Poetry Flashcards

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1
Q

Name a quote linked to the theme of despair in Exposure.

A

‘For love of God seems dying’

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2
Q

Name a quote linked to war in Exposure.

A

‘We only know war lasts’

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3
Q

Name a quote linked to the weather and happier times in Exposure.

A

‘On us the doors are closed’

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4
Q

What does it mean when the poet says ‘on us the doors are closed’ in Exposure?

A

The soldiers are thinking about happier times- being at home door closing out the weather.

They are thinking about what lies ahead for them and they are quite likely to die in battle.

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5
Q

What does the poet mean when he says ‘our brains ache’ in Exposure?

A

Physical pain like headaches from the noise.

The soldiers are developing psychological problems.

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6
Q

How is Exposure structured?

A

Series of eight stanzas of five lines with the last one much shorter, emphasising the important message. Most are rhetorical questions or repetition of ‘but nothing happens’- pointless.

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7
Q

What is the rhyming pattern in Exposure?

A

First four lines follow the pattern of Abba, showing unchanging nature of life in the trenches. He then uses half rhyme on the last line ‘war/wire’ which unsettled the reader and defy the expected outcome echoing the experience of war.

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8
Q

Why did Owen write Exposure?

A

To inform people of the horrors of war even though it contradicted the press.

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9
Q

What language does Owen use in Exposure?

A

Emotive to draw the reader in and make them part of the experience.

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10
Q

What are the three themes for Remains?

A

Guilt, Life and death and Conflict.

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11
Q

What is a quote that supports the theme of guilt in Remains?

A

‘Possibly armed, probably not’

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12
Q

How does the repetition of ‘possibly armed, probably not’ emphasise?

A

The speakers sense of discomfort that he may have taken an innocent mans life.

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13
Q

What is a quote linked to conflict in Remains?

A

‘Dug in behind enemy lines’

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14
Q

What quote links to how the soldiers have bonded in remains?

A

‘One of my mates goes by and tosses his guts back into his body’

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15
Q

What is the structure of Remains?

A

Formed of eight stanzas, no rhyming, final stanza is two lines (disintegration of speakers mind?)
Written as a monologue, enjambent like he is reminiscing.

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16
Q

What language does the writer use in Remains?

A

Anecdotal.

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17
Q

What is similar about Remains and Exposure?

A

Soldiers in maritime, 1st person narrative.

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18
Q

What are the differences between Exposure and Remains?

A

Exposure has a more regular structure. Remains disintegrates.

Exposure is written in present tense, unfolding experience.

Remains is a past experience showing the lasting trauma of war.

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19
Q

What is the context of Remains?

A

‘Desert sand’- Gulf War.

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20
Q

What can you conclude from Remains?

A

War is pointless, and pervasive.

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21
Q

What are the three themes in Exposure?

A

War, Despair and Weather.

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22
Q

What is the structure of Ozymandias?

A

A sonnet, 14 lines, octave and sestet. Written in iambic pentameter and employs a more eccentric scheme of rhyming highlighting the poems irony.

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23
Q

What are the themes of ozymandias?

A

Transitory nature of life,

Pretensions of fame and fortune.

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24
Q

What is a quote that links to the pretensions of fame and fortune in Ozymandias?

A

‘Round the decay’

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25
Q

What can you infer from ‘stamped on these lifeless things’ in Ozymandias?

A

Mutability of human existence, the fall of the mighty into obscurity. By juxtaposing the sneer of cold command with these lifeless things reminds his readers that all power is transitory linking to the overall theme of the text.

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26
Q

What can you infer from ‘lone and level sands stretch far away’?

A

The fact the statue is In pieces emphasises the hopelessness of striving for power and believing that human power is permanent.

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27
Q

What are the five things an examiner looks for?

A

Ideas, attitude and tone, structure and form, techniques used by the poets.

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28
Q

Who was Ted Hughes?

A

A 20th century English poet who was a mechanic for 2 years in the RAF before uni. Wrote bayonet charge and published 1957.

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29
Q

What does Bayonet Charge focus on?

A

A single soldiers experience of a charge towards enemy lines (thoughts and actions whilst trying to stay alive).

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30
Q

How do the feelings change in bayonet charge?

A

Patriotic ideals which change to overriding emotion and fear during violence. Shows transformation of a soldier from a living thinking person into a dangerous weapon of war.

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31
Q

What experience does bayonet charge describe?

