Poems - power and conflict Flashcards
(137 cards)
1
Q
Who wrote ‘Ozymandias’?
A
Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
2
Q
Context - ‘Ozymandias’ (3)
A
- Shelley was part of a poetic movement known as the ‘Romantics’ who focused on humanity and how it functioned, therefore we know this poem is making a political statement as it expresses criticism regarding the political authorities of his time.
- Ozium means ‘air’ and mandate means ‘to rule’ therefore the name Ozymandias implies he had power overall.
- Ozymandias is a Greek name for the Egyptian pharaoh Ramasses II.
3
Q
Quotes - ‘Ozymandias’ (3)
A
- “Sneer of cold command”
- “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings”
- “Nothing beside remains. Round the decay/of that colossal wreck…”
4
Q
How are power and conflict shown in ‘Ozymandias’? (4)
A
Ozymandias contains 4 forms of power:
- Abuse of power - Ozymandias was an unfair leader and treated his people poorly.
- Power doesn’t last - ‘Nothing beside remains’.
- Nature is more powerful - nature was powerful to defeat the ‘king of kings’.
- Love of power - sonnets are 14 line love poems; the only love visible in this is the love that Ozymandias has for himself and his abilities.
5
Q
What poems can you link ‘Ozymandias’ to? (?)
A
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6
Q
What is ‘Ozymandias’ about?
A
Ozymandias explores one of three perspectives of a traveller who tells a tale about an Egyptian pharaoh, King Ramesses II (called Ozymandias by the Greeks), who had the arrogance to believe that his power would create fear in all who were exposed to him. However, this poem is ironic as Ozymandias’ statue was created to project his greatness yet now ‘nothing beside remains. Round the decay / Of that colossal wreck’, showing that power doesn’t last thus presenting the view that eventually everything falls to dust.
7
Q
Analyse - “Sneer of cold command” - Ozymandias (2)
A
- The noun ‘sneer’ implies that Ozymandias had little to no care for his people and shows the attitude of this once mighty king.
- “Cold command” speaks of the way he ruled: without heart or compassion; simply with power and by force.
8
Q
Analyse - “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings” - Ozymandias (3)
A
- He saw his works as a reflection of his greatness and superiority and believed that he was incomparable.
- Shows he was boastful and arrogant.
- ‘King of kings’ is a phrase taken from biblical language, therefore, could imply that his subsequent obscurity was a punishment from God.
9
Q
Analyse - “Nothing beside remains. Round the decay/of that colossal wreck…” - Ozymandias (6)
A
- ‘Colossal wreck’ The irony is that Ozymandias wanted this sculpture to stand as an impressive monument for all time, but it has eroded and is now a “colossal wreck.” - This phrase is an oxymoron as the adjective “colossal” refers to the once great sculpture, made to be a portrayal of his supremacy, yet “wreck” refers to what it has become.
- Caesura (breaks in the middle of a line) is symbolic of the belief that everything comes to an end; in this case, the leadership of Ozymandias.
- ‘Nothing beside remains’ shows that Ozymandias abused his power and cared for no one but himself and in return, his statue was neglected; eventually reduced to nothing.
- This also portrays the fragility of human existence - especially compared to the power of nature.
- This isolated sentence stands within the poem like the statue in the desert.
10
Q
Who wrote ‘London’?
A
William Blake (1757-1828)
11
Q
Context - ‘London’ (3)
A
- This is the oldest poem in the anthology
- He never lived a wealthy life and only became respected after he died
- Blake lived through the beginning of industrialization and it is thought that this poem was written about the French Revolution and rebelling
- William was fascinated by the bible, therefore, the poem is filled with biblical allusions (an object or circumstance from unrelated context is referred to covertly or indirectly. It is left to the audience to make the direct connection)
12
Q
Quotes - ‘London’ (3)
A
- ‘I wander through each chartered street’
- ‘The mind-forged manacles I hear’
- ‘The hapless soldier’s sigh/Runs in blood down palace walls’
13
Q
How are power and conflict shown in ‘London’? (2)
A
- Abuse of power - this is a very critical poem as Blake is angry at the church, monarchy and government for wrongfully using their power
- Abuse of power - they are mistreating the people of London and no one is doing anything to stop them as they are too powerful to be tamed
14
Q
What poems can you link to ‘London’?
A
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15
Q
Analyse - “I wander through each chartered street” - London (3)
A
- In this context, the adjective ‘chartered’ has the sense of “confined” or “mapped out” or “legally defined.”
- A “charter” often refers to a document issued by a government official that grants certain rights or privileges, therefore portraying the idea that the streets of London are increasingly the subject of government control.
- ‘Chartered’ is repeated in the next line ‘the chartered Thames’ in order to emphasise the idea that nobody realises how much they are being controlled and that through this poem, Blake is trying to make people understand and take back their power.
