power and conflict poetry

Question 1

Context of Ozymandias

Answer 1

Shelley disliked authoritarian governments
King George III considered a tyrant and people rebelled against him

Question 2

analysis of “King of Kings”

Answer 2

• immerses reader into a poem dripping with arrogance of vainglorious tyrants holding obsessive focus in preserving the fleeting power of nature
  -hyperbole carved into the pedestal drawing upon Biblical allusions of God mimicking the religious lexicon as Christ was referred to as “king of kings” throughout the Bible
  -equates himself to the status of a god encapsulating his hubris pride as he believes he needs to be worshipped and elevated above

Question 3

analysis of Ozymandias being a sonnet

Answer 3

• amplifies arrogance as sonnets by nature are love poems
  -defies typical conventions of romance, instead embodies narcissistic love for egocentric Ozymandias, subverting readers’ expectations
• despite excessive perseverance of his dicatorship, it becomes apparent that his power is fleeting due to undermining time and nature
• coupled with semantic field of dilapidation and and deterioration permeating the poem, he dimishes o a collapsed piece of rock, reflecting collapse of his legacy, power and glory
• nature becomes dominating and sublime which shifts the power dynamic between the convergence of man and nature

Question 4

analysis of disequilibrium in Ozymandias

Answer 4

• demonstrates the transience of man’s power and how man will always be denied the glory and equilibrium that is so fiercely demanded
• nature infiltrates love sonnet of his narcissism serving as a stark warning to other vainglorious tyrants that have same views as Ozymandias, perhaps King George III, as exposes timeless truth that nature transcends man in all realms
• adds magnitude to the fractured and futile depth of possessing such extreme hubris amplifying how corrutped power that is bred as a result of greed will be diminished and extinguished by passing time
• nature fractures both the statue and the poem, its a reflection of nature fracturing Ozymandias’ power
• ## with fine irony, his boasting pride to other rulers reveals fate of a man’s meaningless and limited legacy who failed to escape his own narcissistic beliefs that he could prevail over time, underpinning the facade of his fallacy of timeless mortality

Question 5

analysis of “boundless and bare the lone and level sands”

Answer 5

• alliteration alludes to the immense, omnipotent power of nature and it’s striking ability to outlive all other powers, deeming them meaningless and insignificant
• communicate the images of a bland monotonous desert accentuating natures power as something so featureless possess superiority over man-made sculptures and ancient legacy
• enjambment between thetwo lines deprives the reader of breathing between them, possibly mimicking the awe-striking beauty of nature, that leaves us breathless and in admiration

Question 6

context of London

Answer 6

-Written in response to the Industrial Revolution which oppressed the poor and forced them to work in unfair conditions with long hours and insufficient pay
-Blake surrounded by dejected Londoners, what he considered to be evidence of the government holding too much power too less of an impact on serving the people

Question 7

analysis of ABAB structure in London

Answer 7

-rhyme leads to a strict confinement of words in order to follow the pattern, imploring at the lack of freedom and individuality in society
- mirrors jarring lives of people as they are forced to reluctantly abide by the discordant rules proposed by institutions
-repetition of rhyming couplets presents the perpetual poverty cycle which was prevalent in 1790’s London
- rhyme is obvious, exacerbating the devastating impacts of oppression on the proletariats as it shines through the people portraying the detrimental damage to society.

Question 8

analysis of “marks in every face I meet, marks of weakness”

Answer 8

• metaphor ‘marks in every face’ employed to encapsulate the devastation and detrimental impacts inherent within abuse of institutional power
• chooses a metaphor as by nature they transcend beyond the realms of language, perhaps because the power of oppression had become so extreme Blake felt he had to resort to figurative language to express the depths of his feelings
  -Interpreted literally, the metaphor indicates that the speaker can see the ‘marks’ of misery etched onto people’s faces, which exposes a tangible impact on the proletariat as a result of these superficial power systems, this is intensified by marks deriving connotations from scars, something permanent caused by an injury, representing the trauma Londoners experience and how become deformed with scars and blemishes caused by power-hungry institutions, so deeply affected they cannot remove the impacts of suffering
  -quote sprawled with enjambment physically impacting the reader as it robs them of a breath, mirroring how people have lost their freedom, individuality and happiness demonstrating the relentlessness of institutional power as it can make a profound impact
  -more perceptive readers may view the noun ‘marks’ and interpret is as a metaphor for a brand, literally, marks are burned into cow’s backs to represent ownership, suggesting people have also been branded by these marks as they equate people to livestock and disposable commodity, branded this way to show their weakness in contrast to the institutions

