Power And Conflict Poetry Flashcards
(37 cards)
Ozymandius 5 Quotes
“I met a traveller from an antique land,”
“And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,”
“The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;”
“Look on my works, ye Mighty and despair!”
“Of that colossal wreck.”
“I met a traveller from an antique land,”
Ozymandius
Speaker immediately distances themselves from the description of Ozymandius - in time and space. He is writing against dictators - not just Napoleon but potential British leaders such as Duke Of Wellington so he doesn’t want to seem unpatriotic.
“Antique land” thirst for power is as old as history, he’s suggesting we need to move to a more democratic future
“And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,”
Ozymandius
“Wrinkled” Ozymandius was already looking old, even at most powerful, the power was already slipping away - wider message, can’t cling onto power even when we seem all powerful (linking to napoleon)
“Sneer” rulers rule with lack of sympathy, need democratic system, people born into power have no interest in helping those who aren’t.
“Cold command” harsh alliteration emphasises cold military leader
“The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;”
Ozymandius
Introduces turn in meaning of poem - Volta
Ambiguity
His heart is shrivelled (emotionless), providing his people with nothing
Art is far more powerful then political power - turned horrendous ruler into art which will last
Sculptor mocking Ozymandius, revealing his true self
“Look on my Works, ye Mighty and despair”
Ozymandius
Ozymandius hopes that anyone who saw his statue and everything that surrounded it would “despair” at how powerful this ruler was - ironically nothing left
“my Works” refers to artist and is also ironic as Ozymandius is no longer mighty but the artist is
“Of that colossal wreck.”
Ozymandius
Even most powerful statues are destroyed
Power of art that the myth is still remembered
Shelly wants same thing as Ozymandius- to be remembered
Remains (monologue) 5 quotes
“On another occasion, we got sent out”
“I see every round as it rips through his life”
“One of my mates goes by, and tosses his guts back into his body”
“And the drink and the drugs won’t flush him out”
“But near to the knuckle, here and now, his bloody life in my bloody hands.”
“On another occasion, we got sent out”
Remains
In media res - begin in middle of action. One of many incidents that had great impact on soldier
This was the event he was building up to as it had worst psychological effect
“We got sent out” sounds like a punishment rather then his job
“I see every round as it rips through his life”
Remains
Dramatic pause before - Volta
First person, no longer plural, starts to blame himself, emphasised by harsh alliteration of “rounds” and rips”
“Through his life” metaphor, utterly destructive
Present tense, stays in his mind, he can’t rid the memory
“One of my mates goes by, and tosses his guts back into his body.”
Remains
Colloquial language juxtaposes the horror of what is being described
Sibilance - sinister, narrator tries to describe as normal
“Tosses his gut” casual in the moment but has connotations of him feeling sick when remembering this moment
“And the drink and the drugs won’t flush him out”
Remains
Sense of repetition, keeps returning to drinks and drugs - addiction based on trying to escape memory of war - experiences of war remain with soldiers when they return
One soldier represents all soldiers
Metaphor - uses soldiers language - “flush” out the enemy + excrement, how he feels about himself - self - disgust, links back to trying to cure himself
“But near to the knuckle, here an now, his bloody life in my bloody hands”
Remains
Discordance - lack of control (doesn’t end on a rhyme)
“Bloody” guilt / harsh sound - links to Macbeth
Pronouns changed from “we” to “my” , believes only he is to blame
Either saving point or self destruction point
London Form
4 line stanzas
Regular rhyme scheme
Simple, childlike
Protest / political poem
So memorable even children will remember
London 5 quotes
“I wander thro’ each charter’d street,”
“The mind-forg’d manacles I hear”
“Every blackning Church appalls,”
“Runs in blood down Palace walls”
“And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse”
“I wander thro’ each charter’d street,”
London
Complaining about urbanisation destroying what’s natural
What was once free, common land, is now owned by other people - streets make people poor
Contrasts to “I wander”, can still be free if you look at London in a different way
“The mind-forg’d manacles I hear”
London
Alliteration - memorable
Metaphor
“Manacles” - imprisonment - we are owned by something “mind-forg’d” - done this to ourselves, own mind put us in some sort of jail - social hierarchy isn’t real - just the way society is organised in our minds (everyone respecting the level above them) - if stop believing = truly free lives
“Forg’d” - fake thing - society
“Every blackning Church appalls”
London
“Appalls” Church should side with the helpless Chimney sweepers - big part of Christianity is to “Love thy neighbour - Church has lost their way - big criticism at church for complacency
+ “appalls” - black material on coffin - church is dead as its turned away from Christ
“Runs in blood down Palace walls”
London
Metaphor
Could be referring to French Revolution where monarchy were executed - suggesting could happen here - society so corrupt that poor will rise up and set up new monarchy
“And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse”
London
Volta - changes point from corrupt society to men being corrupt (ending point x suggesting it’s the main point)
Men are killing their marriages - patriarchy
“Plagues” - STI’s from prostitutes (another mistreatment of women), physically killed women at time, gave children disabilities
Exposure 5 quotes
“Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us, Wearied we keep awake the night is silent…”
“Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army attacks once more in ranks on shivering ranks of grey”
“So we drowse, sun-dosed, Littered with blossoms trickling where the blackbird fusses. - Is it that we are dying?”
“Therefore, not loath, we lie out here; therefore were born, For love of God seems dying.”
“Pause over half-known faces. All their eyes are ice. But nothing happens.”
Exposure Structure
Long lines - mimics length of time men are exposed to conditions, which will kill them
Half rhyme - unsettling + not neat - poet wants neat end to war “but nothing happens”
“Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us, Wearied we keep awake the night is silent…”
Exposure
Nature is attacking men as punishment for horror of war / men - unexpected for reader that poet begins with this as enemy should be opposition not weather
Nature always wins
Silence should be peaceful but soldiers stay awake because of it - war means everything is turned upside down
“Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army Attacks once more in ranks on shivering ranks of grey”
Exposure
Personification of clouds - weather being better armoured then soldiers
“Massing” - much more danger from weather then soldiers
Repetition “ranks” - attack from nature is endless
Pathetic fallacy
“So we drowse, sun-dozed, Littered with blossoms trickling where the blackbird fusses - Is it that we are dying?”
Exposure
How soldiers mentally escape
Irritating sounds even in summer memory
“Littered” - rubbish, negative description
Not thinking straight - brain slowing - dying?
“Drowse, Sun - dozed” - sleepy - threat