16
Q
Analyse - “The mind-forged manacles I hear” - London (3)
A
- “Manacles” are shackles, handcuffs, anything that confines, or constricts. A representative of the idea that society is being restricted and brain-washed by the government, monarchy, and church as we are becoming their instruments of power.
- We are allowing ourselves to be controlled and manipulated as the manacles are ‘mind-forged’, implying that we are putting them upon ourselves and preventing society from improving and developing for we will be tied down for eternity as our future of submission to superiorities has been engraved into our minds.
- It could also mean that our minds will forever be controlled and restricted by the manacles the government has placed upon us until we do something about it.
17
Q
Analyse - “The hapless soldier’s sigh/Runs in blood down palace walls” - London (5)
A
- ‘Hapless’ means unfortunate
- Metaphor
- If a soldier complains or has a negative attitude towards war/challenges the monarchy, then their punishment is having their blood against palace walls, meaning they’ve been killed.
- Criticises and blames the monarchy (George the third) as they didn’t do anything about it
- Symbolic of the fact that they have blood on their hands
18
Q
What is ‘London’ about?
A
The church, government and monarchy were hated by Blake as he believed they abused and mistreated their power. It is the angriest poem in the anthology and is heavily critical as Blake is frustrated due to the people of London - specifically soldiers and children - being controlled and exploited by those with an unfair amount of power.
19
Q
Who wrote ‘Extract from, The prelude’?
A
William Wordsworth ( 1770-1850 )
20
Q
Context - ‘Extract from, The prelude’ (3)
A
- William Wordsworth’s poems are all about trying to restore the relationship between man and nature.
- This poem is a semi-autobiographical poem that deals with his life - from child to adulthood.
- He was a Romantics poet (not to do with love; about the power of nature)
21
Q
Quotes - ‘Extract from, The Prelude’ (3)
A
- “One summer evening (led by her)”
- “Troubled pleasure”
- “The horizon’s bound, a huge peak, black and huge
22
Q
How are power and conflict shown in ‘Extract from, The Prelude’? (2)
A
- Power of nature - ‘the horizon bound a huge peak’, shows that maybe nature is trying to teach him a lesson and punish him for going something bad.
- The conflict between right and wrong - the narrator feels guilty for ‘taking the boat’ but liked doing it nevertheless.
23
Q
What poems can you link to ‘Extract from, The Prelude’?
A
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24
Q
What is ‘Extract from, The Prelude’ about?
A
It is about a flashback to a time he stole a boat at home in the Lake District. The journey symbolises his emotional journey as a poet, which started with a mystic, and emotional connection with the power of nature (which is what being a Romantic is about). It also symbolises a journey within memory, looking for meaning.
This poem has a sexual subtext and could be viewed as a story of the narrator losing their virginity then having to face the conflict between right and wrong and the guilt they feel.
25
Analyse - "One summer evening (led by her)" - 'Extract from, The Prelude' (3)
- 'Led by her' personifies nature/mother nature; he is being lured by nature
- Gives nature a female identity; could be representative of a mother-figure guiding her child into adulthood.
- The forces driving the speaker – overpowering nature and a small frail boat – are given a feminine gender. This could link to the sexual subtext as he is being compelled by a woman and is doing something which he knows is wrong.
26
Analyse - "Troubled pleasure" - 'Extract from, The Prelude' (4)
- 'Troubled pleasure’, an oxymoron to show how he found his environment intimidating yet beautiful. It is so beautiful and overwhelming that he feels as if he is trespassing, perhaps on nature’s secrets, therefore, may feel that he can't enjoy it.
- It suggests mankind is selfish and ‘proud’ of taking from nature, which is truly dominant and overpowering. Man is arrogant and over-confident as nature is more powerful.
- Foreshadows the future of the poem
- Followed by a caesura (,) implying that he stopped for a moment to think about what he was doing but carried on anyway.
27
Analyse - "The horizon's bound, a huge peak, black and huge" - 'Extract from, The Prelude' (3)
- Repetition of 'huge' indicates he feels intimidated as the peak begins to resemble a monster/something to be feared.
- Could be viewed as nature scaring him as a punishment for sinning/doing something he knew was wrong
- While the opening lines paint a picture of the speaker as one with nature, experiencing great joy in the peaceful waters, these lines mark an important change. The experience the speaker has here reveals that nature is not always man’s friend. In fact, there are mysterious and dangerous beings in nature. Nature is suddenly something not only to be enjoyed but something to be feared.
28
What can you say about the structure of 'Extract from, The Prelude'? (4)
1. Single stanza - to show the boy has grown up quite quickly. The reader is overwhelmed by the immensity of the poem as there are no breaks or pauses.
