Poetry Flashcards
manhunt
love - shows the love of laura and eddie and how love helps them reconnect
war - the impact of war and how it lasts beyond the battle field
explores the emotional aftermath of war and its impact on personal relationships, particularly focusing on a partner or wife’s perspective as she tries to reconnect with her husband who has returned from conflict. Using intimate and tactile imagery, Armitage illustrates the physical and psychological scars left by war and the process of healing. The poem suggests that the effects of war extend far beyond the battlefield, deeply affecting those who must “hunt” for the person they once knew in the changed individual who has returned
manhunt context
written about Eddie Beddoes who is a british soldier (was shot 3 times) who served in the Bosnian war and suffered PTSD as a result
Blazon poetry traditionally erotically describes the lovers body
written from the perspective of Laura, eddies wife
poem was part of set which highlighted the damaging effects of PTSD
sonnet 43
power - power of love
love - sonnet -> traditional form of love poem
Using a rhetorical question (how do I love thee?), Barrett Browning conveys the numerous ways that she loves her husband and how she loves every part of him. The poem uses a passionate tone to convey the all-encompassing nature of love. Through her sonnet, Barrett Browning suggests that love endures, beyond the constraints of time.
sonnet 43 context
a romantic poet in the romantic movement
sonnet 43 is part of a collection of 44 sonnets she wrote about her husband in secret before they married
she married robert Browning who was another successful victorian poet and they ran away to Florence, Italy against her fathers wishes
london
power - the citizens of london are powerless
places - about london
man - a group of people -> londoners
It is a bleak poem which explores the relentlessly miserable reality behind London’s industrial facade. It comments on the negative aspects of London at the time, including child labour, prostitution and the corruption of power and authority. It is a short but obvious criticism of the establishment, including the church, the army and the monarchy, which have allowed the city to fall into such a degraded state. The choice of title and topic, London (the financial and political centre of Britain), also establishes the theme of power in the poem.
london context
industrial revolution + workhouses for children and capitalist use of slavery
recent french revolution against aristocracy inspired romantic poets as they believed they could do something similar and improve living conditions
romantic poets loved personal freedom
suffering of the city - prostitution, disease, hunger, corrupted church
he rejected established religion as it failed to help the poor and sick
the soldier
love - nationalistic love using sonnet (typical love poem) form
war - about a soldier preparing for his heroic death
nature - describes the beauty of England’s nature
The poem presents an idealised view of a soldier’s willingness to fight and die for his country. Highly patriotic and omitting the harsh realities of war, it glorifies a soldier’s unwavering devotion to England and his selfless allegiance to his beloved nation above all else, even his own life. It suggests that the best way to die is when representing England and dying in war is the most honourable death. It is a deeply patriotic and idealistic poem that expresses a soldier’s love for England, which is portrayed as a kind of nurturing paradise. Indeed, such is the soldier’s bond with England that he feels his country to be both the origin of his existence and the place to which his consciousness will return when he dies. Nowadays, the poem is seen as somewhat naïve, offering little of the actual experience of war. That said, it undoubtedly captures and distills a particular type of patriotism
the soldier context
was English poet who wrote lots of idealistic war sonnets during WW1
Georgian poetry presents English countryside as a paradise
he died from a mosquito bite on a ship before ever reaching the front lines
he caught the optimism of the opening war months which strongly contrasts other war poets who experienced battle
cozy apologia
love - shows rita doves love for her husband and how nothing can stop her from loving him
power - power of nature and how the power of love is greater than nature
a poem about the poet’s profound love for her husband, set against the arrival of Hurricane Floyd, the deadliest hurricane in US history. As the couple shelter from the storm separated, Dove depicts the strength of her emotion, proving that even ordinary love is worthy of poetic tribute. The speaker defends her relationship. As it’s title makes clear, the purpose of the poem is to defend the ordinary, the everyday, the “cozy”—it is an “apologia” or poem of defense. The rewards of such mundane pleasures, the speaker argues, are deeper and richer than anything romantic fantasy can offer.
