anthology poems Flashcards
Tissue
M- Power of ideas/culture longer lasting than physical structures: “never wish to build again with brick or block”
L- Symbolism- “paper that lets light shine through”- paper can transmit knowledge/life
S- 1 line final stanza- final stanza stands alone, as if all the rest of the poem has led to the creation of this one thing- you.
Charge of the Light Brigade
M- Power of patriotism celebrating the bravery of soldiers who tragically died for their country “Honour the light Brigade”
L- Metaphor- “all in the valley of death” shows what they suffered, makes them more heroic, no fear- biblical ref.
S- Dactyl rhythm- “half a league” creates sound of horses. Like the reader is there, excitement, purpose, lack of fear.
Bayonet Charge
M- shows the brutal reality of conflict, challenging the traditional reasons for war- “King, honour, human dignity etcetera drop like luxuries”
L- Simile “Lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm” Violence of conflict. lack of protection his unpreparedness.
S- enjambment and long sentence in stanza 1- conflict is stressful/fast paced/exhausting (breathlessness). Never ends/no escape.
Poppies
M- The impact of conflict on families and the battle faced by loved ones who lose people in conflict “without reinforcements of scarf, gloves”
L- simile- “leaned against it like a wishbone”- connection with son severed (like a wishbone)- wishing he was still with her.
S- enjambment, blank verse, lack of rhyme, slow pace- all help to create a reflective mournful tone.
My Last Duchess
M- absolute power corrupts. Too much power creates inequality. “I gave commands; all smiles stopped together.”
L- symbolism “My favour at her breast the dropping of the daylight in the west” compares himself to the sun (centre of the galaxy/symbol of life etc.) shows his self-importance
S- Iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets- fixed form symbolises complete control.
London
M- the power of the rich over the poor and how this conflict is played out in the city “Every black’ning Church appalls”
L- Metaphor- “mind-forg’d manacles” poor are enslaved, trapped- lack of social mobility, power of ideology of hierarchy.
S- Repetition- “every/cry”- shows it is a continual and universal suffering.
Exposure
M- Exposing the brutal reality of war and the suffering even beyond the battle. “iced east winds that knive us”
L- Rhetorical question- “What are we doing here?” sense of futility of life and questioning the point of war.
S- ellipsis and enjambment- makes their suffering seem endless- no release but death.
Ozymandias
M- the futility of human power in the face of the enormity of time “Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck”
L- Irony- “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” Ozymandias tries to show his power but it is a warning to all rulers that their power won’t last.
S- Half rhyme- highlights a lack of control- the idea that man can’t control everything
Remains
M- Shows the long term psychological impact of conflict “End of story, except not really.”
L- slang- “legs it”- gives the voice a sense of realism. Makes it more poignant.
S- Enjambment across the stanzas- memory haunts him- can’t escape.
Stealing the boat (the Prelude)
M- Awareness of the power of nature and man’s insignificance in the world “Huge and mighty forms that do not live like living men”
L- Personification- “Like a living thing strode after me”- nature is a monster chasing him- shows he is vulnerable/ prey to nature
S- 3 part structure- “one…when…but” shows shift from innocence/security to maturity/fear
War Photographer
M- Exploration of the different reactions to conflict. The photographer attempts to capture the reality of conflict in order to convey it to the public, but in capturing it loses the human immediacy that makes it so potent. “A hundred agonies in black-and-white from which his editor will pick five or six”
L- metaphor- “he a priest preparing to intone a mass”- religious connotations show importance of his role (spread the word) but in an atheistic society is this message ignored?
S- fixed abbcdd rhyme scheme- shows how the process of photographing tragedy gives a sense of order that diminishes its power. The sarcastic tone created by the couplets also reinforces this.
Storm on the island
M- EITHER- exploration of the force of nature and, despite man’s best efforts, our inability to cope with it “like a tame cat turned savage”
OR- extended metaphor for the fact that conflict in N Ireland has become part of the landscape “We are bombarded by the empty air”
L- imagery associated with violence and conflict- “Exploding comfortably”- shows the habitual violence of nature/habitual nature of violence in N Ireland.
S- Juxtaposition between calm sense of security pre-storm and fear post storm. Liminal point- “But no.”
The Emigree
M- Explores the contrast between the power of the childhood fantasy of ‘home’ which has been replaced by conflict and distance- “It may be sick with tyrants, but I am branded with an impression of sunlight”
L- Positive imagery- “it tastes of sunlight”- connotations of life, hope, warmth. Sensory language makes it intimate/immediate.
S- Juxtaposition- light and dark/past and present/home and new city- “My shadow falls as evidence of sunlight”
Checking out me history
M- The poet challenges the dominant Anglo-centric narrative of history he has been fed as a result of colonial domination. Instead he advocates a history more in tune with his own culture- “Dem tell me wha dem want to tell me”
L- Light/fire imagery “Toussaint de beacon…fire-woman”- He is being illuminated by the knowledge of his culture. He gains strength and warmth from a sense of cultural identity
S- Alternate italics/non-italics- creates a contrast between the dominant narrative and his alternate history. The use of dialect reinforces the idea that he is not conforming to the dominant Anglo-centric model (e.g. standard English)
Kamikaze
M- Explores the power of patriotism and the expectation to conform to the dominant ideals of society in the face of the opposing urge to stay alive- “he must have wondered which had been the better way to die”
L- symbolism “shaven head full of powerful incantations and enough fuel for a one-way journey into history”- ideology controls his mind and defines his trajectory. Double meaning of ‘history’
S- shift between 1st person and 3rd person- showing shifting perspectives from society’s perception and the personal view of the family members (what he chose to live for).