2. Enjambment - the excitement but also the fear that rushes through him and takes over
3. Caesura - stops him in his track and makes him reconsider, yet he carries on anyway
4. Blank verse - the poem has no rhyme scheme but is written in iambic pentameter (lines of 10 syllables, with alternating stressed and unstressed syllables). Because of the influence of this poem, other philosophical poems were written in blank verse.
29
What can you say about the structure of 'Ozymandias'? (3)
1. Sonnet - portrays the king's love of power as sonnets are usually love poems
2. Iambic pentameter - follows a strict set of rules like his people had to during his time of ruling
3. Single stanza - stands alone like the 'colossal wreck' does in the desert
30
What can you say about the structure of 'London'? (2)
1. ABAB rhyme scheme - a simple rhyme scheme but a complex poem, ironic
2. Quatrain (4 line stanzas) - to show there are four people to blame: the monarchy, government, church and ourselves for allowing them to control us.
31
Who wrote 'My Last Duchess'?
Robert Browning (1812-1889)
32
Context - 'My Last Duchess' (2)
1. Browning's inspiration for "My Last Duchess" was the history of a Renaissance duke, Alfonso II of Ferrara, whose young wife Lucrezia died in suspicious circumstances in 1561
2. Robert Browning takes this brief anecdote out of the history books and turns it into an opportunity for readers to peek inside the head of a psychopath. Although Browning hints at the real-life Renaissance back-story by putting the word "Ferrara" under the title of the poem as an epigraph, he removes the situation from most of its historical details. It’s important to notice that the Duke, his previous wife, and the woman he’s courting aren’t named in the poem at all. Even though there were historical events that inspired the poem, the text itself has a more generalized, universal, nameless feel.
33
Quotes - 'My Last Duchess' (2)
1. "She had/a heart - how shall I say? - too soon made glad [...] she liked whate'er/she looked on, and her looks went everywhere."
2. "I gave commands/then all smiles stopped together."
34
How are power and conflict shown in 'My Last Duchess'? (2)
1. Love of power - the Duke was intimidated that his Duchess was being looked at by other men as he felt he was losing his power
2. Abuse of power - it is believed that the duke paid someone to kill his wife as he wanted to gain more control
35
What poems can you link to 'My Last Duchess'? (?)
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36
What is 'My Last Duchess' about?
An anecdotal depiction of the psychology of a man obsessed with power who is conducting a marriage negotiation while discussing his previous marriage to the visitor.
37
Analyse - "She had/a heart - how shall I say? - too soon made glad [...] she liked whate'er/she looked on, and her looks went everywhere." - 'My Last Duchess' (3)
1. She was interested in other men which made the Duke jealous
2. "Too soon made glad", monosyllabic (single syllable), shows he was short-tempered, frustrated, wanted to put a stop to it
3. He felt a lack of control around her as she was not doing as he wished, therefore, he felt intimidated and powerless
38
Analyse - "I gave commands/then all smiles stopped together." - 'My last Duchess' (5)
1. He gave someone the command to kill her then 'all smiles stopped'.
2. Caesura at the end of 'together' signifies he put an end to it abruptly
3. Caesura is used when talking about his wife; enjambment is used when he talks about himself
4. He didn't want to be seen as weak or have to lower himself in order to get what he wanted
5. No sense of regret as he felt she had it coming
39
What can be said about the structure of 'My Last Duchess'? (3)
1. Iambic pentameter - strictly 10 beats per line, controlling, carefully words things, shows he is an abusive husband
2. Dramatic monologue - he is the only one who we hear talking, shows he likes to be the most powerful as everything is always about him
3. Single stanza - the duke is never going to change his attitude or his speech
40
Who wrote 'Charge of the light brigade'?
Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)
41
Context - 'Charge of the light brigade' (2)
1. Made poet laureate by Queen Victoria, therefore wrote about current events and special occasions
2. This poem was written about the Battle of Balaclava, the Crimean war
42
Quotes - 'Charge of the light brigade' (3)
1. "Rode the six hundred"/"left of six hundred"/"noble six hundred"
2. "Into the mouth of hell"
3. "Sabring the gunners"
43
How are power and conflict shown in 'Charge of the light brigade'? (1)
1. Power of man - under 600 soldiers were killed at war by other soldiers. Man can create a deadly amount of pain and violence. Terrifying how people can do this to their own kind.
44
What poems can you link to 'Charge of the light brigade'? (?)
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45
What is 'Charge of the light brigade' about?
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. The 'six hundred' knew they were on a death mission but still held their heads high and carried on fighting without question.
46
Analyse - "Rode the six hundred"/"left of six hundred"/"noble six hundred" - 'Charge of the light brigade'(2)
1. Repeated throughout the poem, presents the idea that war will never end
2. 'Noble six hundred', the soldiers should be honoured for their bravery. They signed an oath, therefore, it was their job to do and they did it without hesitation.