cozy apologia context
hurricane Floyd (US deadliest 1999) stops her from seeing her husband as they live in NC and that is mostly where it hit
autobiographical and domestic; written to husband Fred
Literary allusion to the “apologia” (defence of…) form of writing
valentine
love - expresses love in a different way
This poem subverts traditional romantic imagery by offering an onion as a Valentine’s gift then explains the reasoning behind this unusual gift. Through this unconventional metaphor, Duffy explores the complexities and realities of love, contrasting it with idealised notions of romance critiques traditional, idealized images of love and argues for more complete and honest portrayals of its effects. The onion is a symbol, representing the layers, intensity and sometimes painful aspects of genuine love. Like much of Duffy’s work, this poem employs plain, straightforward language and uses the dramatic monologue mode to amplify a perspective that is usually sidelined from mainstream discourse
valentine context
radical, often likes to challenge traditional social stereotypes
likes to break conventions and spins established ideas of love
wrote this poem when challenged to by a radio station to write a traditional love poem
a wife in london
love - about a relationship and the pain that grief brings
war - the impact of war and how it lasts beyond the battle field
time - the cruelty of time and the twisted order in which she receives the messages
About a woman in London who receives a telegram informing her that husband has died in battle. The following day, she receives a posthumous letter from him, full of life and hope. The poem (bleak and anti-war) focuses on the impact of war on those at home, exploring the far reaching impact of war on ordinary individuals who are powerless in influencing a country’s decision to engage in military action. The poem shows the cruel nature of love and hope.
a wife in london context
Boer war fought by an Imperialist Britain in south Africa between 1899-1902 - perspective is biased by positive British media accounts
Urban London was smoggy and recruitment for the Boer War revealed poor health of men
written during industrial revolution
Hardy wrote much of his poetry about war and the lives of soldiers in the 19th century, and in particular the effects of war on the men and their families at home
death of a naturalist
nature - shows how fascinating and beautiful nature and how disgusting and scary nature is
time - change of perception over time
Heaney depicts a young boy’s fascination with frogspawn which transforms into disillusionment when he is confronted with the harsh realities of nature. Heaney’s poem examines the loss of childhood innocence and wonder. The poem meditates on the relationship between human beings and nature, and uses that relationship to explore the transition from childhood to adolescence. As the speaker grows up, his relationship to nature changes. Instead of enjoying the natural world with innocent curiosity, he finds it threatening and disgusting.
death of a naturalist context
grew up in rural northern Ireland surrounded by nature
NI was in the midst of conflict between Catholics and protestants
grew up on a farm with his dad as the farmer who was known as the ‘farmer poet’
his brother died at 4 when Heaney was young and as a result his poems are about loss of innocence
hawk roosting
power - shows the arrogance power can bring and the unfairness that comes with power
nature - about a hawk and the animal world and the viciousness of nature
man - hawk is a symbol of man
The poem is from the perspective of a hawk, who is given the power of speech and thought, allowing the reader to imagine what it’s like to inhabit the instincts, attitudes, and behaviors of such a creature. The poem explores the hawk’s ruthless nature and its indifference to the passing of time. Through the hawk’s perspective, the poem explores both its primal instincts and the natural order. The hawk has an air of authority, looking down on the world from its high vantage point in the trees and feeling like everything belongs to it. The poem is particularly keen to stress the way that violence, in the hawk’s world at least, is not some kind of moral wrong—but a part of nature.
hawk roosting context
grew up in rural Yorkshire, enjoying hunting and fishing and was fascinated by the nature around him
he was interested in shamanism were your soul inhabits other beings and you see through their eyes
he wanted to show nature thinking
He studied Archaeology and Anthropology at university – all about human history within nature and mythology. He explores the ways that humans act and nature acts.
afternoons
time - a particular phase in peoples lives which feels like they are trapped
power - presents people as passive and powerless within their own lives
It is a melancholic poem that reflects on the subject of marriage. The poem presents the banality of life for a group of young mothers, watching their children play in a park. The poem reflects on the transition from youth to maturity and Larkin depicts the women as caught in a tedious routine of domesticity and childcare, which has overtaken their former youth, beauty, passion and romanticism. As they watch their kids playing, the moms feel (according to the speaker) that “Something is pushing them / To the side of their own lives.” The poem invites readers to question whether family life, and raising children in particular, demands more sacrifice than it’s worth.
