Power + Conflict Poetry Flashcards
(37 cards)
What’s the main irony in Ozymandias?
Ozymandias thinks his power will be immortal ( last forever )but it crumbles
What does ‘ephemeral’ mean?
Temporary
Key ideas in Ozymandias:
Arrogance of rulers
Power of art
Ephemeral (temporary) nature of power
Insignificance of humans compared to nature and time
What techniques does Shelley use to emphasise that human power is temporary?
Caesura-The break in the line 12 after “remains” highlights how Ozymandias’ power has come to an end.
Juxtaposition-Putting “colossal” and “wreck” next to each other. This emphasises the contrast between Ozymandias’ former power and his current state
“Carving out me identity” – Checking Out Me History, John Agard
Structure & Turning Point:
- Volta – “But now”: Signals a shift in tone and focus—from the oppression of “Dem” to the empowerment of “I”.
- Marks the speaker’s reclamation of agency, showing he is no longer passively shaped by others, but is actively forming his identity.
Language & Imagery:
- “Carving” – A powerful verb that suggests effort, resistance, and permanence. Identity is not handed to him—it’s something he must chisel out for himself, often against resistance.
“Bandage up me eye with me own history / Blind me to me own identity” – Checking Out Me History, John Agard
Language & Imagery:
Injury Connotations – The metaphor of being “bandaged” and “blinded” suggests deliberate harm, as if the speaker’s cultural vision has been wounded by a biased education.
Symbolism of Sight – Being “blind” to one’s history represents a loss of self-knowledge and identity, inflicted by a colonial narrative.
Themes:
Cultural Erasure & Oppression – The speaker reveals how colonial education has caused emotional and intellectual harm.
Reclamation of Identity – Highlights the importance of uncovering true heritage to heal from historical distortion.
“Dem tell me / Dem tell me” – Checking Out Me History, John Agard
Language & Structure:
Repetition – Emphasizes the speaker’s frustration and anger at being fed a biased version of history.
Accusatory Tone – Creates a sense of blame and protest, highlighting the oppression and control of colonial education.
Themes:
Power and Control – Reflects how those in power manipulate knowledge to suppress identity.
Identity and Reclamation – Sets the tone for the speaker’s journey to reclaim his heritage.
Checking Out Me History vs. The Émigrée
Similarities:
Emotional Connection to Identity:
- Agard: Repetition of “Dem tell me” conveys anger and resistance at being denied his true history.
- Rumens: Maternal imagery – “I comb its hair and love its shining eyes” – shows tender, nurturing attachment to her homeland.
Importance of Language:
- Agard: Uses Creole to assert his cultural voice and resistance.
- Rumens: “Child’s vocabulary” – clinging to the language of youth, showing how memory and language shape identity.
Differences:
Tone Toward Childhood:
- Agard: Childhood is seen negatively due to cultural oppression; fractured identity.
- Rumens: Childhood is idealised through light imagery – “impression of sunlight”, “white streets”, “tastes of sunlight” – creating a dreamlike nostalgia.
The Emigrée Quotes
“There once was a country”
“I have no passport, there’s no way back at all”
“That child’s vocabulary ”
“My city takes me dancing through the city of walls”
“My city takes me dancing through the city of walls” – The Emigrée, Carol Rumens
Language & Imagery:
Personification – The city is personified as a joyful partner, showing the speaker’s deep affection and emotional connection.
Juxtaposition – “Dancing” suggests freedom and celebration, while “city of walls” evokes restriction and division, creating a contrast between memory and reality.
Themes:
Resilience of Memory – The speaker’s idealised view of her homeland persists despite the barriers and oppression implied by the “walls”.
Hope vs. Conflict – Even in exile and against political conflict, the speaker’s love for her city remains undimmed, highlighting the power of personal memory over physical reality.
“That child’s vocabulary I” – The Emigrée, Carol Rumens
Language & Effect:
Child’s Vocabulary – The speaker uses simple, childlike language, suggesting that her emotional state is still tied to her childhood memories of her homeland.
Nostalgia and Immaturity – The phrase emphasizes that the speaker hasn’t moved on from her past, remaining emotionally stuck in her childhood memories.
Themes:
Memory and Loss – Highlights the loss of maturity and how the speaker is emotionally frozen in the past, unable to fully integrate into her current life.
Inability to Escape – Reflects the idea that even though time has passed, the speaker’s sense of home and self remains tied to her childhood experiences.
I have no passport, there’s no way back at all” – The Emigrée, Carol Rumens
Language & Symbolism:
Lack of Passport – Represents the restriction of movement due to man-made borders and national identity.
“No way back at all” – Emphasizes the irrevocable nature of exile, showing the speaker’s displacement and inability to return to her homeland.
Themes:
Alludes to the pain and conflict caused by artificial borders and nationalism.