47
Analyse - "Into the mouth of hell" - 'Charge of the light brigade' (3)
1. Biblical allusion portrays war as hell, something bad that should be sinned for but also representative that war is dangerous and it's as if they're riding into death voluntarily.
2. Metaphorical
3. Personifies the hell/the war as it's going to eat them alive/they're feeding themselves to the war
48
Analyse - "Sabring the gunners" - 'Charge of the light brigade' (2)
1. Despite having no possibility of them all making it out alive, they still try their best to be brave and continue fighting
2. Shows they are unprepared and didn't know what they were getting themselves into
49
What can be said about the structure of 'Charge of the light brigade'? (2)
1. A ballad poem - typically arranged in quatrains with the rhyme scheme ABAB. Ballads are usually narrative, which means they tell a story.
2. The last stanza is smaller than all of the others, symbolic of the fact that they lost a lot of their men along the way
50
Who wrote 'Exposure'?
Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
51
Context - 'Exposure' (3)
1. He was a WW1 soldier - experienced first hand what it was really like being in the trenches
2. Sent to a mental assylem to recoperate due to PTSD
3. Owen was killed while leading his men one week before the armistice was signed ending the war
52
Quotes - 'Exposure' (3)
1. "Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive/us..."
2. "But nothing happens"
3. "Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence./Less deadly than the air that shudders black with snow"
53
How are power and conflict shown in 'Exposure'? (1)
1. Power of nature - the weather is more deadly than the enemy
54
What poems can you link to 'Exposure'? (?)
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55
What is 'Exposure' about?
Owen 'exposes' the horror of the trenches with descriptions of soldiers who are losing their humanity as throughout the poem we learn that the weather is more powerful and deadly than the enemy.
56
Analyse - "Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive/us..." - 'Exposure' (3)
1. Sibilance is used to convey the biting cold, the intensity of the wind that hurts them as if stabbed with a knife. The harsh weather conditions are an additional opponent for the soldiers.
2. The personification of the wind suggests that the weather is like a deliberately vicious and inescapable enemy. The men are faced with two dangers; enemy soldiers and the risk of hypothermia from exposure.
3. Elipses are used to emphasize how long this pain drags on as the weather is inescapable.
57
Analyse - "But nothing happens" - 'Exposure' (2)
1. Refrain is used by Owen to criticise the government's stance as throughout the poem they are becoming more and more aware of the terrible reality of war, yet they still decide to do nothing about it.
2. The weather is metaphorical for the government as it's an unexpected enemy but it has so much power.
58
Analyse - "Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence./Less deadly than the air that shudders black with snow" - 'Exposure' (3)
1. Sibilance is representative of bullets whistling past
2. The threat of weather is more dangerous than bullets being shot at them
3. The colour black is associated with death, meaning the snow is more likely to be the death of them as opposed to fighting.
59
What can you say about the structure of 'Exposure'? (2)
1. ABBAC rhyme scheme - showing the repetitive nature of nothing changing in the war
2. Pararhyme (half-rhyme) between lines A - shows the unease of the war and their situation
60
Who wrote 'Storm on the island'?
Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
61
Context - 'Storm on the island' (3)
- Written in 1966, it is set in a remote community on an island during a harsh storm, similar to those faced by people living in extreme parts of Ireland
- STORM ON The island - Stormont is the name of Northern Ireland's parliament
- During the 1960s, the predominantly Catholic IRA (Irish Republic Army) were carrying out bombings in Northern Ireland (and parts of Britan) to try and get the British to leave Ireland.
62
Quotes - 'Storm on the island' (3)
1. "Spits like a tame cat/Turned savage"
2. "Strafes", "Salvo", "Bombarded"
3. "Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear."
63
How are power and conflict shown in 'Storm on the island'? (2)
1. Nature is more powerful than man - they are being attacked by weather and they are powerless, therefore, can only 'sit tight'
2. Abuse of power - nature is treating them unfairly as they can see that they are powerless but still strikes at them anyway
64
What poems can you link to 'Storm on the island'? (?)
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65
What is 'Storm on the island' about?
A small community is under attack by something with far more power and all they can do is 'sit tight' as they are being destroyed by weather and nature. An extended metaphor for the political situation in Northern Ireland.
66
Analyse - "Spits like a tame cat/Turned savage" - 'Storm on the island' (3)
1. Personification of the sea as the reader may think that 'the sea is company' however 'when it begins' it turns 'savage'. This may mean that they thought someone was on their side yet when the war began they turned their back on them.