afternoons context
he lived in an apartment overlooking a park
was part of the Movement poets (satirical eye and sardonic tongue)
He had a gloomy persona (many of his poems had profound bleakness) also had interesting perspectives
he also has a tenderness and beauty to his poems
women were expected to stay at home and look after the children
dulce et decorum est
war - soldiers facing death
man - a group of soldiers
power - devastating power of war and how soldiers are powerless
This war poem graphically portrays the horrors of war on the front line, detailing the agonising death of a soldier after a gas attack. The content of the poem is in stark contrast with its Latin title, which means, “It is fitting and sweet to die for one’s country” as he was trying to persuade people to not believe the propaganda and pro war poems that were common at the time (written by people who had not actually fought) as he had actually witnessed the fighting.
dulce et decorum est context
WW1 suffering/death in a chlorine attack
written to oppose the propaganda of patriotic poems that tried to encourage young men that going to war was brave
he witnessed first hand warfare at the front, he saw many people die and died a week before the end of the war
ozymandias
power - shows the arrogance power can bring and the power of nature
love - arrogance and self love
time - in the end time always wins
The sonnet explores the transient nature of power and the futility of human achievements, regardless of how mighty or tyrannical the ruler may be. Using the imagery of a crumbling statue in the desert, Shelley illustrates that even the most imposing empires and their leaders are subject to the ravages of time. The poem suggests that nature ultimately triumphs over human ambition and power. It breaks from the typical sonnet tradition in both its form and rhyme scheme, a tactic that reflects Shelley’s interest in challenging conventions, both political and poetic.
ozymandias context
was part of the romantic movement - believed in power of imagination and freedom and were writing in a time great change (french revolution)
was anti monarchy -> no king is immortal no matter how much power they had
about king Rameses ( who was a powerful egyptian pharaoh who believed that he was the mightiest king of all time) whose broken statue had just been uncovered and was being taken to London
mametz wood
power - devastating power of war and how soldiers are powerless
war - soldiers in battle and the impact war has on the environment
The poem reflects on the enduring impact of the Battle of Mametz Wood, a significant event during World War One, where nearly 4000 soldiers from the Welsh Division lost their lives. Sheers’s poem is set many years later, and considers the way that, even a century after the conflict, the land around Mametz Wood is still filled with fragments of the dead soldiers’ bodies. The poem opens with farmers discovering the bones of soldiers as they plough their fields, a haunting reminder of the past. Sheers explores the tension between nature’s ability to heal and the enduring scars left by human conflict. The poem is thus a consideration of the horrors of war, and is particularly effective in the way it places natural imagery side-by-side with the frightening and deadly power of human technology.
mametz wood context
welsh poet visits site of slaughter of welsh soldiers in WW1 somme battlefields where there were 4000 Welsh casualties as generals thought it would take only hours to take whereas it took 5 days
written 80 years after battle
Welsh bravery was never really acknowledged
response to a photo of 20 dead WW1 soldiers all with linked arms in a shallow grave
the prelude
nature - shows how fascinating and beautiful nature and how disgusting and scary nature is
time - a specific point in someone’s life and the nostalgia for childhood
This excerpt captures a childhood memory of ice skating on a frosty evening. Wordsworth’s nostalgic tone conveys the joy and freedom of youth and the connection between humans and nature. The poem explores the themes of innocence and the power of nature however the tone changes at the end to a more melancholic and nostalgic one looking back on the good times
the prelude context
romanticism; the sublime
lived in the lake district
ice skating was the new fashion but the English romantics made it an escape into solitude
long autobiographical poem he worked on until his death
romantics connected winter with a counter-Enlightenment response, being a place of instinct, emotion and memory
she walks in beauty
love - shows the love for women
power - powerful emotions
The poem is a lyrical celebration of a woman’s physical and spiritual beauty. The poem explores the idea that true beauty comes from an inner radiance and goodness that manifests outwardly. Unlike some of Byron’s other works, the poem presents a more restrained and reverential admiration of female beauty. The poem’s structure reinforces its theme of perfect harmony and grace. The speaker compares this woman to a lovely night with a clear starry sky, and goes on to convey her beauty as a harmonious “meeting” between darkness and light. After its discussion of physical attractiveness, the poem then portrays this outer beauty as representative of inner goodness and virtue.
she walks in beauty context
romanticism’s preoccupation with emotion, beauty and nature over reason
Byron was a leading figure of the Romantic movement and liked to break conventions.