Question 9

analysis of “mind forged manacles I hear”

Answer 9

-encapsulates the immorality of insitiutions by the fact the ‘mind forged manacles’ attached onto ‘every dejected person in London is ‘heard’ by the speaker
-noun ‘manacles’ is literally a pair of shackles deriving connotations of slaves and imprisonment, creating a horrifying image of all citizens being slaves signifying how we are slaves to the government, both physically and mentally restricted and restrained. Powerful metaphor serves to accentuate the potent and grace effect of institution’s abuse of power with the bourgeoisie persecuting the proletariat from their freedom and own thoughts, not only are they physically confined, but their thoughts and minds are owned by the monarchy.
- sensory metaphor which implicates how despite closing eyes and dulling senses, the chains that tether the citizens can still be heard
- alternatively, Blake alludes t the poverty cycle as if peoples mindsets trap them in their poverty. This interpretation has merit as it’s typical of Blake’s canon to write about poverty, with the Song of Innocence being about society causing corruption- Blake projected a Lockean view in humanity, portraying the facet of one’s character as something observed, perceived and learned via senses.
- drawing upon belief that humans are born with an empty and malleable mind, Blake subtly exposes the timeless truth of poverty: if children are reliant on their parents for information and those parents are oppressed by dominating institutions, the information is contaminated, trapping the child in poverty. The cycle is inescapably repeated, hence why proletariat are deemed lifeless and helpless prisoners of poverty

Question 10

Context for The Prelude

Answer 10

Wordsworth grew up in Cumbria, surrounded by the countryside and exquisite landscapes
reflects pantheist views through the glorification of nature

Question 11

analysis of “(led by her)”

Answer 11

• alludes to how the speaker is following the lead of mother nature
• personifies nature as a female entity- could show he is led out by the beauty of nature, ‘led’ literally means o guide , suggesting that he’s learning from nature which involves a certain degree of passivity and openness
  -Nature acts as a maternal figure here by celestially bringing the scene to life much like a mother brings a baby to life.
• However, ‘her’ could be referring to a woman, who at the time was considered the weaker sex and using in thsi instance could refer to women having the role of creating, sustaining and nurturing life- just like a mother
  -can also show the superiority of nature as Wordsworth contrasts the power of nature; which nurtures the world, to the power of a human; which nurtures a single child

Question 12

analysis of “a huge peak, black and huge…..growing” and use of disequilibrium

Answer 12

• duality between nature :the juxtaposition of ‘black’ contrasting with the ‘small circles glittering idly in the moon’ demonstrating natures power in both its beauty and its ability to evoke fear
  -after the volta there is a shift in tone which holds a sinister undertone. Noticeably, when first seeing the mountain, Wordsworth’s lexica turns juvenile and simplistic, with repetition of the adjective ‘huge’ suggesting nature has rendered him speechless highlighting his loss of eloquence.
• ‘huge’ is vague implicating that he doesnt possess the vocabulary to articulate nature’s might as he cannot define it as one word couldn’t encapsulate it fully.
  -Alternatively the use of juvenile vocabulary suggests nature has caused him to begin his life again as a child, dumfounded and humbled by this revelation of nature to the extent where he is forever changed
• the mountain evokes the vastness of nature’s power implicating a sense of scale in which humans are dwarfed by natures huge and mighty forms.
  -adjective ‘black’ manifests the sinister power of nature through it’s sublime connotations. ‘Black’ is the absence of colour and light; the unknown, inciting fear as the vague language makes it sound more threatening. That fear has a lasting effect which moulds Wordsworth’s perspectives, psychologically redefining his views of the world
  -This is reinforced by the adjective ‘growing’ which literally means to increase in size. It is present participle, and by nature present participle doesn’t cease showing it is ongoing and perpetual.
• implicates nature’s power continues to grow incessantly, immortalising the power of nature, making it sublime to humans transient power .
  -Shift in power dynamic between man and nature but Wordsworth discovers that actually, man was never comparable to the intricacy of nature. It confronts humanity’s misplaced confidence false sense of superiority, best observed when Wordsworth underestimates the size and magnitude of the mountain
  -The impact of the underestimation is only accentuated by Wordsworth’s use of disequilibrium which dominates the ending of the extract, powerfully creating that constant and lasting effect as the speaker is left unconditionally and irrevocably changed: a destruction of disequilibrium mirroring the destruction of the naive and arrogant mindset that humans are superior to nature