A

Going over the top and fixing bayonets, soldiers hid in trenches and climb out to charge an enemy position a short distance away.

32
Q

Describe some aspects of form found in bayonet charge.

A

Emjambent, Caesura, lines of uneven length- creates irregular rythmn mirroring soldiers plight whilst running through mud.

33
Q

What nouns does the writer use in bayonet charge?

A

Pronouns, keeps him anonymous perhaps creating a universal figure who could represent any young soldier.

34
Q

What is the structure of bayonet charge?

A

1st- acting on instinct
2nd- time stands still, thinking about situation
3rd- gives up thoughts and ideals like he has lost his humanity.

35
Q

Name structural features in bayonet charge.

A

In media res (covers soldiers thoughts and movements over a short period of time)
Flow is broken by three dashes breaks up flow of poem and shows soldier is slowly waking up to what is happening and is starting to think.

36
Q

What language features are there in bayonet charge?

A

Violent imagery, figurative language, natural imagery, sound.

37
Q

What does the violent imagery in bayonet charge demonstrate?

A

Brings home sights and sounds of war, conveys confusion and fear.

38
Q

How does the writer use sound in bayonet charge?

A

Uses dense repetition of words and sounds like h- shows soldiers heavy breathing.

39
Q

What does the figurative language in bayonet charge demonstrate?

A

Emphasises horror and physical pain of the charge and questions point of war.

40
Q

What does the use of natural imagery in bayonet charge demonstrate?

A

‘Green hedge’ ‘dazzled with rifle fire’- juxtaposes to show the horror. ‘Hare’ becomes image of death.

41
Q

What are the main feelings in bayonet charge?

A

Confusion- physically disorientated by gunfire and doesn’t know why he is there.
Challenges patriotism and shows terror is the overriding emotion in battle.

42
Q

What does bayonet charge try to do?

A

Step inside a soldier and dramatises struggle between a mans thoughts and actions.

43
Q

What is the poets attitude to war in bayonet charge?

A

War is irrational and conquers nothing, it merely transforms humans into weapons ‘his terrors touchy dynamite’.

44
Q

What does the writer draw a contrast between in bayonet charge?

A

Idealism of patriotism and reality of fighting and killing (King, honour, human dignity etc)

45
Q

How does bayonet charge create a scene of confusion?

A

Contrasts the visual and aural imagery of battle with the internal thoughts of the soldier.

46
Q

What are the attitudes and feelings in Tissue?

A

Control- different things control human life, references to money, religion, nature, pride and capitalists.

Freedom- Speaker imagines a world that breaks free of some of these restrictions where human constructions are less permanent and important.

47
Q

Who was William Wordsworth?

A

Poet from the Lake District. Wrote Prelude- autobiographical poem exploring his memoirs.

48
Q

What is Prelude about?

A

Begins on a summer evening when the narrator finds a boat tied to a tree. He unties the boat and takes it out on the lake.

A mountain appears on the horizon and narrator is afraid of its size and power.

He turns the boat around and goes home but his view of nature has changed.

49
Q

What is the form of Prelude?

A

1st person narrative, personal and describes a turning point.
Use of blank verse makes it sound serious and important
Regular rhythm shows natural speech.

50
Q

What are the three main sections of Prelude?

A

1st- tone is fairly light and carefree.
2nd- mountain appears and narrator is afraid of its size and power.
3rd- reflecting on how this experience has changed him.

51
Q

How does the language shift in Prelude?

A

Beautiful language, confident language, dramatic language, fearful language.

52
Q

Give context about Prelude.

A

Wordsworth was romantic poet. Explores connection between nature and human emotion, and the way human identity and character is shaped by experience. Extract from the first of fourteen books called Prelude.

53
Q

What is ozymandias about?

A

Narrator meets a traveller who tells him about a statue standing in the middle of the desert.
Statue of a king who ruled over a past civilisation. Face is proud and he arrogantly boasts about how powerful he is on an inscription on base.
Statue has fallen down and crumbled away so only ruins remain.

54
Q

What is the form of Ozymandias?

A

Sonnet with a turning point (Volta) on line 9.
Doesn’t follow a regular sonnet rhyme scheme-reflecting way human power and structures can be destroyed.
Iambic pentameter which is disrupted.
Second hand account- which distances reader further from King.

55
Q

What is the structure of ozymandias?

A

Builds up an image of the statue by focusing on different parts in turn.
Ends by describing enormous desert- distances reader from the dead King.

56
Q

What is the example of irony in ozymandias?

