poetry Flashcards
nature topic
exposure
kamikaze
storm on the island
ptsd
exposure
remains
war photographer
honour
cotlb
kamikaze
violence
cotlb
remains
futility
bayonet charge
cotlb
exposure
remains
kamikaze
effects of war
poppies
effects of war
war photographer
kamikaze
kamikaze structure
• tight structure - tight control of military and national expectation of what soldier should do
• contrastingly: free verse & enjambment.
• contrast of tight and free shows freedom of expression, reflects freedom that pilot wants AND conflict between personal needs and national duty
kamikaze quotes (6)
“a tuna, the dark prince, muscular, dangerous” first full stop
“a shaven head full of powerful incantations”
“little fishing boats strung out like bunting”
fish swim in “figure of eight” (infinite-always be war” and “flashing silver” (medals - glorification)
“we too learned to be silent”
“which had been the better way to die”
kamikaze context
garland has and promotes westernised view- directly criticising japanese culture rather than exploring either views
war photographer structure
very orderly- trying to impose control over chaos - nothing changes —> efforts for control are futile. trying to make a change, simply carries on —> how easily public forgets
caesura “. rural england.” separation: how easily we separate from struggles
the readers eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre lunch beers
internal rhyme “tears” “beers”. only time the rhyming pattern changes: changes the pace - shows how fast people forget/ignore
cyclical - futility. what is his entire life is other peoples two second glimpse
war photographer quotes
“belfast. beruit. phnom penh.” plosive- contrast from orderly to gunfire. caesura - stop and mourn for each
war photographer quotes
“belfast. beruit. phnom penh.” plosive- contrast from orderly to gunfire. caesura - stop and mourn for each
“spools of suffering set out in ordered rows” - ordered rows alludes to graveyard, trying to impose control
“half formed ghost” - not only present violence of war and theme of photo development. - half formed, does not have own individuality, cannot even mourn for this soldier as they are unidentifiable, so many dishonoured soldiers
“the readers eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre lunch beers”
war photographer overall message
criticising how we dont have grips on actualy reality of war
war photographer context
duffy was friends with war photographers
poppies context
weir is a textile designer
refers to it to try to make sense or bring comfort to the grief
structure poppies
free verse, varied stanza length, enjambment, caesura. very chaotic structure - grief cannot be organised - ever changing
long stanza: trying to stay in past
poppies quotes
“all my words, flattened, rolled, turned into felt, ——— slowly melting” between stanza: physically breaking down
“sellotape bandages around my hand” she is trying to remember tender moments but cannot keep violence oht of mind : disruptive
“to run my fingers through the gelled blackthorns of your hair”
- blackthorns - barbed wire. gelled - trying to make pain look presentable - a tender memory is painful in remembrance
- blackthorns: biblical reference to jesus thorned crown. soldier believes he is heroic, doing gods work
“leaned against it like a wishbone”
simile- wishing for son to return.
-fragility: mothers fragility. she could break at any moment- unsure of how she will turn out
remains context
true story
guardsman troman: iraq 2003
exposure about the author
- died in battle
exposure structure
- each stanza cleverly structured: blunt, powerful, emotive sentences, builds climactic tension, mirrors adrenaline and alert of soldiers. then anti-climactic line: “but nothing happens”, mirrors futility and exhaustion of adrenaline
- reinforced by unchanging rhyme scheme
exporsure quotes
“exposure”
- exposure and vulnerability to nature on battlefield
- how the poem itself exposes the reality of war, revolutionary as war poetry up to this point praised bravery and glorified battle
“half known faces”
- describes sheer cruelty of nature and the cold, disfigures soldiers. more violent than artillery
- “half-known” no individuality, lack of grips on true reality of war leads to many unhonoured soldiers
“merciless iced east winds that knive us”
- sibilance depicts both bullets and noise that soldiers may make from cold
- “knive” suggests an intimate, purposeful murder rather than guns of other artillery typically seen in war, as “kniving” someone involves close, forceful, almost strenuous effort. shows sheer malevolence and reinforces “mercilessness” of nature
“for love of god is dying”
- difficult to believe in god when exposed to horrors of war
- could refer to how jesus died for our sins. allusion between soldiers and christ suggests that soldiers are christ-like characters, as they sacrifice themselves for others
“like a dull rumour of some other war”
- simile has biblical reference of jesus talking about the end of the world, “you will hear of war and rumours of war”. suggests how situation feels like the end of the world
bayonet charge about the author
- not alive during wars, father served in ww1
bayonet charge quotes
“raw in raw-seamed hot khaki”
- repetition creates clunky, clumsy tone, stress and disillusion of soldier
- lack of vocabulary presents war as indescribable
“king, honour, human dignity, etcetera”
- mocking, these concepts of virtue and honour mean nothing when in reality of war
“sweating like molten iron”
- simile: war is inexplicably indescribable, write must resort in attempting to explain through similes and comparisons
- imagery of heavy machinery “molten iron” illustrates soldiers as robotic, controlled
cotlb about the writer
- had marriage declined by fiance’s upper class father due to his poverty - criticism of upper class
cotlb context
crimean war:
- “light bridage” (lightly-armoured troops) ordered to ride in to stop russians stealing guns, sent by upper class men who had bought their way into control.