2. Sibilance - represents the sea crashing against the cliffs
3. Simile - cats are unpredictable and can turn on you at any time
67
Analyse - "Strafes", "Salvo", "Bombarded" - 'Storm on the island' (3)
1. Lexical field of war and battle, shows they are under attack
2. 'Salvo' means non-stop attack therefore implying that everywhere is under attack
3. 'Bombarded by the empty air' shows that it appears powerless and defenceless but is actually more powerful than anything
68
Analyse - "Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear." - 'Storm on the island' (2)
1. They can't see the enemy, weather/wind which is why it's unusual or 'strange'
2. 'Huge nothing' - paradox and oxymoron
69
What can you say about the structure of 'Storm on the island'? (4)
1. The poem is written in 19 lines of blank verse each line containing 5 feet to emphasise the fact that their situation may never change if they don't do anything about it.
2. One stanza - looks like an island, all happens at once, they want to be united
3. Enjambment - unending conflict
4. Caesura - unexpectedness/abrupt, they want to put an end to it
70
Who wrote 'Bayonet charge'?
Ted Hughes (1930-1998)
71
Context - 'Bayonet charge' (3)
- Ted bacame a poet laureate in 1984
- He was 9 years old when WW2 began
- His father served in WW1
72
Quotes - 'Bayonet charge' (3)
1. "Suddenly he awoke and was running - raw"
2. "He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm"
3. "King, honour, human dignity, etcetera/Dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm"
73
How are power and conflict shown in 'Bayonet charge' ? (1)
1. Conflict at war
74
What poems can you like to 'Bayonet charge'? ()
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75
What is 'Bayonet charge' about?
It's about a soldier at war who is running towards the enemy with his bayonet (a blade that may be fixed to the muzzle of a rifle and used to stab an opponent) but is beginning to question his role in the battle.
76
Analyse - "Suddenly he awoke and was running - raw" - 'Bayonet charge' (3)
1. In media res - shows its urgent and is happening really quickly, makes the reader question what's going on, intriguing
2. You feel as if you are running with him because of the urgency
3. 'Raw' - new to being a soldier. Repetition of this shows we cannot understand the true horrors of war.
77
Analyse - "He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm" - 'Bayonet charge' (2)
1. Simile - shows the rifle is useless as he has ran out of ammunition however he still has his bayonet but it requires him going right up to the enemy
2. 'Lugged' implies he's struggling and is exhausted
78
Analyse - "King, honour, human dignity, etcetera/Dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm" - 'Bayonet charge' (3)
1. He is trying to justify why he is doing this
2. 'Dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm' - all the things he was promised as a result of going to war don't actually matter when you're dead. They become unimportant and irrelevant.
3. Cynical tone - mocking of it, distrusting others motives
79
What can you say about the structure of 'Bayonet charge'? (2)
1. Enjambment between stanzas - shows war is chaotic and confusing and never seems to end
2. But caesura at the end of the poem implies that he is dead
80
Who wrote 'Remains'?
Simon Armitage (born. 1963)
81
Context - 'Remains' (3)
1. This poem belongs to a collection of poems called 'The not dead' which highlights peoples experiences with PTSD
2. Told anecdotally, based on a real story
3. It is thought that the speaker is involved in The Gulf War which took place in 1990-1991, as the poem describes "desert sands" in stanza seven.
82
Quotes - 'Remains' (4)
1. "Probably armed, possibly not"
2. "I see every round as it rips through his life"
3. "His blood-shadow stays on the street"
4. "Dug in behind enemy lines"
83
How are power and conflict shown in 'Remains'? (2)
1. Abuse of power - government doesn't do anything to help those in need and continues to let them get traumatised as it benefits them
2. Powerful mind
84
What poems can you link to 'Remains'? ()
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85
What is 'Remains' about?
'Remains' is about a soldier suffering with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) after murdering a potentially unarmed burglar. The poem explores how soldiers are tormented by war even when they return home, and have to face the consequences of their actions every single day.
86
Analyse - "Probably armed, possibly not" - 'Remains' (2)
1. This phrase is repeated in the poem, emphasising the speaker’s sense of discomfort at having killed another human being who may have been innocent
2. Shows how confusing war was and how unsure and doubtful soldiers were about what they were supposed to be doing
87
Analyse - "I see every round as it rips through his life" - 'Remains' (4)
1. 'Life' shows that it was more than a body that he was destroying
2. They can see through the body, death right before their eyes
3. Anaphora of 'I see' implies he was overwhelmed with everything that was going on in front of him
4. He sees this nightmare over and over again in his head
88
Analyse - "His blood-shadow stays on the street" - 'Remains' (3)
1. Could be linked to 'War photographer' when it says: "how the blood stained into foreign dust" - both poems show the effects of war
2. That image will never leave his mind and will stay there forever. He can't escape the memory
3. Sibilance - represents the gunshots taking away his life
89
Analyse - "Dug in behind enemy lines" - 'Remains' (2)
1. War term shows he may never be able to forget that time in his life and that what happened shaped how he is now
2. It's stuck in his minds and to get it out will require an army
90
What can you say about the structure of 'Remains'? (2)
1. "On another occasion we get sent out" - in media res, reflects the chaos of the situation. 'Sent out' shows they were acting on orders
2. Repetition of 'somebody else' to 'my':
- 'Somebody else' shows that the speaker is trying to minimise his own role and put blame on others
- 'My' shows that when the soldier goes home he takes the blame for what happened as he has to live with the effects of his choices at war
- This change shows that the impact of war is personal
91
Who wrote 'Poppies'?
