Conflict Poetry Flashcards
What is the big idea in A Poison Tree?
If you don’t let out your anger, it will grow and something bad will happen as a consequence
What are the first lines in A poison Tree?
“I was angry with my friend”
“I told my wrath, my wrath did end”
“I was angry with my foe”
“I told it not, my wrath did grow”
He was angry and told his friend - his anger faded
he was angry with his enemy and didn’t tell anyone - his anger grew
What did the narrator do to the tree in A Poison Tree?
"I water'd it in fears night and morning with my tears and i sunned it with smiles and with soft deceitful wiles" negative and sibilance makes it sound sinister
What is the biblical reference in A Poison Tree?
“till it bore an apple bright” (Adam and Eve)
What is the last line in A Poison Tree?
"My foe outstretched beneath the tree" The tree (anger) has killed his enemy. The tree is a metaphor for his anger throughout the whole poem
What does the title A Poison Tree show?
Poison - death
Tree - life
contrast
What is the context of The Destruction of Sennacherib?
Tells the biblical story of the failed Assyrian siege of Jerusalem
What is the big idea of The Destruction of Sennacherib?
That God is all powerful and nobody can defeat him
What is the first line of The Destruction of Sennacherib?
“The Assyrian army came down like the wolf on the fold”
Immediately sets up the Assyrian as a predator and dehumanises them. It shows their power
How are the Assyrian army described in The Destruction Of Sennacherib?
“gleaming in purple and gold”
shows how wealthy they are
“Sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea”
nature imagery, shows the big scale sibilance shows they are a threat
What does the parallel syntax in The Destruction of Sennacherib show?
They are described as leaves in the “summer” which shows they are healthy and then the next morning they are described as leaves in “autumn” which shows they are dying.
It highlights the ease of the defeat of the Assyrian army because their defeat is shown by a few changing words
What is the oxymoron in The Destruction of Sennacherib and what does it show?
“Angel of death”
Introduction of a biblical figure (God) increases the intensity of the poem presenting it as powerful
This is then emphasised by the use of plosive sounds
How does the Destruction of Sennacherib continue to show Gods power?
“distorted and pale”
contrasts the “purple and gold” at the beginning
“rust on his mail”
God can play with time
the tents were “all silent”, the banners “alone”, the lances “unlifted” and the trumpet “unblown”
Semantic field of isolation creates a pause in the action and demonstrates the power of God
What is the final line in The Destruction of Sennacherib?
“Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!”
Comparison to snow is unusual as the battle took place in a desert. This shows the power of God as an army is impossibly destroyed like snow is almost impossible in a desert
What does the title The Destruction of Sennacherib show?
The determiner “The” presents the significance of the event
“destruction” connotates complete annihilation and presents the powerfulness of God
by using “Sennacherib” rather than King Sennacherib, it is immediately degrading which shows Lord Bryon’s sympathetic view of Jerusalem rather than the Assyrian Army
What is the big idea of the extract from The Prelude?
The adult world is much scarier and bigger than a child’s world and also that nature has power and control over everyone
What is the first line in the extract from The Prelude?
“One summer evening (led by her)”
“Summer evening” presents a pleasant image
“(led by her)” personifies mother nature and shows that nature has control of him
What does the oxymoron in the extract from The Prelude show?
“troubled pleasure”
he is stealing but is also enjoying it. He thinks he has control
What positive imagery is used in the extract from The Prelude?
“rocky cove” and “small circles glittering idly in the moon” are both positive and pleasant imagery
“rocky cove” is later contrasted by “craggy ridge” which is much more harsh and unpleasant
What quote in the extract from the prelude shows that the narrator thinks he has control, what quote shows that he is beginning to lose it and what quote shows he has finally lost it?
“to reach a chosen point” shows he thinks he has control
“heaving through the water like a swan” shows he is losing it as it connotates an intense physical effort
“I struck and struck again” shows he has lost it as he is panicked and vulnerable
What is the pivot point in the extract from The Prelude?
“craggy steep till then the horizon’s bound”
Builds tension as he is hiding what is about to be revealed
How is the mountain described in the extract from The Prelude?