Byron’s private life was very public and he was known for his many relationships with different women.
alludes to the literary courtly love tradition of medieval period of placing a female on a pedestal, emphasising perfection
living space
power - people living in the slums have no power however they have not given up hope
places - shows people surviving and almost thriving in a difficult place
man - about the people living in the slums
As the title suggests, the poem describes someone’s living space, or home who is living in the slums of Mumbai. The poem conveys the fragility of these homes but more importantly, it celebrates them as a testament to human resilience. On the one hand, the poem highlights the precariousness of such homes. More significantly, however, it praises them as an expression of the miraculousness of life, seeing this living space as evidence of human resourcefulness and determination.
living space context
set in the Mumbai slums in India where up to a million people live in poverty as a community
Dharker grew up in Scotland but was born in Pakistan so understands a range of cultures
She films documentaries in India supporting work with women and children so has a in depth knowledge of mumbai
to autumn
nature - describes the beauty of the season autumn
time - describes how the summer fades and winter comes and that it is a perpetual cycle
The poem is a celebration of the autumn season and the poem explores both its beauty and richness. ‘To Autumn’, is an ode(celebrates something). In ‘To Autumn’ the speaker takes the reader through the season in three stages: early autumn, mid-autumn and the approaching winter. Throughout the poem, Keats explores the beauty of nature, the passage of time and the cycle of life itself. The poem praises autumn, describing its abundance, harvest, and transition into winter, and uses intense, sensuous imagery to elevate the fleeting beauty of the moment
to autumn context
romantic poet - love of nature and emotional connection to nature
very traditional poet
composed after a countryside walk
His family had died to illness and he died to Illness at only age 24 - had awareness of death
Ode poem which celebrates beauty and sensuousness
imperceptibly as grief
nature - uses nature as metaphor to show the passing of grief
time - shows the effect of time on grief
Explores the almost unnoticeable passing of time through the metaphor of the changing of the seasons. The disappearance of summer is gradual without a specific moment of transition, fading just as feelings of loss and grief diminish over time. By drawing a parallel between the end of summer and the fading of grief, Dickinson presents the idea that life and emotions are transient, like the seasons, and that loss is an inevitable part of both the human experience and the natural world. It suggests that people don’t always notice the way that everything undergoes gradual change, even as nothing in life stays still and death is always lurking in the background. The poem contains many of Dickinson’s most notable traits, including an apparent simplicity masking rigorous, complex thought and a deep questioning of what it means to be alive.
imperceptibly as grief context
Lived in rural New England near a graveyard with lots of nature
Lived most of her life in solitude as a recluse (avoids talking to others)
had a livelong fascination of illness, death and dying
manhunt quotes
“After the first phase, / after passionate nights and intimate days.” - opens with rhyming couplet to establish regular rhyme scheme which occurs through the first 3 couplets mimicking the couples original harmony. The pause after “phase” foreshadows the change which comes later
“only then would he let me trace / the frozen river which ran through his face,” enjambment creates a sense of gradual revelation mirroring the slow healing process of understanding the soldiers trauma. The metaphor “frozen river” also alludes to a coldness/numbness about him and suggests that his original self is trapped underneath this new layer however can only be found once the new layer is cracked.