Jane Weir (born. 1963)
92
Context - 'Poppies' (2)
1. Jane used to be a textile designer
2. Armistice Sunday began as a way of marking the end of the First World War in 1918. Today, the event is used to remember soldiers of all wars who have died since then.
93
Quotes - 'Poppies' (3)
1. "All my words/flattened, rolled, turned into felt,/slowly melting."
2. "The world overflowing like a treasure chest."
3. "Hoping to hear your playground voice catching on the wind."
94
How are power and conflict shown in 'Poppies'? (2)
1. Love of power - the mother doesn't like the idea that her son is leaving her to go to war as it makes her feel powerless
2. Power doesn't last - her son grew up and is now leaving her, it had to come to an end at some point
95
What poems can you link to 'Poppies'? ()
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96
What is 'Poppies' about?
It's a mother's experience of pain and loss as her son leaves home to go to war. The poem is basically about a mother who describes her son leaving home to fight in the army and her emotional reaction to her son leaving. She feels sad, lonely and scared for his safety.
97
Analyse - "All my words/flattened, rolled, turned into felt,/slowly melting." - 'Poppies' (3)
1. Metaphor so imply that she is struggling to express her emotions
2. Semantic field through words like 'flattened' and 'rolled'. Linked to context as she used to be a textile designer.
3. Enjambment shows that her son grew up too fast and that it all happened at once but the sudden caesura after 'melting' implies that is has come to an abrupt end as he is leaving her to go to war.
98
Analyse - "The world overflowing like a treasure chest." - 'Poppies' (3)
1. Implies that her son has been hidden and protected from the world by his mother for so long that now that he is able to experience it he views it as a 'treasure chest' filled with possibilities that he is desperate to explore on his own.
2. Simile to show how he is naive and innocent for viewing the world as a treasure chest.
3. He is promised treasure and honor for going to war but has yet to experience what it is really like.
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Analyse - "Hoping to hear your playground voice catching on the wind." - 'Poppies' (2)
1. The mother wants her baby back and wants to hear his voice once more
2. Feels powerless as all she can do is hope that he will be alright
100
What can you say about the structure of 'Poppies'? (2)
1. Written as a dramatic monologue as we never hear anything from the soldier/her son. Important as this poem is about the conflict of emotions and struggles that those who stay at home are faced with. Therefore, this poem is allowing her to express her feelings but may also imply that her son has died.
2. No rhyme scheme and varied stanza lengths to represent the idea that life is unpredictable and you can never know what will happen next.
101
Who wrote 'War photographer'?
Carol ann Duffy (born.1955)
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Context - 'War photographer' (2)
1. First-ever poet laureate meaning this poem is about an important event
2. Duffy was inspired to write this poem by her friendship with a war photographer. She was especially intrigued by the peculiar challenge faced by these people whose job requires them to record terrible, horrific events without being able to directly help their subjects.
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Quotes - 'War photographer' (3)
1. "He has a job to do"
2. "Running children in a nightmare heat"
3. "A hundred agonies in black and white"
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How are power and conflict shown in 'War photographer'? (3)
1. Conflict of war - it's the photographer's job to capture the horrifying scenes at war and as a result, we are given a glimpse of what that reality is like.
2. Conflict of emotions - he feels frustrated and sad that people are allowing such things to happen.
3. Moral conflict
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What poems can you link to 'War photographer'? ()
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
106
What is 'War photographer' about?
War Photographer is a poem that focuses on a man who is in the process of developing his latest batch of images from his latest war.
Without war and all its horrors he wouldn't have a job, yet to do that job effectively he has to distance himself from the reality of obscene violence.
107
Analyse - "He has a job to do." - 'War photographer' (3)
1. This sentence is isolated from the others which represents the idea that to do his job effectively he has to distance himself from the reality of obscene violence.
2. This abrupt opening sentence breaks the calm and reverie created in the first stanza. Shows that he has to constantly stop and remind himself that he is doing this for a reason.
3. It is easier for the photographer to call it a job and avoid the reality of the situation. He has to emotionally detach from it. The implication is that to survive the shock and grief of what he sees, he has to treat his work like anyone else’s ‘job’.
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Analyse - "Running children in a nightmare heat" - 'War photographer' (3)
1. They can't escape the pain
2. This may refer to ‘Napalm Girl’, a famous photograph of a burning child running during the Vietnamese war in the 1960s where many people, especially children were killed to the “nightmare heat”.
