Quotes Flashcards
(45 cards)
Ozymandias - “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
This line captures Ozymandias’s arrogance and belief in his eternal legacy. However, the surrounding desolation ironically reveals the futility of his ambition and the transience of human power, as time erases all glory.
Ozymandias - “The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
This imagery emphasizes nature’s dominance over human creations. The endless desert around the ruins symbolizes the vast, indifferent forces of time that reduce even the greatest monuments to nothing.
Ozymandias - “Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,”
This phrase highlights the irony of Ozymandias’s monumental ambitions ending in ruin. The “colossal wreck” points to the inevitable decay of power, serving as a warning about the fleeting nature of human greatness.
London - “Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”
This line captures the visible suffering and despair in the people of London. Blake critiques the city’s oppressive social conditions, which leave people physically and spiritually marked by hardship.
London - “mind-forged manacles”
The “mind-forged manacles” represent the psychological and social constraints imposed on individuals by society. Blake suggests that people are trapped by ideologies and norms that restrict freedom, leaving them mentally imprisoned.
London - “How the Chimney-sweeper’s cry / Every black’ning Church appalls;”
Blake critiques the church’s hypocrisy, as it remains untouched while the poor, like the child chimney-sweepers, suffer. “Black’ning” conveys moral corruption, as religious institutions ignore the suffering around them.
The Prelude: Stealing the Boat - “A huge peak, black and huge”
This line conveys the overwhelming power and awe-inspiring presence of the mountain Wordsworth encounters. The repetition of “huge” emphasizes the mountain’s intimidating scale and the sublime power of nature, making the poet feel small and insignificant.
The Prelude: Stealing the Boat - “I felt a sense of danger”
Wordsworth reflects on the shift in his perception as he experiences nature’s force. His encounter with the mountain evokes fear, symbolizing nature’s power to humble and challenge human understanding, highlighting the tension between human confidence and nature’s unpredictability.
The Prelude: Stealing the Boat - “No familiar shapes / Remained, no pleasant images of trees”
Wordsworth describes how the idyllic, peaceful landscape he once knew has transformed into something dark and foreboding. The absence of “familiar shapes” suggests nature’s ability to be overwhelming and uncontrollable, evoking a sense of alienation and powerlessness in the face of vast natural forces.
My Last Duchess - “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,”
The speaker reveals his possessiveness over the portrait of his late wife, positioning her as an object for his control even in death. The phrase reflects the Duke’s desire to control how his wife is perceived and his detachment from her as an individual.
My Last Duchess - “I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together.”
The cold, matter-of-fact tone reveals that the Duke likely ordered his wife’s death, reflecting his jealousy and absolute authority. This line exposes the dark undercurrent of power, control, and cruelty in relationships, where the Duke’s power over life and death is absolute.
My Last Duchess - “Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse…”
The Duke compares himself to Neptune, god of the sea, emphasizing his own perceived power and authority. By referencing this image, Browning suggests that the Duke views relationships as acts of domination, highlighting the objectification and control he exerts over both his wife and the people around him.
The Charge of the Light Brigade - “Into the jaws of Death, into the mouth of Hell.”
These lines capture the blind obedience of the soldiers as they follow orders without question, even when those orders lead them into certain death. It highlights the power dynamics between leaders and soldiers, emphasizing the soldiers’ lack of agency and the tragic consequences of unquestioned authority.
The Charge of the Light Brigade - “Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die.”
This powerful image personifies death and hell as physical, consuming forces. The line emphasizes the soldiers’ courage as they charge into imminent danger but also critiques the reckless decisions that led them into this doomed charge, showing the destructive power of war and military authority.
The Charge of the Light Brigade - “When can their glory fade?”
This line underscores the global recognition of the bravery displayed by the Light Brigade. However, it also hints at the world’s sense of disbelief and admiration for such a tragic, futile act. It critiques the glorification of war and the misplaced heroism associated with blind obedience and sacrifice.
Exposure - “But nothing happens.”
This quote shows how the real enemy in this war was nature because all the soldiers are doing is trying to survive and not fighting each other the word “nothing” emphasises this.
Exposure - “The merciless iced east winds that knive us…”
Owen personifies the cold winds as “merciless” and “kniving,” highlighting the brutality of nature, which becomes an additional, relentless adversary for soldiers on the front line. This emphasizes the powerless, dehumanizing condition of soldiers who are trapped in an unforgiving environment.
Exposure - “For love of God seems dying.”
The disillusionment extends to the soldiers’ spiritual beliefs. Owen critiques the way religious faith is often invoked to justify war, suggesting that in the face of death and suffering, faith falters. The line suggests the erosion of moral and spiritual certainties amid the horrors of war.
Storm on the Island - “We are prepared: we build our houses squat.”
This opening line reflects human resilience and preparation in the face of natural forces. The solid, grounded houses suggest that humans attempt to withstand nature’s power, despite its unpredictability.
Storm on the Island - “Spits like a tame cat / Turned savage.”
This simile conveys the sudden, uncontrollable fury of the storm. Heaney suggests that nature, like a “tame cat,” can become dangerous and unpredictable, making humans feel vulnerable despite their precautions.
Storm on the Island - “Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear.”
Heaney captures the paradox of fearing something invisible but powerful—the wind. This line reflects humanity’s fear of the unknown and intangible, emphasizing nature’s elusive, uncontrollable strength.
Bayonet Charge - “Suddenly he awoke and was running”
The line captures the soldier’s instinctual reaction to the violence of war. The suddenness of his “awakening” emphasizes the shock and disorientation of battle, showing the power of fear and survival instincts.
Bayonet Charge - “He was running”
Repetition of “running” highlights the soldier’s frantic movement, underscoring the chaos and disarray of war. It also symbolizes the loss of control and power, as the soldier is driven by survival rather than choice.
Bayonet Charge - “The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye / Sweating like molten iron”
This line reveals the contrast between the soldier’s initial sense of patriotism and the brutal reality of war. The “patriotic tear” turns into something painful and almost unbearable, symbolizing the crushing effect of violence on youthful idealism.
