Poems Flashcards
Poems Themes of the horror of war
Exposure bayonet
charge
Remains
Themes in remains
Power of memory
Conflict/reality of conflict
Effects of conflict(ie trauma) +dehumanisation
Power of memory(linking to ptsd quotes)
Probs armed
Round Rips through his life
His blood shadow stays on the street
Sleep poss armed probs not
Enemy lines
“Probably armed,possibly not” creates a sense of uncertainty shows there’s a slight chance that he could have been innocent and not a threat. The use of the divers “probably” comes first as this is what he wants to believe as it provides justification.
There is a claear anaphoerea of this phrase later on in the poem, to show the power of memory no ow he is focused on the possibility of killing being unjustified and how he feels guilty about it
“I see every round as it rips through his life” Firstly he use of the metaphor creates imagery of severe pain as if the body has been fully ripped open by an abundance o bullets. The verb ”rips” literally means tear something with aggression this really pushes the idea of violence in the readers mind but also creates a grotesque imagery which suggests this is a significant trauma for guardsman tromans. This is intensified by a large magnitude through the use of the the noun “life” gives the victim a sense of purpose and signicance it shows he is human and will have a family and it is more than just him affected this is substantially evident as the soldier is affected the victim and obvs their family
“His blood-shadow stays on he street, and out on patrol I walk over it week after week” metaphor but it also shows that he may be hallucinating due to ptsd and the trauma caused
“Sleep,and he’s probably armed ,possibly not
Dream, and he’s torn apart by a dozen round” here he is reliving the moment. Firstly repetition shows the psychological trauma and guilt. Tromans is enduring. The use of the short verbs “sleep” and “dream” are separated from the rest of the line by desert as it creates the effect of sharp quick gunshots. This is also ironic as dreams are supposed to be pleasant but this is a nightmare this leads to imply that the situation is deep in the soldiers mind
“He’s here in my head when I close my eyes, dug behind enemy lines” metaphor or can be literal as he is reliving the moment dug behind enemy lines suggests that the thought is deep in his mind but also he is the enemy hence enemy lines as the only living part left of the looter is in the soldiers mind
Remains and Bayonett charge similarities and diff
Both present psychological impact - in bc the peaked starts questioning his roll in war, such as “ the finger pointing that second” to realise futility and lack of honour. The theme of psychological impact is also in remains but in the form of ptsd
Both poets present soldier as scared. In remains the speaker is scared of the past in bc the speaker is scared of the future in case he gets killed
Both criticise war and idling, in bc the leaders of war are criticised as hey don’t protect soldiers, but in remains there is. More internal criticism as he criticises his own actions feeling ashamed and guilty
Differences
In bc the speaker tends to focus on the short term hence the opening by media res whereas in r the speaker focuses on long term through the use of structural flashback devices
Bc is acute impact as he is scared in battle in remains everything is happening after the war so still impacts him now. This if further shown through cesserea as it shows its still bringing chaos and the ejamberment blurs the lines between past and present and pearmates all aspects of time
BC Themes
Effects of war and conflict-bewilderment confusion
Reality of war and conflict
Effects of nature
EFFECTS ON NATURE IN BC
“then the shot-slashed furrows threw up a yellow hare that rolled like a FLAME”the violent connotations of “threw up” contrast with the innocence of a hare. In addition the fire imagery creates a sense of danger and destruction suggesting that all war does is damage the environment and kill.
“2bullets smacking te belly out of the air” onomatopoeia creates agressive affect on environment aswell as b sounds creatin bullet imagery
Quotes for ewilderment or confusion bc
“2in what cold clockwork of the stars and the nation”2 mechanical imagery is emphasised by the harsh alliteration implying that the soldiers have been dehumanised. He is confused why they are exposed like this and why people in charge don’t care
“Like a man who has jumped up from the dark and runs listening between the footfalls for reason” simile leads to him questioning the viability of te war, no rational reason for war.
Fear and reality bc
“His terrors touchy dynamite” this is alliteration but it has dehumanising connotations of being a weapon only driven by fear
“sweating like a molten iron from the centre of his chest” simile pain burning pain connotations of war ,
Dehumanising quote
King ho
“King,honour,human dignity.ectcetra dropped like luxuries” has believed in propaganda he is saying these are to pursuant to go to war but in the moment of time with fear he is attacking out of desperation and not moral principle and not for his country as he is a sitting duck
Exposure key themes
Power of nature
Efffect of conflict
Absence of hope
What is exposure about
The futility of war(pointless) as soldiers are sitting in. The trenches doing nothing , nature is the enemy
Links between exposure and prelude
Nature is the enemy
Context exposure
Wilfred Owens was a soldier in ww1 he joined in 1915 and had shell shock in 1917 where in hospital he met another war poet , owners said we are marooned in a frozen desert
Power of nature exposure
“Our brains ache, in the merciless winds that knive us” pathetic fallacy nature is the enemy personfication
“”2we know war lasts, rain lasts and clouds sag stormy”2
“2pale flakes of fingering stealth come feeling for our faces2 personification makes the sno seem stealthy
Joe at position between “2snow-dazed and sun dozed shows they have been there for a long time
Exposure hopelessness
“With crusted dark-red jewels:crickets jingle there” metaphor shows no hope as the fire has burned out, the nature has found their Achilles heal
“2we turn back to our dying”2
“2sice we beige not otherwisecan kind fires burn”