- miscommunication between these leaders, brigade charged into wrong valley into heavy artillery, still committed, brutally killed
cotlb form
ballad - often used to remind future generations of important story, should never be forgotten
- tennyson reminds of bravery and honour of soldiers, and the idiocy of aristocratic leadership for their irresponsible blunder
- refrain: six hundred
cotlb structure
- 6 stanzas: represents the refrain of poem: 600
- dactylic dimeter quickens pace, mirroring rhythm of horse hooves. reader feels part of brigade and can appreciate bravery on another level.
- “someone had blundered” break in dactylic diameter. direct criticism of leadership error that resulted in suicide mission
- also “blundered” directly links to the real-life brigade, as “blunder” was used in the news report and inspired tennyson to write
cotlb quote
“some one had blunder’d”
“valley of death”
- biblical reference, shows awe-inspiring, “god-like” valiance of soldiers, a biblical act.
- from structural viewpoint, use of biblical imagery in first paragraph: immediately recognised by victorian audience
“all the world wondered”
- “wondered” bravery is admired and honoured
- “wondered” confusion, world questions how such mistake can be made
- fits drum-like effect seen throughout “thundered” “sundered” “shattered” “wondered”, mirrors beat of horses charging, reader feels part of brigade
- repetition of “ered” could be perceived as reminder of the “err” or error made
storm on the island strcuture
half rhyme
- “squat” “slate” and “air” “fear” - reflects uncontrollable storm, poem can only be somewhat in control amidst chaos
- start and end, cyclical. inescapable conflict, storm will simply occur again
storm on the island quotes
“squat” “slate” “air” “fear”
“stormont” - parliament buildings in ireland
the emigree strucutre
- free verse, enjambment, caseura: lack of structure, chaos of home country, lack of power in that she cannot go there
- similar stanza length: speakers way of imposing control over her chaos
the emigree quotes
“there once was a country…”
- imitates fairytale, memory is idealised and cherished.
- ellipsis: clings onto past
“i comb its hair” “my city hides behind me”
- speaker takes on motherly role, depicts city as child, unable to speak for itself and prove that it is not just a war zone
“bright, filled paperweight”
- memory of old city provides stability and support to speaker in same way a paperweight stabilises paper
- could illustrate her being weighed down and restrained by memory, unable to move on
- light constantly referenced in poem, turning from “sunlight-clear” and “bright” to “tastes of sunlight” to “shadow” and “evidence of sunlight”. fading light suggests how she feels as though she is growing distant from the happiness and “sunlight” from her city
ozymandias about the writer
- shelley was expelled from uni for atheist writing
- unsuccessful and unknown writer in his time
ozymandias context
• during king george iii reign - large number of military conflicts, shelley wished to criticise his oppression
• shelley was one of “the Romantics” - embrace nature over urban life, love supernatural, colloquial language. use of foreign, past setting, common for romantics
• ozymandias is ramesses, egyptian pharaoh, believed to be in charge of egypt during exodus of moses - biblical connotation
- led many battles to protect egypt and take new land - caricature of king george iii
ozymandias main themes
• power is temporary - those with power are plagued by belief that they are invincible and superior
• real power lies in art and nature, more powerful than any being
• attack on religion and politics
form of ozymandias
- sonnet, genre of love poetry. suggests how ozymandias, king george iii, and jesus, are in love with themselves.
- combination of three sonnet forms. suggests transience of power, it ultimately gives way to new power
ozymandias quotes
the hand that mocked them
boundless and bare
my name is ozymandias king of kings
- “boundless and bare” - alliteration illustrates vast emptiness, echo-like effect
- “the hand that mocked them” suggests that true power lies in art. “mock” - to create, artist’s skill is eternal - despite the statue being broken, the art still remains.
