Learn Poetry Flashcards
Manhunt Quotes:
“the frozen river which ran through his face”
“damaged, porcelian collarbone”
“parachute silk”
“foetus of metal beneath his chest”
“unexploded mine”
“then, and only then, did i come close”
Manhunt context
peace-keeper in Bosnia - discharged to injury and depression
about Eddie and Laura Beddoes
PTSD from war
Manhunt form/ structure
couplet - long stanzas
couplets rhyme at start but breaks down making poem feel disjointed conveys theme of brokenness
Manhunt themes
war and lasting effects
suffering - mental + physical
The Manhunt Title
suggests a chase or searching for something or that he is lost
organised search for criminal
In this case, wife’s search for for the man she knew and her relentless, yet tender, exploration of his inner trauma that leads to an understanding of him
The Soldier Quotes:
“If I should die”
“richer dust”
“a pulse in the eternal mind”
“hearts at peace, under an English heaven”
The Soldier form/structure
sonnet - expresses love and devotion for country
clear rhyme scheme demonstrates persona’s commitment to England
The Soldier Context
Wrote idealistically about war. Had not seen action as died of blood poisoning from mosquito bite while on ship to war
The Soldier Title
suggests an anonymous person, reflecting how many soldiers died during WWI - universal experience
definite article “the” stresses the central importance of the average soldier in war and is used to inspire personal patriotism
The Soldier themes
deep and lasting love
faith, belief, and worship
attitudes to war and patriotism
She Walks in Beauty Quotes
“She walks in beauty, like the night”
“all thats best of dark and bright”
“A heart whose love is innocent”
She Walks in Beauty form/structure
lyrical in tone and nature, focusing on abstract ideas of beauty and innocence
each stanza one sentence giving sense of fluidity and reflecting her effortless grace, poise and elegance
She Walks in Beauty context
English Romantic
Said to be inspired by the wife of Byron’s first cousin - saw her at party and struck by beauty - appreciated beauty and to him she epitomises aesthetic beauty
She Walks in Beauty Title
celebrates female beauty, a portrait of a woman through someone else’s eyes
pronoun ‘she’ suggests air of mystery around woman because he doesn’t know her
main character nameless and therefore could argue she is objectified and subject to male view rather than being a real presentation of woman
She Walks in Beauty themes
love
faith and worship
beauty and goodness
Living Space Quotes
“nails clutch at open seams”
“eggs in a wire basket”
“the bright, thin walls of faith”
Living Space form/structure
irregular form using stanzas and lines of different lengths, mirroring random construction and chaos of the building and precarious nature of life
no rhyme reflecting disorder od space described
Living Space context
born in Pakistan and now lives in Britain and India
poetry often explores life in India and difficult conditions in which the poorest live
Living Space title
ironic as little “living space” in slums
suggests how other people view it as just a ‘living space’ and not a home
“living” as adjective, makes you begin to understand that this tiny space, where life shouldn’t exist, is alive with life and faith
Living Space themes
sense of place
faith, belief, worship
innocence and goodness vs danger and darkness