3. Children represent innocence
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Analyse - "A hundred agonies in black and white" - 'War photographer' (4)
1. A 'hundred' is hyperbolic and designed to shock us as it tells us that this war is huge and ruining hundreds of people's lives but we will only be able to see 'five or six'.
2. 'Black and white' confirms the fact that this war is happening and gives us as a reader the clarification that something needs to be done about it.
3. ‘Agonies’ is extremely emotive and more severe than mere pain.
4. ‘Black and white’ is commonly used to describe what is right and wrong, suggesting it should be obvious to the readers that war is morally wrong.
110
What can you say about the structure of 'War photographer'? (3)
1. The poem is made up of four stanzas of six lines each indicating that there is no room for emotion in this job
2. The internal rhyme between 'tears' and 'beers' shows that this is a passing feeling of sadness
111
Who wrote 'Tissue'?
Imtiaz Dharker (born. 1954)
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Context - 'Tissue' (3)
1. Imtiaz Dharker is a contemporary poet (poetry written after the start of the 1920s, a style of poetry that follows a specific series of traits and literary tools: inconsistent meter. variations upon standard rhyme.)
2. She was born in Pakistan and grew up in Scotland. She draws on her multi-cultural experience in her work.
3. She has written five collections of poetry and often deals with themes of identity, the role of women in contemporary society and the search for meaning.
113
Quotes - 'Tissue' ()
1. "Tissue" (the title)
2. "Paper that lets the light
shine through"
3. "Maps too. The sun shines through
their borderlines, the marks
that rivers make, roads,
railtracks, mountainfolds"
4. "Turned into your skin."
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How are power and conflict shown in 'Tissue'? (3)
1. Power doesn't last - paper fades and becomes weaker as time goes on
2. Power and importance of paper - it holds information about people and history
3. Nature is more powerful - human life is fragile and nature (light) can "shine through" as it is so weak.
115
Analyse - "Paper that lets the light
| shine through" - 'Tissue' ()
1. This has religious connotations. Christianity asserts that Jesus is the light of the world, and belief leads to redemption. Also, in Islam, the Qu'uran (‘Koran’) states that ‘Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth’ Light, therefore, symbolizes God and purity — light is both a metaphor for God and, later in the poem, a metaphor for nature.
2. It can also suggest the fragility of life. We record thoughts and feelings on paper that is easily destroyed and the writing becomes faint over time.
3. Contradicts how delicate paper is but also its importance
116
What is 'Tissue' about?
This poem reveals the power of a paper, and how one can use it for many different things. She considers how a paper can 'alter things' and refers to the soft thin paper of religious, particularly the Qur'an.
The poem is about transparency and how our world is controlled by an inanimate object
117
Analyse - "Tissue" - 'Tissue' (1)
1. The title introduces the poem as an extended metaphor. This one word is ambiguous, meaning fine flimsy paper, but also in the biological sense, it refers to the materials of which our bodies are made, for example, muscle, bone, nerves.
118
Analyse - "Maps too. The sun shines through
their borderlines, the marks
that rivers make, roads,
railtracks, mountainfolds" - 'Tissue' (6)
1. These literally and metaphorically show us the direction in which we should go.
2. This indicates that humans need to control and constrain, the poem throughout uses contrasting themes of nature and humans need to create order in life out of chaos. Yet, when the ‘sun shines through’ nature overcomes human constriction.
3. This is a short, blunt fragment which reflects the fixed nature of maps and borders. It shows that maps and territories create divisions instead of freedom. If our society is transparent, we could remove all borders between ourselves as humans and become united as one.
4. The fact that the sun shines through the maps shows that nature overpowers mankind.
5. “The marks” are the effect of the power of nature on mankind. The alliterative ‘r’s give these lines a rhythmic feel.
6. The poet is saying that problems in society can come from both natural and manmade “borders”. However, they can be overcome through unity and light.
119
Analyse - "Turned into your skin" - 'Tissue' ()
1. This is implying that humans are as fragile as tissue or paper.
2. The direct second person pronoun, ‘your’, means that the reader is being directly addressed. This emphasises that we’re all equal, like God’s ‘grand design’, especially since in the end none of us is ‘meant to last’.
3. The final single line breaks the arrhythmic quatrains, reflecting life as whole; unpredictable and disorganised no matter how we try to impose order. It also suggests how sudden and unpredictable death is.
120
Analyse - "Turned into your skin" - 'Tissue' (3)
1. This is implying that humans are as fragile as tissue or paper.
2. The direct second person pronoun, ‘your’, means that the reader is being directly addressed. This emphasises that we’re all equal, like God’s ‘grand design’, especially since in the end none of us is ‘meant to last’.
3. The final single line breaks the arrhythmic quatrains, reflecting life as a whole; unpredictable and disorganised no matter how we try to impose order. It also suggests how sudden and unpredictable death is.