A

Nothing left to show for the rulers arrogant boasting or great civilisation.
Ruined statue is a symbol for the temporary nature of political power or human achievement.
Irony reflects Shelleys hatred of oppression and belief it is possible to overturn social and political order.

57
Q

How does ozymandias represent the theme of the power of humans?

A

Ozymandias is a ruler who abused his power- sneer of cold command.
Focuses on temporary nature of the rulers power.
Irony to highlight the contrast of ozymandias belief in his own power and all achievements are insignificant in comparison to boundless desert

58
Q

How does tissue represent the theme of power of humans?

A

Paper is used to symbolise human power, receipts can fly our lives like paper kites- fragile and easily destroyed.
Paper maps show borderlines and other man made features but sun shines through- alluding it natures enduring power.
Daylight break/through capitals and monoliths- natural power is greater than human power- monoliths and capitals are temporary compared to nature.

59
Q

How is irony used in ozymandias?

A

Nothing left to show for rulers arrogant boasting or great civilisation.
Ruined statue is symbol for temporary nature of political power or human achievement.
Use of irony reflects his hatred of oppression and belief you can overturn social and political order.

60
Q

How is language of power used in ozymandias?

A

Focuses on his power representing human power.
Power has been lost and is only visible due to power of art.
Nature has ruined statue showing nature and time have more power than anything else.

61
Q

What are the feelings and attitudes in ozymandias?

A

Pride, arrogance and power
Power- human civilisations are insignificant to passing of time. Art has power to preserve elements of human existence but it is also only temporary.

62
Q

Who is Simon Armitage?

A

English poet, playwright and novelist.

63
Q

Where is the poem remains from?

A

2008 collection, The Not Dead, which looks at the effect of war on ex soldiers. Based on an account of a soldier who served in Iraq.

64
Q

What is remains about?

A

A group of soldiers who shoot a man running away from a bank raid he’s been involved in. His death is described graphically.
Soldier isn’t sure whether he was armed or not.
He can’t get the mans death out of his head- he’s haunted.

65
Q

What is the form of remains?

A

No regular line length or rhyme scheme- someone telling a story.
First person plural- first person singular.
Personal like someone confessing.
Couplet both lines have same metre- showing its finality and how his guilt will always stay with him.

66
Q

What is the structure of remains?

A

Amusing anecdote but it turns into a graphic description of a mans death. Clear Volta where soldiers tone thoughts and emotions are changed by his guilt.

67
Q

What language is used in remains?

A

Graphic imagery which reminds the reader of the horrors of war but shows how desensitised the narrator was.
Colloquial language which trivialises the death but also makes it sound like a story.
Repetition to show how the killing is repeated in the speakers mind.

68
Q

What are the feelings and attitudes in remains?

A

Nonchalance- initially a casual attitude to the death of man, killed and just carted off.
Guilt- can’t get the memory of killing out of his mind.

69
Q

Who wrote War Photographer and what is its context?

A

Carol Ann Duffy, who is a Scottish poet who is the First woman to hold post of poet laureate.
War photographer was published 1985 as part of standing female nude.

70
Q

What is war photographer about?

A

A photographer in his dark room, developing pictures taken in war zones across the world. Being back in England is a big contrast as it’s safe and calm.
Photo begins to develop and photographer remembers death of the man and the cries of his wife.
Focuses on people in England looking at his photos in Sunday papers and he thinks they don’t care about people and places in photograph.

71
Q

What is the form of war photographer?

A

4 stanzas of equal length, and a regular rhyme scheme set out in ordered rows like photographers spools. Enjambement reflects the gradual revealing of photo as it develops.

72
Q

What is the structure of war photographer?

A

Follows the actions and thoughts of photographer in dark room. Distinct change in 3rd stanza where photographer remembers a specific death. Final stanza it looks at how the photographers work is received.

73
Q

What does the use of religious imagery in war photographer suggest?

A

He is a priest conducting a funeral when he is developing his photos there’s a sense of ceremony to his actions.

74
Q

What are the attitudes and feelings in war photographer?

A

Pain, detachement and anger.

75
Q

How is pain presented in war photographer?

A

Depict real pain compared with ordinary pain back home

Woman who has lost her husband.

76
Q

How is detachment shown in war photographer?

A

Detached from emotions in war zone but in England he is detached from ordinary life, ‘finally alone’.

77
Q

How is anger shown in war photographer?

A

Sense of anger with the people who don’t care about suffering of others.