Others Flashcards
What quotes are you doing for My Last Duchess and what do they show?
“That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, looking as if she were alive.”
• Shows the Duke’s possessiveness as he reveals his late wife’s portrait, emphasizing his control over her even in death.
“My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name.”
• The Duke sees his noble title as a priceless gift to the Duchess, revealing his arrogance and belief that she should have been more grateful and obedient because of his status.
“I gave commands; then all smiles stopped together.”
• Suggests the Duke ordered her death, highlighting his absolute power and ruthlessness.
What is the form/structure of My Last Duchess and what does it show?
The form of poem is a dramatic monologue.
And structurally, it is written in iambic pentameter with rhyming couplets. This structure reflects the Duke’s controlling nature and desire for order, revealing his possessive personality.
What quotes are you doing for The Prelude and what do they show?
“One summer evening (led by her) I found a little boat.”
• Shows the speaker’s initial sense of freedom and nature’s allure as he sets out on an innocent journey.
“The horizon’s bound, a huge peak, black and huge.”
• Nature’s intimidating power and the speaker’s growing fear, as he realizes the overwhelming strength of the natural world.
“No familiar shapes remained, no pleasant images of trees.”
• The lasting impact of the experience, as nature erases comforting images and replaces them with a sense of fear and vulnerability.
What is the form/structure of The Prelude and what does it show?
Written in blank verse with no rhyme scheme to reflect a natural flow of thought. The continuous, flowing structure mirrors the journey and nature’s uncontainable power.
What quotes are you doing for Storm on the Island and what do they show?
“We are prepared: we build our houses squat.”
• Shows the community’s readiness and confidence to face the storm, highlighting human resilience against nature’s power.
“Spits like a tame cat turned savage.”
• Compares the storm’s unpredictable fury to a domestic cat suddenly becoming violent, symbolizing nature’s unpredictability and ferocity.
“Exploding comfortably.”
• The oxymoron suggests how the storm’s power is both destructive and familiar, capturing the community’s complicated relationship with nature.
What is the form/structure of Storm on the Island and what does it show?
Blank verse with compact form and enjambment, mirroring the relentless, unpredictable storm and the isolation of the island community.
What quotes are you doing for Bayonet Charge and what do they show?
“Suddenly he awoke and was running.”
• The soldier’s abrupt plunge into action emphasizes the confusion and terror of war, showing how soldiers are thrust into violence without warning.
“Bullets smacking the belly out of the air.”
• The visceral imagery highlights the physical danger around him and the violent disruption of nature caused by war.
“His terror’s touchy dynamite.”
• Conveys the explosive potential of his fear, suggesting that the soldier is on the brink of panic due to the intensity of battle.
What is the form/structure of Bayonet Charge and what does it show?
Free verse with irregular line lengths and enjambment to reflect the chaos, movement, and psychological turmoil experienced by the soldier.
What quotes are you doing for Poppies and what do they show?
“Three days before Armistice Sunday and poppies had already been placed.”
• Links to remembrance and loss, as the mother anticipates the separation and potential loss of her son.
“I wanted to graze my nose across the tip of your nose.”
• An intimate, maternal moment showing the mother’s love and vulnerability before her son leaves.
“I listened, hoping to hear your playground voice catching on the wind.”
• Shows her sense of loss and longing for her son, who has become emotionally and physically distant.
What is the form/structure of Poppies and what does it show?
Dramatic monologue in free verse with irregular stanza lengths, capturing the unpredictable nature of grief and the mother’s emotional turmoil.
What quotes are you doing for War Photographer and what do they show?
“Spools of suffering set out in ordered rows.”
• Conveys the disturbing contrast between the chaos of suffering and the photographer’s organized, controlled workspace, showing his attempt to impose order on trauma.
“Rural England.”
• Highlights the stark contrast between the calm, safe environment of England and the scenes of suffering the photographer captures abroad.
“The reader’s eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers.”
• Criticizes the brief, superficial response of readers in comfortable settings, who quickly move on from images of suffering.
What is the form/structure of War Photographer and what does it show?
Four six-line stanzas with a controlled rhyme scheme (ABBCDD), reflecting the photographer’s attempt to bring order to the chaotic scenes of war.
What quotes are you doing for Charge of the Light Brigade and what do they show?
“Half a league, half a league, half a league onward.”
• Repetition creates a relentless rhythm, emphasizing the soldiers’ unstoppable advance into danger.
“Into the jaws of Death, into the mouth of Hell.”
• A vivid metaphor capturing the horror and bravery as the soldiers face certain death.
“Noble six hundred.”
• Honors the soldiers’ bravery, elevating their actions to heroism despite the tragic outcome.
What is the form/structure of Charge of the Light Brigade and what does it show?
Ballad with a galloping dactylic meter, mimicking the rhythm of a charge and celebrating the courage of the soldiers.
What quotes are you doing for Checking Out Me History and what do they show?
“Dem tell me.”
• The repetition of this phrase emphasizes Agard’s frustration with the limited, Eurocentric history taught to him, highlighting the imposed control over his understanding of the past.
“Blind me to me own identity.”
• This metaphor suggests that the speaker’s cultural history has been deliberately hidden from him, symbolizing the erasure and suppression of his heritage.
“I carving out me identity.”
• An assertive, defiant line that reflects Agard’s determination to reclaim and shape his own cultural identity, rejecting imposed narratives.