The repetition of “then” conveys the time and patience required to rebuild trust and intimacy and highlights the slow process
“blown hinge of his lower jaw”
“damaged, porcelain collar-bone”
“parachute silk of his punctured lung”
“climb the rungs of his broken ribs” all descriptions of his body parts (sensory imagery) however unlike other love poems, his body is not presented as perfect, but damaged and frail showcasing the brutal effects of war
valentine quotes
“i give you an onion” - untraditional love however she explains throughout the poem how the different elements of the onion mimics all parts of traditional love
“wrapped in brown paper” -> low key untraditional. When unwrapped has many layers mimicking the many layers of love
“like the careful undressing of love” - very sincere simile showing the physical and more erratic traditional element
“it will blind you with tears” - love can sometimes be painful or incredibly happy. love also can blind the lover with bliss
“its fierce kiss will stay on your lips” - again very erratic and traditional love contrasting the untraditional element of the onion. physical displays
“its scent will cling to your fingers, / cling to your knife” repetition of cling emphasises how once you’ve fallen, love will consume your whole life, however this may be a damaging thing -> unconventional idea
death of a naturalist (time) quotes
“flex-dam festered” - sticky/disgusting imagery foreshadows after the volta when he is no longer interested in the frogs
“bubbles gargled delicately” sensory imagery highlights the childish tone and the typical childish fascination of disgusting things
“I would fill jampotfuls of the jellied / specks” childish curiosity and deep obsession with the frogs, informal “jampotfuls” shows childish tone and playfulness
“you could tell the weather by the frogs too” shows how much he studied the frogs as he knows so many details about them. “too” implies that he has many other things he could say about the frogs showing his extensive knowledge and therefore how much time he has spent studying them.
“then one day when the fields were rank” same as what the poem started with, showing the fields are still the same, however its his perception that has changed showing aging. “then” shows abrupt change
“a coarse croaking that I had not heard / Before” he has heard the croaks before however now they sound different and unfamiliar as his perception has changed. “coarse croaking” alliteration mimics the sounds of the frogs
as imperceptibly as grief quotes
“as imperceptibly as grief” she compares the inevitable passing of time with passing of grief suggesting that both things slip away with out you realizing, however one is positive and the other is negative
“the summer lapsed away - “ lapsed suggests gradual change further enhanced by assonance creating a smooth, flowing sound mirroring the idea that time will keep going, without you noticing
“the Dusk drew earlier” shows that winter is coming - unavoidable (cyclical nature of time) - sadness element of time passing - missing the good summer
“the morning foreign shone” even though she has experienced the morning before, it is unfamiliar as she is now experiencing it without grief and also no longer in summer
“into the beautiful.” only full stop in whole poem which is at the very end which reflects the finality of the grief passing
soldier quotes
“if I should die, think only this of me:” abrupt and straight to the point, only thing that matters when you die is if you died nobly fighting in war. also suggests he has accepted the fact he may die in war however he doesn’t mind as he will die for england (very patriotic). “only” shows how the only thing that matters to him is dying for England
“theres some corner of a foreign field / that is forever England. “ cesura with full stop emphasises how now his body died and bled out there, it will always be English and never change -> finality. England transcends mere geography; the spirit of England is eternally interwoven with that of the soldier and therefore he will feel peaceful after death knowing he has given everything for England and even after death he has played his part in helping England capture whatever land they are fighting for.
“A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, / Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam” Personification of England as a mother with idealised language (“flowers”, “love”, “roam”) is typical of a Romantic idyll and elevates England into something celestial, thus highlighting the poet’s adoration of his country
“all evil shed away” dying and fighting for England will cleanse him from all of his sins as it is a very noble thing to do which encourages others to do the same as at the time, going to heaven was very important
“In hearts at peace, under an English heaven” even if he dies in the war effort as it was a noble thing to do, he will be rewarded by being sent to an English heaven so it would be worth it and he will be in the best place possible. The metaphor “under an English heaven” imbues the country with divine status, portraying the idea of dying for it as a noble and beautiful act of patriotism
dulce et decorum est quotes
“bent double, like old beggars under sacks, / knock-kneed, coughing like hags” war has turned what was originally incredibly fit, healthy young men into old, sick and weak people who can barely walk -> simile & alliteration
“towards our distant rest began to trudge” rest has double meaning, they are walking to camp to sleep but also walking to their death -> permanent rest
“Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling” The abrupt exclamation reflects the soldiers’ panic, contrasting with the weary trudging of the previous stanza. Caesura creates tension and a pause in the poem as the men grapple with their gas masks, disrupting the rhythm to reflect the chaos. Enjambment quickens the pace, heightening the sense of panic the soldiers would have felt
“guttering, choking, drowning” tricolon getting progressively worse and more vivid mirroring the mans actions as he dies and showing the trauma the other soldiers experienced even though they were the ‘lucky’ ones who didn’t die
“The old Lie: Dulce et Decorum est / Pro patria mori.” meaning its sweet and proper to die for ones country. He finishes with this to leave this in the readers mind to hopefully persuade them to not believe the lie after all of the awful descriptions he just wrote.
