Poetry Flashcards
Remains
A group of soldiers shoot a man involved in a bank raid
The soldier is unsure whether the man was armed
He is haunted by the death
Guilt- Narrator can’t get the memory out of his head, at the end he knows he’s guilty
Remains Quotes
“Tosses his guts back into his body”- No respect, very casual
“Dug in behind enemy lines”- Metaphor compares his memory to war
“His bloody life in my bloody hands”-Feels completely responsible
Poppies
A mother describes her son leaving home to what we presume is the army
Describes her emotional reaction to her son leaving
She helps smarten his uniform+after he leaves she goes to places that remind her of him
Loss-The mother acts as though she has lost her son
Fear- She is anxious for her sons safety
Poppies Quotes
“Sellotape bandaged around my hand”- Image of being wounded
“Like a treasure chest”- Similie shows world from sons perspective
“A single dove”- Symbol of peace/mourning
“The inscriptions on the war memorial”- A reminder of the risks her son faces
Kamikaze
Kamikaze pilot going on a mission
Turned around and didn’t complete the mission
When he goes home he is shunned
Shame- The piots wife is very shameful
Regret- His daughters words are regretful
Kamikaze Quotes
“Little fishing boats strung out like bunting”- Ironic simile, bunting associated with celebration
“They treated him as though he no longer existed”- Irony, he survived but treated like dead
“He must have wondered which has been the better way to die”- Family is so ashamed they ignore his existence
War Photographer
A war photographer developing pictures
As the photo develops, he remembers the death of a man
He then thinks about the people who will see his photographs but not care
Detachment-Detached from his emotions so he can do his job
Anger-At the people who don’t care about the suffering of others
War Photographer Quotes
“The reader’s eyeballs prick”- A small amount of pain for a short time
“A half-formed ghost”- The photograph is developing but also emphasises the death
“Blood stained into foreign dust”- All happening elsewhere+lasting impact
Charge of the Light Brigade
Battle between English and Russian troops
A misunderstanding meant they charged into a valley surrounded by enemy soldiers
They were only armed with sword whereas the Russian soldiers had guns and so most were killed
Admiration-The narrator admires the bravery
Charge of the Light Brigade Quotes
“shot and shell- Sibilance emphasises bullets flying towards them
“jaws of death…mouth of hell”- Personify death, seems like monsters they can’t escape
“All the world wonder’d”- Marvelled at their bravery or wondered why they had been sent to charge
Ozymandias
The narrator meets a traveller who tells him about a statue in the desert
Its a king who ruled in the past, he arrogantly boasts about how powerful he is in an inscription
The statue has fallen and crumbled
Arrogance- The inscription shows the ruler thought he was better then those he ruled
Power- Civilistaions and achievements are insignificant compared time, art can preserve
Ozymandias Quotes
“The hand that mock’d them”- The sculptor could have intended the statue to make fun of him
“king of kings”- arrogant and powerful, he challenged other rulers
“sands stretch far away”- Desert survives much longer then the statue which emphasises the insignificance
