Power And Conflict Flashcards
Poems under the theme of power
My last duchess (power over another human in marriage)
Ozymandias(power of tyranny, wading power)
Remains(power of the mind)
Poems under the theme of the power of nature
•Prelude -goes well with exposure
•Exposure-goes well with prelude
•Bayonet charge
•Storm on the island(literal reading however metaphorically it maybe different , this would be a good poem to explore power of nature and conflict)
•kamikaze
More categories in nature
Nature being presented as the enemy
•Exposure-nature is personified as the deadly enemy of the soldiers in the trenches- it has “Merciless iced east winds that knive” them and snowflakes that “come feeling” for their faces with “fingering stealth”-there is no progression in the poem which mirrors the relentlessness of nature. The repeated stanza ending “but nothing happens”, echoes the monotonous snow and sin that falls on the men
•storm on the island- in this poem there are two aspects of nature described, and both have negative effect on the islanders.
•the island inhospitable because nothing can grow there - the earth is “wizened” and there are no trees or “stacks/ or stool”
How were the extremes of nature that the islanders fear- war imagery is used to suggest that nature is attacking the island- its “bombarded by the empty air” and the wind “strafes” it
Nature can have a powerful effect on humans
•The prelude- the almost magical beauty of nature is present in thr poem(this almost leads him)”with “circles glittering” on the lake and the ‘sparkling light”. The narrato initially seems to be inspired and relaxed by nature
However hen a mountain appears it is personified as monster opus and daunting it @upreared its head@ and the thinks that it stored after him - this ma be to show the imagination on children or to grasp the idea that nature is powerful and can be dangerous if unprepared. The poem ends with the phrase”a trouble to my dreams” this acts as a reminder of how nature is not just beautiful and gentle - the narrators been unsettled and changed by the experience , and the “pleasant images’ of nature in his mind have been replaced with troubling ones.
Kamikaze- nature is presented as one of the reasons why the pilot turned back- his daughter thought that steering the beauty of the scene below him compelled him to abandon his mission.
The danger of tuna is also alluded to ,with the “turbulent inrush and the muscular dangerous” tuna . This suggests that humans are at the mercy of nature- the “turbulent” waves could crush a boat, or a fisherman could be dragged overboard by a tuna.
Poems that explore the themes of power of humans
Human power is ultimately temporary
•Ozymadias(tyranny)
•Tissue
Humans abusing power
•My last duchess(power of human over another human)
•Checking out me history
Or ozymandias
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Poems that show the effects of conflict
Conflict as in affects the people who fight
The charge of the light brigade-death or serious injury is the ultimate result of the battle for many of the soldiers, the repetition of the “valley of death” and “mouth of hell” creates an ominous mood and confirms there is no escaping their fate
The speaker focuses on the extensive loss of life in the charge- each stanza eds with a reference of “the sin hundred” to remind the reader the human cost involved- it also shows how war can inspire great brevaery and sacrifice. The soldiers do their duty even though they believe they are probably going to die in the process
Remains- the soldier dehumanises the looter and presents the killing as a normal part of his job, as shown by the poems anecdotal tone and opening phrase”on another occasion”colloquial verbs such as “tosses” and “carted off” describe how the soldiers causally dispose of the body. This suggests that conflict can devalue human life and make violence seem normal, the fina stanza of this poem is made up of 2 lines rather than the normal four- this distraction i. The poem mirrors the soldiers breakdown and the disruption to his mind the events of direct and participating in conflict have caused
Effects of conflict of those who don’t directly participate
Poppies- focuses on the pain and distress experienced by a mother whose son has joined the army, even before he goes, the mother feels detached from her son also to an augory of what bad is to come- the “gelled/blackthorns” of his hair stop her running her fingers through it. This emotional distance foreshadows their physical separation. After the son leaves, the mother is anxious and restless. Her fear for hi safety is revealed in physical symptoms- she describes her stomach as @busy/making tucks,darts,pleats”
War photographer- in the war zone the photographer is able to keep a steady hand, but as he develops the photos, his hands@tremble@ suggesting he is deeply affected by the “ hundred agonies” he has seen.
His view of home is also affected by his experience of war- the @ordinary pain@ of England contrasts starkly with that of “running children in a nightmare heat” in the war zone.
The final stanza considers the reactions to conflict of people not involved in it. The emphatic @they o not care” implies that people have become so desensitised to suffering that is no longer affects them.