living space quotes
“beams / balance crookedly on supports” shows how uneven everything is showing how its a miracle the place is still standing and also mimics the uneven element of the universe as some people live in mansions however others live in slums.
“nails clutch” “thrust off the vertical” (personification) verb mirrors the desperation of the people who live there to grasp any opportunity to live as they survive the horror of the slums which takes a lot tenacity
“the whole structure leans dangerously / towards the miraculous” showing literally how it is unsafe and impressive it is still standing but miraculous shows how the people there still have hope which even more impressive than the fact the place still stands
“squeezed / a living space” not called a home demonstrating how people shouldn’t have to live there also in its own stanza squished between the other two mimicking how the slums are squished in
“place / these eggs” eggs represent hope and new life but they are also fragile as they are hanging precariously in their own structure, just as the inhabitant’s life hangs precariously in their cramped living space. Eggs also symbolise new life, which could be linked to optimism the people who live their have to have
London quotes
“each charter’d street / near where the charter’d thames does flow” repetition of charter’d symbolises a city that is rigid and controlled and suggests human desire to control even natural forms
“every cry of every man” anaphora of every emphasises how nothing can escape the control and the suffering. Anaphora in this stanza builds a rhythmic intensity that mirrors the relentless suffering described
“mind-forg’d manacles” The metaphor suggests that the citizens lack any societal freedom. These “manacles” are not physical chains but mental and social restrictions that limit freedom and happiness. Even their minds and thoughts are controlled
“black’ning Church” black has connotations of death and corruption which mirrors the decaying core of the establishment and alludes to both physical and moral decay of the church which is supposed to help the people
‘blights with plagues the Marriage hearse” An oxymoron and language associated with disease at the end of the poem creates a bleak tone and reinforces the poem’s message about the city’s lack of hope and confinement the people experience
hawk roosting quotes
“I sit in the top of the wood” references on top of the world showing the hawk is literally above all other creatures but also metaphorically above them as it is more powerful. I sit also suggests that the hawk is comfortable up there -> it naturally is this power
“the convenience of the high trees!” everything is engineered to help the hawk further showing how its power is natural and it deserves to be this powerful as God has made it this way
“I kill where I please because it is all mine” shows how the hawk is able to do what it wants as it has so much power that no one can stop it showing absolute dictatorlike power
“the sun is behind me” metaphorical suggestion that God is behind it and therefore what it is doing is correct which further increases its confidence and suggests the hawks power is natural
“I am going to keep things like this” The use of the future tense in this declarative sentence and monosyllabic words allude to the hawk’s arrogance and confidence, conveying an inevitability and determination that reinforces its belief in its own power. The tone is resolute.
The prelude quotes
“I heeded not the summons” would rather stay outside even with the cold of winter, in nature than come in for dinner showing how much he appreciates it
“we hiss’d along the polish’d ice” sibilance sounds mimic the sounds of his ice skates - he is enjoying and appreciating the beauty that nature has provided
“leafless trees and every icy crag” even when nature is at its darkest and most lifeless there is still beauty - pathetic fallacy shows his longing for his youth to come back
“the stars / eastward, were sparkling clear” suggests clear night with the stars making beautiful dots
“The orange sky of evening died away” beautiful image of orange sunset as the person returns back inside after a fulfilling day enjoying nature. also shows the end of the day and time passing as sunsets mark the end of day and start of night
death of a naturalist (nature) quotes
“flex-dam festered” nature can be both disgusting and beautiful depending on your approach as at the start he does not mind the rotting flex however once his perception changes then he does not like it
“Bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles/Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell.” Onomatopoeia is used to create a sensory richness in the descriptions of nature.
