gender roles, Pride and jealousy, Appearance vs. reality.
59
What techniques are used in My Last Duchess?
Dramatic monologue: reveals character’s personality through speech; Irony: he reveals more about himself than intended; Metaphor: the painting as a symbol of control.
60
How is My Last Duchess structured?
Single stanza (continuous speech) in iambic pentameter; Rhyming couplets — deceptively neat and controlled like the Duke’s persona.
61
What is a significant quote from My Last Duchess and its impact?
“I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together.” — Chilling euphemism implying he had her killed; shows dominance and lack of remorse.
62
What is the tone and your response to My Last Duchess?
Tone is sinister, arrogant, and possessive. The Duke’s control is disturbing, and Browning critiques patriarchal power.

English (2 decks)

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