Quotes from remains
On another occasion - suggests it’s regular occurrence
Probably armed, possibly not
His blood shadow stays on the street
Sleep, probably armed possibly not
Dream, and he’s torn apart by a dozen rounds
His here in my head when I close my eyes, dug behind enemy lines
What is enjambement used in remains?
At start not much enjaumberment however as there is more enjuambertment and between paragraphs this shows that the solider was composed but lost composure due to the mental harm been endure
More on structure on remains
Begins as if it is going to be an amusing anecdote but quickly turns into a description of a man’s death. There is a clear Volta at the beginning of the 5th stanza where the soldiers tone , thought and emotions are changed by his guilt
Poems reality of conflict( horror of war and after
Horror of war whilst it happens
Exposure-bleak imagery is used to convey the mens pain - for example the description of frost as “puckering foreheads crisp” compels the readers to imagine their foes freezing. Comparing the noise of the wind to the “twitchin agonies of men” creates a vivid picture of wounded soldiers
• the reality of war leaves no room for a trio Tim’s or heroism- the men@cringe in holes@ like frightened animals. Rhetorical qestions(what are we doing here?” Empahasises the pointlessness of their suffering
The hopeless tone of the poem suggests that the men believe they have little chance of surviving . They seem to have accepted that they will never see their families or homes again
Bayonet Charge- the soldier is presented asa confused and helpless victim - he is running ins a sate of bewidlernemnet , and verbs like stumbling suggest he has no control of his situation or actions
His discomfort is clear from his “raw-seamed hot khaki” and the way he “lugged” his rifle violent imagery , such as the”bullets smacking the belly out of the air”, hint that he may be in pain. Physical descriptions of the battle create a sense of noise or confusion. The “blue crackling air” gives the impression that the soldier is completely surrounded by danger
His patriotism and principles are “dropped like luxuries” they are no use to hum inn the heat of the battle
After the event of the wars
The charge of the light brigade - the poem creates a noisy frightening picture of the battle using onomatopoeia (thundered) violent verbs (flashed) and a relentless galloping rhythm . Thi s emphasises the mean brewery and heroism , however there a distance between the speaker and the battlefield- the battlefield is recounted like a story, and the chronological structure helps impose order on the events
Remains- war forces people to mae morally complicated decisions on the spur of the moment. The soldier is left with disturbing feeling of responsibility, as shown by the phrase “his bloody ire in my bloody hands”
Graphic ideas present the reader with a vivid picture of horro of war - the speaker describes the seeing broad daylight trough th bullet holes in the looter, which is grotesque, disturbing image. The soldier is unable to remain detached from the reality of what he’s done but is in fact detached from society his ire is disrtrayg - his sleep is interrupted by repeated images of the man being “torn apart” and he is haunted by his memories
Poems that explore the theme of loss and absence
Conflict causing loss of people or places
•poppies- the mother feels like she has lost her son when he leaves to join the army. She acts almost as if he has died- she leans against the “war memorial” and mentions “armisticesuday”
The loss she experiences is emphasised by the reference to textures and sensess(this is due to the poets job her job as a textiles designer) she traces “the inscriptions” on the memorial and listens to her sons voice “on the wind”- this hints at her desperate desire to find some kind of connection with him, to compensate for their separation”
•The Emigreé - speaker= nostalgic for a place she left as a child - the opening phrase” there once was a country” frames the poem with the sense of loss she feels for the place. This loss is heightened by the fact that the speaker Reaganism an “impression of sunlight”- a positive, idealised view of the city,
There are suggestions that conflict is responsible for the speakers loss- the city “ma be at war” and the speaker describes herself as an emigre i. The title, hinting that she was forced to leave
•Kmikaze- though pilot chose to avoid dying in war- his family still lose him - their shame causes them to treat him@‘as though he no longer existed@‘
The daughters statement that he @‘was no longer the father we loved@‘ hints at the pain that this emotional loss caused both the pilot and his family
People without power feeling hopeless
•London-a scene of anything positive in the poem- the speaker refers to the a scene of freedom (“2the chartered themes” innocence (“blasts the new-born infants tear”) and morality (“harlots curse”2
There’s also ab absence of hope with no sense that anyone can do anything to improve the situation , the final image of the plagued married hearse implies the cycle of suffering will continue
Exposure
The mens in th trenches have no hope of things improving. The dejected line “we only know war lasts rain soaks and clouds sag stormy” emphasises threat their lovers are miserable an filled with suffering \even thinking about home doesn’t provide hope for the men- they understand d that they are @‘dying@‘ and know that ther home@‘the doors are closed “2 to them