“The warm thick slobber/Of frogspawn that grew like clotted water” A simile is used to describe the frogspawn and simple sensory words (“warm” and “thick”) convey the child’s fascination. The speaker’s innocent wonder is later replaced by revulsion and the word “slobber” foreshadows this change, hinting at the less appealing aspects of nature.
“yellow in the sun and brown in rain” nature is very clever as developing this change is impressive
“some hopped: the slap and plop” more onomatopoeia creating vivid imagery of the disgusting element of the frog
manhunt structure
The irregular rhyme scheme begins with three regular rhyming couplets (AA BB CC), but from stanza 4 onwards, stanzas end in half-rhymes that are only “close” in sound: the breakdown of the initially harmonious rhyme scheme indicates the soldier’s emotional distance, the discovery of his mental and emotional trauma, and the struggle of the speaker to “come close”
The poem consists of couplets that form 13 short stanzas which symbolically reflect the ladder, the “rungs” the speaker must “climb” to renewed intimacy.
valentine structure
The onion is an extended metaphor for the complexities of love
constantly contrasts (or juxtaposes) traditional love concepts with more untraditional ideas
The use of free verse, stanzas of different lengths and absence of rhyme scheme could represent the lack of stability in the speaker’s experience of love, but also the deliberately unconventional nature of this expression of love
Short, one- or two-word sentences powerfully intensify the speaker’s emotions, adding immediacy and drama
Enjambment creates an authentic, naturalistic conversational style
Stanza and line lengths are frequently disrupted and changing, foregrounding the refreshingly unconventional, condensed voice of the speaker and the deliberately ‘unromantic’ style of this love poem
death of a naturalist structure
Onomatopoeia and sibilance are used in the first stanza (and later) to recreate the sounds of the flax-dam: “bubbles gargled” and “slap and slop”
Words associated with decay such as “festered” and “rotted” foreshadow the shift in the child’s perception
Alliteration is used throughout to emphasise the childlike quality of the descriptions: “jampotfuls of the jellied/Specks”
Imagery of the frogs as metaphorical “great slime kings” making “obscene threats” gives them a menacing quality in the child’s eyes, emphasises by the military simile of them “Poised like mud grenades”
Clear contrast in tone and imagery is evident in the second stanza conveying the speaker’s changed feelings towards nature
The poem is written in free verse without a regular rhyme scheme reflecting the unstructured nature of childhood
The poem is structured into two distinct parts, reflecting the shift in the speaker’s perspective from childhood innocence to a more mature understanding
Enjambment reflects the child’s stream of consciousness and conveys the movement of nature
as imperceptibly as grief structure
Nature has been personified as a woman who is isolated; it suggests a peaceful moment of introspection rather than something negative
“Shone”, “Twilight”, “Dusk”, “Light”: these words allude to stages of days, seasons and the human experience; note that twilight and dusk are both times of transition in a day
By using the personal pronoun “our” to describe summer, Dickinson outlines that the passing of time is inevitable for everyone
The poem is presented without breaks between quatrains. However, it is written so that every fourth line is a natural break point in the content.