“mock” also imply ridiculing ozymandias. ironic as this places the artist with more power than the “all-ruling” pharaoh.
idea of artist outliving the power is interesting as it could be a metaphor for his own work. in his own time, shelley was unsuccessful, and died before his poetry could arise. However his work is now respected and valued, while the work of the influence of the poem, king G, was simply one in a long list of kings. direct criticism of the monarchist reign of king G. - “my name is ozymandias, king of kings” directly presents the extent of Ozymandias’s belief of his sheer power. the translation of the word “ozymandias” itself, “ozy” meaning to breathe and “mandias” meaning to rule, suggests that the pharaoh simply lives purely to exert or “breathe” his dominance over all.
“king of kings” also has biblical connotations, as it is what jesus is referred to in the bible. outlines his belief that his power is god-like and eternal
alliteration of “king of kings” creates harsh and abrupt effect, perhaps reflecting harsh and abrupt nature of ozymandias
however shelley exposes the transience of this power, with plosive alliteration “boundless and bare”
london context
- comes from blake’s collection “songs of experience”, which focused on harsher views of the corruption of humans, was a companion piece to “songs of innocence”, which focused on simple moral lessons for children about nature. two were often found in the same collections. London being from “songs from experience” outlines the poem’s criticism of people in control misusing their power, and causing inescapable suffering
- blake experienced industrial revolution, was very against the exploitation and pollution
london structure
- repetition:
quatrains & ABAB rhyme scheme throughout: repetition depicts the repetitive, overwhelming, relentless suffering in the city
repetition of words “chartered” “mark” “every”, further illustrates inescapability of suffering - cyclical:
starts & ends with focus on those suffering, also outlines the inescapable suffering - irregular meter:
mostly in iambic tetrameter -inescapable suffering
however some lines eg “marks of weakness, marks of woe” does not follow this meter, as it has fewer syllables. this weakens the line in comparison to the rest of the poem. the fact the line itself describes humans suggests that perhaps blake aims to reflect the weakness of those suffering, and their helplessness and neglect.
london quotes
“chartered street” where the “chartered thames does flow”
“mind-forged manacles i hear”
“man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains”
“black’ning church”
“chartered street” where the “chartered thames does flow”
- repetition of “chartered” suggests the inescapability of suffering
- “chartered” alludes to privatisation, and contracts of business, ownership and profits. chartered “street” criticises the properties being privately owned, however chartered “thames” could be perceived as a satirical attack, where blake conveys the irony of man trying to control and own the natural world
“mark in every face i meet – marks of weakness, marks of woe”
repetition of “mark” - insecapable suffering
in same sentence, “mark” is used for two separate purposes, one where the narrator registers or “marks in” passer-bys, and one where the narrator notices signs for weakness and woe
“mind-forged manacles i hear” exposes the immorality of the government
- demonstrates how the suffering of people is prison-like. allusion to philosopher Rousseau “man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains”, demonstrating how man’s lack of freedom is self-made, and comes from ideas imposed by patriarchy
- corrupt government also seen through “black’ning church”. churches are known as places of support, where people can go for help. however the the image that it is “black’ning” describes malevolence, as even the bible itself connotes “black” with evil and sin. blake demonstrates how even places of worship and support are corrupted by the selfishness of those with power
“marriage hearse”
oxymoronic imagery of marriage and death could allude to how the good of the what the city once was is destined to be destroyed by those in power
extract from the prelude quotes
“circles glittering” “sparkling light”
“little boat” “elfin pinnace”
“like a swan”
huge peak, black and huge
“circles glittering” “sparkling light” - magical, almost celestial quality to his journey. his boat also grows from a “little boat” to an “elfin pinnace” depicting an almost fantasy world that the speaker enters, as if he is the hero of a mythical story. this demonstrates his egotistical nature, as he automatically views himself as having power over nature. this is reinforced by the simile “like a swan”, as swans are typically known for their elegance and regal presence within nature, illustrating the perception the speaker has of himself
language suddenly becomes simpler at the volta of the poem, when the mountain is revealed: “huge peak, black and huge” perhaps conveying how the speakers reversal of power and sudden inferiority has degraded his pride and knowledge, almost as if he has emotionally shrunk to a scared boy.
extract from the prelude context
wordsworth was one of the romantics, evident in poem through dislike of urban life and embrace of nature
extract from the prelude structure
one long stanza - creates overwhelming sense for reader, perhaps inviting them too to experience the overwhelming sense that the speaker feels toward the mountain
my last duchess form and structure
dramatic monologue
tight & consistent rhyme scheme (couplets) and single stanza reflect tight control of duke.
enjambment in “notice neptune…. cast in bronze for me!” the sentence runs over three lines, suggesting that the duke does not actually have complete control, and rather has an uncontrolled , wild nature in his anger. this contrasts the tightly consistent use of iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets, suggesting that despite his ability to take power over others, he is incapable to control himself.
