Evaluative Openers Flashcards
The manhunt
Armitage uses “the manhunt” as a vehicle to condemn war and expose the harsh realities of it along with the emotional trauma the soldiers experience. Armitage had an interest in learning about ptsd so he could successfully place emphasis on the distress soldiers go through within and after war.
Sonnet 43
Browning uses sonnet 43 as a vehicle to place focus on how love is limitless and how the feelings are immeasurable. Browning wrote this as an apostrophe to her husband which demonstrate how these words have come directly from her heart.
London
Blake uses “London” as a vehicle to condemn the absolute power the monarchy has over London and also to criticise the church who are corrupt, both causing damage mentally and emotionally to the people who live in this controlling place. He does this to place focus on the hurt, as he experienced it himself during the industrial revolution and the mass corruption in England.
The soldier
Brooke uses “the soldier” as a vehicle to celebrate the bravery of the soldiers on the front line who gave their lives for their country in war. Brooke wrote this poem in the first year of World War One so he uses his experience at the time to honour the lost soldiers in the war.
Living space
Darker uses “living space” as a vehicle to commemorate the faith and hope of the people who live in unstable, dangerous places. She uses her personal experiences of the slums in India ,having lived between Mumbai and the uk, to criticise the unfairness while honouring the people who make the best of the under par living conditions.
As imperceptibly as grief
Dickinson uses “as imperceptibly as grief” as a vehicle to highlight how over time pain withers away which she does by reflecting on the seasons along with the stages of grief as they both fade away. She lives in isolation so she could successfully reflect on nature and loss.
Cozy apologia
Dive uses “cozy apologia” as a vehicle to celebrate the perseverance and power of love through tough and unsure times. Dove wrote about her relationship with her partner and expresses their troubles they overcame.
Valentine
Duffy uses “Valentine” as a vehicle to cast count upon traditional views and clichés about love by highlighting the uncertainties of love. Duffy is a feminist and is known for breaking conventions which she accomplishes through this poem.
A wife in London
Hardy uses “a wife in London” as a vehicle to ridicule the uncertainties of war and the damaging effect it has on the soldiers families. He uses this poem to mirror what it was like during the boer war for the wives in London.
Death of a naturalist
Heaney uses “death of a naturalist” as a vehicle to bring attention to how a persons perspective of nature changes as a result of the moving into adolescence. Heaney uses his own experiences with nature as he had a strong connection with nature since he was a child, as he lived in the countryside.
Hawk roosting
Hughes uses “hawk roosting” as a vehicle to highlight the reality of power for those who have delusions of grandeur and elevate themselves above all others. Hughes had a fascination with animals which he uses in this poem to convey his point.
To autumn
Keats uses “to autumn” as a vehicle to highlight how nature reflects the cyclical nature of life and how the beauty within each season changing over time reflects this. John Keats wrote this poem in his last days after being diagnosed with tuberculosis so in this poem he is questioning death through comparing it with nature which he had a deep appreciation for.
Afternoons
Larkin uses “afternoons” as a vehicle to place focus on the cyclical nature of life and how time forces families onto the next phase of it. Larkin never married or had children thus demonstrating how his poem is based on observations and not personal experience.
Dulce et decorum est
Owen uses “dulce et decorum est” as a vehicle to expose the harsh realities of war on the front line. He has the ability to reveal this as he himself fought and eventually dies in war. So he uses his own experiences to condemn other patriotic poets such as Rupert Brooke.
Ozymandias
Shelley uses “ozymandias” as a vehicle to trivialise the reality of the power of humans compared to the power of nature and how Ramses II’s power disintegrated with time whereas nature lasted. Shelley was a romantic poet so he had a deep appreciation for nature and he explored its pure power.