It reflects the influence of traditional structures associated with ballads (this links to Dickinson’s religious background and appreciation of traditional poetry)
Caesura, marked by the dashes at the end of lines, encourages reflection
Enjambment contributes to the idea that time does not stop
Dickinson creates a stable rhythm by writing in a mostly regular iambic metre with lines containing six or eight syllables. This reflects the predictable pattern of nature and life as time moves on
With the exception of “shone”/”gone”, the other rhymes are slant rhymes, meaning that their sounds are similar rather than identical; examples include “away/perfidy”, “begun/afternoon”, “keel/beautiful”. This creates dissonance implying a sense of unease as Dickinson works through the poem towards a peaceful and hopeful conclusion
the soldier structure
The title suggests that the soldier is an archetype and links to the idea of selflessness and sacrifice
“some corner” suggests an insignificance that is juxtaposed with repeated references to “England” and “English” to highlight the centrality and importance of his patriotism
The words “for ever” highlight the longevity and significance of the nation, contrasted with the fleeting and inconsequential nature of human existence
Sibilance creates a soothing effect reflecting an overall sense of tranquillity
Pastoral imagery of “flowers” and “rivers” idealise England and create a sense of tranquillity in juxtaposition to the reality of war
Petrarchan sonnet showing love for England
By dividing 14 lines into an octave and a sestet, Brooke divides the thematic focus; the octave explores all that England has bestowed upon the soldier, while the sestet focuses on the soldier’s contribution to his country
The volta signifies a shift from the physical (“bore”, “body”, “breathing”) in the octave to the spiritual (“eternal mind”, “dream”, “heaven”) in the sestet. The structure mirrors the movement from evil to peace
By writing in iambic pentameter, Brooke adopts a traditional poetic form that gives a sense of formality and timelessness. The rhythmical pattern aligns with the contemplative tone
The alternating rhyme scheme within each quatrain creates a musicality, which complements the Romantic imagery
The simplicity of the rhymes (“me/be”, “field/concealed”) are reflective of Brooke’s surety; the words fit together as neatly as his moral conviction
The rhyme scheme shifts at the volta, signalling the transition between life — “bore”, “made” “roam” — and the afterlife, “A pulse in the eternal mind”
dulce et decorum est structure
Sensory language renders the descriptions vivid and impactful; visually, Owen portrays men “bent double”; audibly he captures the “hoots” of gas shells, and the phrase “ecstasy of fumbling” conveys the physical sensation of panic
Similes comparing soldiers with “old beggars” and “hags” juxtaposes sharply with the idea of soldiers as strong and fit
The diction “blood-shod” and “cud” evokes animal imagery to highlight the dehumanising impact of war. The words “devil’s”, “writhing”, “froth-corrupted” and “vile” evoke imagery reminiscent of hell
Stanza one maintains a consistent rhyme scheme, connoting an orderliness and discipline as the soldiers march. This pattern is interrupted in the second and third stanzas, reflecting the chaotic scene
The line beginning “Knock-kneed” deviates from the typical iambic pentameter pattern, thus reflecting the challenges of the soldiers’ movement
By using the first person, Owen compels the reader to envision witnessing the harrowing events described
living space structure
lots of enjambment makes the lines run into each other showing how the rooms of the slums all join together
Short sentences in the first stanza reflect the lack of space and physical awkwardness of the weird way the sentences fit together. There is no regular rhyme scheme but there are rhymes in (“Beams”, “seems”, “space”, ”place”, “white” light”. In this way, the rhymes reflect the irregularity of the space, providing just enough to hold the poem together phonologically, in the same way that the nails only just hold the structure together
each line is a different length mirroring how all of the rooms in the slums are different sized but somehow fit together
London structure
Regular ABAB (alternating couplets) rhyme scheme could represent the relentless monotony of living in this city
Simplistic rhymes contrast with the complex ideas explored
Deviation from iambic tetrameter here places the stressed syllable first to punctuate the metre with Blake’s anger
Enjambment conveys the speaker’s intensity and sense of outrage, adding force to the listing of horrors
The use of four quatrains could be symbolic of the rigidity of London’s hierarchy at the time Blake was writing
hawk roosting structure
Repetition of the first person “I” and “my” reinforce the hawk’s dominance
The language is blunt and monosyllabic reflecting the hawk’s brutal nature
Each stanza focuses on a different aspect of the hawk’s existence and perception of its power
End-stopped lines and enjambment create a balance between assertive statements and flowing thoughts, which echoes the bird’s flight
The poem begins and ends with references to inaction, creating a circular structure which reinforces the hawk’s desire for control
6 4 lined stanzas creates regular structure mirroring the how the hawks power is natural and will always keep happening
the prelude structure
The structure progresses from the speaker’s initial excitement to a more reflective, melancholy tone at the end denoting the passing of time
Descriptions of the sky, at the start and end of the stanza, symbolically enclose this memory
Enjambment is used to create momentum and to reflect the continuous motion of skating
Wordsworth uses blank verse written in iambic pentameter which reinforces the authenticity and naturalism of the speaker’s voice, like an inner monologue
This extract from the poem is a single stanza, creating a sense of breathlessness to convey the overwhelming intensity of the experience he depicts