lack of stanza also reflects underlying lack of control
my last duchess language
notice neptune, though, taming a sea horse
“willt you please rise”
“sir”
addresses emissionary as “you” and “sir”. although polite to a modern reader, they rather demonstrate the duke’s sense of superiority over everyone he speaks to, as “thou” and “thee” would have typically been used instead. the duke’s arrogant and egotistical nature continues outside of his relationship with the duchess.
reference to a sculpture “notice neptune, though, taming a sea-horse”, where Neptune is the Roman sea god - a masculine, domineering god. the depiction of this strong god could be perceived as a metaphor for the duke himself, as he feels as though his power is god-like and honourable. furthermore, the depiction of the god taming a wild animal could allude to the duke’s possessive and dominating manner over women.
however, browning cleverly diminishes the dukes facade of superiority through the use of enjambment. the sentence runs over three lines, suggesting that the duke does not actually have complete control, and rather is uncontrolled and wild in his anger. this contrasts the tightly consistent use of iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets, suggesting that despite his ability to take power over others, he is incapable to control himself.
as the poem was written and published during victorian era, this could be perceived as a criticism of victorian attitudes towards women. once married, women became legal property of their husbands and were expected to serve and entertain, which can be seen through the duke obsessing over fixing his wife’s behaviour
tissue structure
enjambment - “paper thinned by age or touching —- the kind you find in well-used books” - lack of control that mankind truly has. also perceived through the free verse - suggested power is undermined
repetition of “transparent”
- fragility of human power, transient
- honesty: true power lies with those who are honest and open
tissue language
“sun shines through their borderlines”
“let daylight break through capitals and monoliths”
“the light of the world” “the light of the heavens and the earth”
“might fly our lives like paper kites”
repetition of “transparent”
- fragility of human power, transient
- honesty: true power lies with those who are honest and open
“the sun shines through their borderlines” (maps)
maps epitomise how man attempts to organise and control nature. undermined by the light that “shines through”, which illustrates that man will never succeed, nature will always have power. further explored through “let daylight break through capitals and monoliths”. light is seen throughout the poem, and can be perceived as a religious notion to Dharker’s identity as a “muslim calvinist”, as jesus is referred to in the bible as “the light of the world”, and allah as “the light of the heavens and the earth” in the quran, demonstrating how the power of god and religion “outshines” the power of man
receipts and money “might fly our lives like paper kites” demonstrates how money controls and dominates humans, and how easily we are transfixed and submissive to man-made systems such as money. however, imagery of receipts as “paper kites” ridicules this obsession, as it depicts man-made power as fragile, like paper. furthermore, the childlike imagery of “paper kites” could suggest that if we relied less on materialism and money, perhaps we would regain child-like wonder. these ideas could suggest that humans have overcomplicated life through obsession over power, power which is ultimately fleeting.
checking out me history context
agard criticises european attitude to education despite going to school in guyana. however when he was in school, guyana was a british colony
checking out me histo ry structure/form
all stanzas end with image of historical black figures, makes reader stop and think about them, perhaps allowing them to recognise and honour their actions
form: oral poetry
simple, child like rhyme scheme in verses about white people, perhaps mocking the education of history as childish and naive
contrasts the free-verse stanzas about black people, suggesting the freedom of these people; nobody controls them
lots of enjambment: unrestrained anger. agard purposefully includes connectives such as “but” to combine two separate sentences. this forces reader to combine black and white figures into same sentence, and think of them together, which was exactly what was not happening when the speaker was in school. “
checking out me history quotes
i carving out me identity
dem, all dat
“bandage up me eye with me own history”
image is his eye being bandaged up depicts how he is deliberately restricted from seeing his own history, like a blindfold
“i carving out me identity”
“carving” suggests exploring territory that is unexplored by any other man, illustrating perhaps how we must actively seek out and find our truths ourselves. however there could also be an underlying criticism of the eurocentric power over education of history “carving” could also depict being man-made, like a sculptor creating his own art. this could suggest that those in power remain secretive and withholding of the truth, leaving people to create their own ideas of identity
colloquial, caribbean diction, agard directly refuses to conform to english language “dem” “all dat”. it is as if he is actively protesting the oppressive and domineering control of european rules.
also forces reader to take on this role as they read it, allowing then to understand the need for desegregation, where white people and black people dont belong in seperate places. the idea of the reader taking the caribbean diction could also perhaps invite them to step into the shoes of agard himself, allowing them to first hand experience his anger, frustration, and his perception and grips of his identity.
technique for listing with commas, no conjuction
asyndetic listing
technique for listing using connectives, no commas
polysyndetiv