121
What can be said about the structure of 'Tissue'? (4)
1. The poem comprises nine stanzas of four lines each, known as quatrains and a final stanza of one line.
2. There is no regular rhyme scheme, and the lines are short but varied in length to reflect the meaning.
3. The poet uses enjambment within the stanzas and linking one stanza to the next when conveying complex ideas.
4. This irregular, arrhythmic structure is a reflection of the disorganised nature of life, no matter how we try to impose control.
122
Who wrote 'The Emigrée'?
Carol Rumens (born. 1944)
123
Context - 'The Emigrée' (2)
1. Carol Rumens was born in South London and grew up there.
2. In addition to her own verse, she has published a number of translations of Russian poems and has, according to the critic Ben Wilkinson, a ‘fascination with elsewhere’. This fascination is clear in The Émigrée, which deals with a land and a city which for the speaker is permanently ‘elsewhere’.
124
Quotes - 'The Emigrée' (3)
1. "I am branded by an impression of sunlight"
2. "Time rolls its tanks/and the frontiers rise between us, close like waves"
3. "My city takes me dancing through the city
of walls."
125
How are power and conflict shown in 'The Emigrée'? (3)
1. The power of place - despite leaving a place which is dangerous, the speaker passionately loves it. A lot of contrast and the juxtaposition between positive and negative in the poem. The positive impact of the place overpowers the negative
2. Conflicting emotions - between place and people. She loves the place but had to leave it because of the danger.
3. Power of memory - her memory of the place is 'sunlight-clear'
126
What is 'The Emigrée' about?
The Emigree is a poem about a person who was forced to leave their home country and journey to foreign shores to be safe. The first person speaker looks back with affection at the land they once called home but which is now possibly run by a tyrant or caught up in war.
127
Analyse - "I am branded by an impression of sunlight" - 'The Emigrée' (3)
1. The repetition of the word ‘sunlight’ suggests the speaker has an almost dream-like picture of the past.
2. The country has ‘branded’ her. It has left marks on her. Metaphorically she is saying that she remembers only positive things.
3. Her homeland has permanently made a positive impression on her
128
Analyse - "Time rolls its tanks/and the frontiers rise between us, close like waves" - 'The Emigrée' (5)
1. Time is slipping away so in some respects time is the enemy.
2. The plosive ’t’s create a sinister tone, showing how different her memories are to reality.
3. Furthermore, the negative reports that the speaker hears of her country make her cherish her positive memories more dearly.
4. The ‘frontier’ rising is the separation of the two lands – the one the poet left and the one to which she fled with her family. They ‘close like waves’ suggests a metaphorical sea flowing between the two countries, separating them permanently.
5. It is also possible that the ‘frontier’ is another metaphor, describing the two mentalities within the one narrator, the idealistic girl with glowing childhood memories and the adult whose intelligence tells her that she is romanticising what she barely remembers.
129
Analyse - "My city takes me dancing through the city
| of walls." - 'The Emigrée' ()
1. Her city is comforting to her, always present in her imagination. It is not only personified but is a metaphorical lover who can take her dancing and magically penetrate walls, as in a fairy story.
130
Analyse - "My city takes me dancing through the city
| of walls." - 'The Emigrée' (1)
1. Her city is comforting to her, always present in her imagination. It is not only personified but is a metaphorical lover who can take her dancing and magically penetrate walls, as in a fairy story.
131
What can you say about the structure of 'The Emigrée'? (5)
1. Free verse
2. Enjambment
3. Caesura
Together all of these structural elements have a combined reflection of the chaos in the place that she loves and the lack of power the speaker has in that she cannot go there. The place is a dangerous war zone and that danger is shown through the chaotic, disorganised features of the poem.
4. However, there is a pretty regular stanza length which could be viewed as the speaker's way of imposing order on the chaos and refusing to be overcome by the negativity of the conflict there.
5. Dramatic mologue - she feels that she is the only one who still loves and misses her home country.
132
Who wrote 'Checking out me history'?
John Agard (born. 1949)
133
Context - 'Checking out me history' (2)
1. He was born in the former British colony, Guyana (became independent in 1966)
2. For centuries, nations have repressed the culture and identity of the civilisations they have sought to colonise as a means to control the population and eradicate any dissent to the foreign presence.
134
Quotes - 'Checking out me history' (2)
1. "Bandage up me eye with me own history/Blind me to me own identity"
2. "But now I checking out me own history/I carving out me identity"
135
How are power and conflict shown in 'Checking out me history'? (1)
1. Power of history - a persons history establishes who they are
136
What poems can you link to 'Checking out me history'? ()
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137
What is 'Checking out me history' about?
A man who feels like he has been hidden from his true identity from his lack of learning about his own history as opposed to someone elses.