“a huge peak, black and huge”
Metaphorical for nature and also repetition of “huge” emphasises it’s size. “black” connotates death and darkness
“upreared its head”
personifies the mountain, shows it has a mind of its own and suggests it reveals itself
“grim shape”
connotates evil and darkness, like “black” from earlier on
What is the effect of the narrator seeing the mountain in the extract from the Prelude?
“o’er my thoughts there hung a darkness”
he has a limited understanding but realises his ignorance
“were a trouble to my dreams” (final line)
he is having nightmares about it
both suggest that it affected him long term and haunted him
They also suggest that nature can take many forms and isn’t limited by time to demonstrate it’s power
What is the context to the extract from The Prelude?
William Wordsworth was a romantic poet, therefore he wrote about nature and opposed industry
he lived with relatives but had a poor relationship and so spent most of time outside -> appreciates nature
The poem is autobiographical and therefore his own experience
What are the first lines in The Man He Killed?
“Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn”
Anecdote contrasts the actual circumstance - criticises the cruelness of war
Suggests that if they had met in a pub they might’ve become friends
What is the mirror image in The Man He Killed?
“And staring face to face”
narrator is just like the other soldier - highlights the tense situation
“And killed him in his place”
Blunt - he hasn’t processed the event yet
There is also enjambment in this lines which speeds up the pace of the poem, reflecting how little time the narrator had to make the decision whether to kill him or not
What are some examples of fractured syntax in The Man He Killed?
“I shot him dead because - because he was my foe” “Just so: my foe of course he was”
The narrator is trying to justify what he did but he is struggling. This is further shown by the repetition of “foe”
Poems are normally elegant but this section isn’t which reflects the harsh nature of war
What suggests the narrator feels guilty in The Man He Killed?
“He thought he’d ‘list, perhaps” “Was out of work - sold his traps”
Changes to the life of the soldier he killed - guilt
Suggests the soldier could’ve been poor and sold his possessions just like the narrator
What is the irony used in The Man He Killed?
“Yes; quaint and curious war is!”
Reflects war as a whole
Ironic as quaint means pleasant, but war is devastating not pleasant
It is also devastating psychologically which is what this whole poem is attempting to demonstrate
What final lines in The Man He Killed highlights the cyclical structure of the poem?
“You’d treat if met”
Shows how war is odd because if you met in any other context you would treat each other, but war forces you to kill each other.
Reflects the first stanza saying if they met in a pub they might’ve been friends - cyclical structure
What does the title The Man He Killed show?
It is in past tense which sets the poem in a historical context
It implies the theme of the poem is going to be death
It’s very blunt - suggesting the narrator hasn’t processed the event yet
What is the context to The Man He Killed?
Boer war (1899 - 1902) where the British wanted to remain in control of South Africa due to things like diamond mines. Fight for independence
Thomas Hardy is from Dorset and grew up fairly poor
He was strongly against the Boer war and the politics of it at the time
What is the big idea in Cousin Kate?
That having a child out of wedlock being socially unacceptable isn’t good
What is the context to Cousin Kate?
Written in Victorian era -> women had no power over men
if had a child out of wedlock, women were shamed
Very religious + outspoken in gender and sexuality
never married
What are the first lines in Cousin Kate?
“I was a cottage-maiden”
poor, young, innocent
“was” - in the past
What are the last lines in Cousin Kate?
“Your sire would give broad lands for one to wear his coronet”
spiteful but victorious
Kate can’t have children, so the lord can’t pass down his title
What metaphors are used in Cousin Kate?
“he bound you with his ring”
Kate is now trapped with the lord, she is an object
“Your love was writ in sand”
not permanent love
there is no base for the love, it is only for status and money
What does the title Cousin Kate suggest?
focus will be on Cousin
plosive - anger
family connotation contrasts the conflict described as it seems more distant
What is the big idea in half-caste?
Racism against mixed race people
What are the first lines in half-caste?
“Excuse me
standing on one leg”
insincere apology, visual joke contrasts seriousness of message
not fully stable in his identity?
What line is repeated in half-caste?
“explain yuself”
repeated to show direct challenge
accusatory tone
Where is weather used in half-caste?
“england weather
nearly always half-caste”
calls out hypocrisy of him being criticised for being mixed race when so is British culture/Britain itself
