POETRY (POWER AND CONFLICT) Flashcards
Ozymandias – Percy Bysshe Shelley
Theme: Power is temporary.
Context: Critiques the arrogance of rulers.
Key Quote: “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Structure: Sonnet form, fragmented to show decay.
Message: Human power is insignificant against time.
London – William Blake
Theme: Oppression and suffering.
Context: Criticizes industrialization and poverty.
Key Quote: “Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”
Structure: Regular rhythm mimics restriction.
Message: Society is trapped by institutions like the monarchy and church.
The Prelude (Stealing the Boat) – William Wordsworth
Theme: Nature’s power over man.
Context: Romanticism – nature as overwhelming.
Key Quote: “A huge peak, black and huge.”
Structure: Blank verse, first-person narrative.
Message: Nature humbles human arrogance.
My Last Duchess – Robert Browning
Theme: Control and jealousy.
Context: Based on Duke of Ferrara, reflecting abuse of power.
Key Quote: “I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together.”
Structure: Dramatic monologue, iambic pentameter.
Message: Power corrupts, especially in relationships.
The Charge of the Light Brigade – Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Theme: Glory and horror of war.
Context: Crimean War, heroic but futile charge.
Key Quote: “Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die.”
Structure: Rhythmic, mimicking galloping horses.
Message: War is both noble and tragic.
Exposure – Wilfred Owen
Theme: War’s futility and nature’s cruelty.
Context: WWI trenches, harsh conditions.
Key Quote: “But nothing happens.”
Structure: Repetitive structure to show monotony.
Message: Soldiers suffer endlessly, often more from nature than enemies.
Storm on the Island – Seamus Heaney
Theme: Nature’s unstoppable power.
Context: Northern Irish conflict metaphor.
Key Quote: “We are bombarded by the empty air.”
Structure: Dramatic monologue, enjambment for chaos.
Message: Humans are powerless against nature.
Bayonet Charge – Ted Hughes
Theme: Fear and confusion in war.
Context: WWI soldier’s perspective.
Key Quote: “King, honour, human dignity, etcetera.”
Structure: Free verse, irregular rhythm.
Message: War strips away noble ideals, leaving only survival.
Remains – Simon Armitage
Theme: Psychological impact of war.
Context: Based on real PTSD experiences from Iraq War.
Key Quote: “His blood-shadow stays on the street.”
Structure: Conversational, fragmented to show trauma.
Message: War doesn’t end for soldiers after the battle.
Poppies – Jane Weir
Theme: Loss and maternal grief.
Context: Modern conflicts, emotional impact on families.
Key Quote: “Released a songbird from its cage.”
Structure: Free verse, chaotic to reflect emotions.
Message: War affects those left behind.
War Photographer – Carol Ann Duffy
Theme: Guilt and emotional detachment.
Context: War photography and media desensitization.
Key Quote: “A hundred agonies in black and white.”
Structure: Regular stanzas, showing control vs. chaos.
Message: War is real suffering, but distant for others.
Tissue – Imtiaz Dharker
Theme: Fragility of human power.
Context: Metaphor for life and control.
Key Quote: “Paper that lets the light shine through.”
Structure: Free verse, delicate imagery.
Message: Power is temporary and should be flexible.
The Emigrée – Carol Rumens
Theme: Nostalgia and identity.
Context: Immigrant perspective, exile.
Key Quote: “My city takes me dancing through the city of walls.”
Structure: Enjambment shows flow of memory.
Message: The past is idealized, even if reality is harsh.
Checking Out Me History – John Agard
Theme: Identity and historical erasure.
Context: Caribbean and Black history ignored in education.
Key Quote: “Dem tell me what dem want to tell me.”
Structure: Mixture of standard and Creole English.
Message: The importance of reclaiming one’s heritage.
Kamikaze – Beatrice Garland
Theme: Honour vs. regret.
Context: Japanese suicide pilots in WWII.
Key Quote: “He must have wondered which had been the better way to die.”
Structure: Narrative, third-person perspective.
Message: Society punishes those who choose life over honour.