Reflects on the emotional and physical consequences of forced migration, highlighting the permanence of exile and the loss of identity
“There once was a country” - The Emigrée, Carol Rumens
Language & Effect:
Temporal Deixis – The phrase “once was” places the poem in the past, suggesting a nostalgic, lost memory of a place.
Childlike Tone – The use of “once” echoes a fairytale or storybook style, creating a sense of innocence and simplicity, as though the speaker is recalling a lost, idealized world.
Themes:
Reflects the speaker’s idealized memory of her home, which has become distorted and unreachable over time.
Evokes a sense of loss and longing for a place that no longer exists, both physically and emotionally.
Similarities and Differences; London vs. Tissue
Human Power & Oppression:
London: Citizens suffer from “mind-forged manacles”, trapped by societal constraints.
Tissue: “Borderlines” symbolize division and limitation, reflecting the control imposed by society and borders.
Critique of Materialism & Inequality:
London: Critiques material wealth and its link to inequality, symbolized by “chartered” land.
Tissue: Dharker also critiques materialism, showing how money can manipulate lives, turning them into fragile “paper kites”.
Differences:
View on Corruption:
London: Blake presents corruption as cyclical, suggesting it’s inherent in society, as seen in the repeated references to “marks of weakness” and “blights with plagues”.
Tissue: Dharker offers hope and a solution—urging people to not let money control their lives like “paper kites”, advocating for a more humane approach to existence.
“turned into your skin” – Tissue, Imtiaz Dharker
Structure & Effect:
Isolated final line – Emphasizes its personal impact; it directly addresses the reader/listener, making the message intimate and reflective.
Meaning:
Suggests that the ideas in the poem—about fragility, transience, and the importance of humanity—should be internalised.
Reinforces the theme that real strength lies in human experience and identity, not in physical or political structures.
Tissue Quotes
“let the daylight break / through capitals and monoliths”
“living tissue”
“turned into your skin”
“living tissue” – Tissue, Imtiaz Dharker
Metaphor – “Living tissue” symbolizes the fragile yet essential nature of human life and human connection.
Contrasts with man-made structures (e.g. buildings, maps) to show what truly matters and endures.
Themes:
Represents the human body, emotion, or compassion—the real foundations of life.
Suggests that softness, not hardness, is what sustains the world.
Effect:
Challenges ideas of power through rigidity or permanence; instead, fragility and flexibility are portrayed as true strength.
“let the daylight break / through capitals and monoliths” – Tissue, Imtiaz Dharker
Language & Imagery:
Metaphor – “Daylight” represents truth, clarity, or natural power breaking through human constructs like “capitals” (governments) and “monoliths” (massive institutions).
Themes:
Highlights how natural forces like light are stronger than man-made power.
Suggests human control is fragile—even the most solid structures are vulnerable to nature and time.
Effect:
Undermines human authority and suggests a need for humility, embracing transience and openness.
My Last Duchess Quotes
“I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together”
“Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity”
“Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity” – My Last Duchess, Robert Browning
Language & Symbolism:
Metaphor of Neptune – The Duke compares himself to a god, reinforcing his hubris and need for dominance.
“Taming” – Reveals his controlling nature, viewing women (like the sea-horse) as creatures to be subdued.
Themes:
Materialism & Power – Values the statue as a rare object, showing his obsession with status and possessions.
Critique of Aristocracy – Condemns the Duchess for loving natural beauty, while idolising art and control—revealing his twisted priorities.
“I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together” – My Last Duchess, Robert Browning
Language & Structure:
Euphemism – “Gave commands” subtly masks the violence of the Duchess’s murder, making it more sinister.
The abruptness of the line shift reflects the sudden, cold decision to end her life.
Power & Control:
Suggests absolute power—he can kill with a word and face no consequences.
Ironically, this overreaction reveals a lack of emotional control and deep insecurity, not strength.
The Prelude Quotes
“There hung a darkness, call it solitude / Or blank desertion”
“And measured motion like a living thing, / Strode after me”
“There hung a darkness, call it solitude / Or blank desertion” – The Prelude, Wordsworth
Language & Imagery:
“Darkness” – Symbolizes the speaker’s ignorance and emotional confusion after witnessing nature’s power.
“Solitude / blank desertion” – Suggests deep isolation, as if nature has stripped him of previous certainty.
Effect:
Reflects a shift from confidence to humility—he now sees the world as vast and unknowable.
Conveys a sense of psychological impact, showing nature’s power to reshape human perception.
“And measured motion like a living thing, / Strode after me” – The Prelude, Wordsworth
Technique:
Simile – Nature is described like a living thing, elevating it to an almost supernatural force.
Personification – The mountain becomes active and powerful, no longer passive scenery.
Language:
“Strode” – A strong, deliberate verb showing dominance and intentional power, emphasizing the speaker’s fear and awe.
Effect:
Highlights nature’s overwhelming force and how it humbles the speaker. Reflects a shift in perception from control to submission.