Question 13

context for My Last Duchess

Answer 13

Victorian England shows attitudes to women beginning to change from the growing support to the suffrage movement, however it was still far from being equal.
possible to see the poem as a criticism of Victorian attitudes towards women and their efforts to supress female sexuality. Can be argues that the Duke’s obsession with women links to Victorian society’s attempt of keeping women’s reputation pristine
Feminist critics would praise the poem as it suggests Victorian men are weakened by their dependency of the power they have over women, the mass of power they had attributed to their reflection of themselves

Question 14

analysis of “Will’t please you sit and look at her?” and enjambment

Answer 14

• draws attention to the manipulative nature of an oppressor by employing the rhetorical question
  -On the surface, the duke merely asks the envoy to look upon the beauty of the painting however once unpicked and unravelled, the carefully curated question is framed, disguised and veiled as a command
  -the rhetorical question has a stronger underlying force hidden in its tone with the duke projecting a degree of politeness in his question, the action gives the guest the illusion of being an active participate in the conversation without any actual agency; the duke speaks in a manner of false respect and a hidden manipulation.
  -this is emphasised by Browning littering the stanzas with enjambment by crafting free-flow lines- making the poem sound falsely conversational obscuring where one line ends and another begins.
  -The words topple over the boundaries of the lines, reflecting how the duke’s speech spills over from one line to the next as he offers no chance for the envoy to voice interruptions.
  -on closer inspection, the duke asks the envoy to ‘sit’ and by having his guest sit whilst the duke stands places him in a position where he is elevated literally above the envoy, putting himself above everyone as he craves the control and power.
  -metaphorically, it can serve to allude to the power of hierarchy and dynamic between the duke and the guest, with those at the top of the social spectrum having far greater power than those with a lesser status

Question 15

analysis of “Notice Neptune taming a sea-horse”

Answer 15

-Duke’s boastful tone and obsession with power is best observed through the proper noun ‘Neptune’ as this was one of the most powerful gods in Roman mythology. The statue itself has nothing to do with the duke’s appreciation for art- instead it serves as a warning; the statue depicts this god forcefully subduing a a creature who has challenged him
- The duke is in essence projecting himself as this god, showing how he views himself and encapsulating the utter excessive hubris and pride the duke possesses as he believes he needs to be worshipped.
-Also, the duke switches right back to talking about art statues after speaking about his last duchess, essentially confirming the story that his wife is over now and he’s moved on - now she is just another possession in his extensive art collection. The poem alludes that the duke was so vexed of his former wife that he killed her, which he avoids confirming explicitly. Disturbingly, it is common for serial killers and sociopaths to keep trophies, much like the duchess’ portrait. The fact the dramatic monologue is constructed in the present tense as a first person narrative serves to represent how the duke has an excessive amount of power and agency to control the information he presents to his envoy, warping the truth with bias.
- However, there is no last duchess present in the poem to speak for herself and tell her story, underpinning how the objectification of women ultimately silences them, robbing them of their voices and autonomy- the inequality of power always victimises women and it is the women who suffer in the transaction of power with men who want ownership
- perhaps the duke is too deranged and unhinged ti simply not care about judgement, to the extent which he parades and flaunts his trophy of his dead wife, however there are stronger undertones which portray the duke to be purposeful, as if its a reminder and warning to the next duchess that he can get away with murder as a result of his social protection in the entrenched power system of Victorian England

Question 16

context of Charge of the Light Brigade

Answer 16

one of the generals in the Crimean War mistook orders, sending 600 men into a relentless battle which ended in 400 being killed or wounded. Poem is written through the lens of the media, glorifying the soldiers for following orders and sacrificing their lives for the sake of our country

Question 17

analysis of “valley of death”

Answer 17

-Firstly, Tennyson skilfully immerses his readers into the relentless charge and bravery prevalent within the soldiers as they move
into battle, with Tennyson’s effective use of dactylic dimeter cleverly mirroring the horses charging into battle.
- Disturbingly, he employs the morbid metaphor ‘valley of death’ to depict the battlefield, noticeably positioned so early within the poem. Tennyson’s effective use of structure
is key in encapsulating the constant and ever-growing courage prevalent within the soldiers in their charge to battle. Structurally, the
fact that death is a constant presence even so early within the poem implicates how the soldiers knew what they were facing and yet they still willingly laid their lives down for their country
-. A modern reader may perhaps see the tragic element to this and therefore perceive such soldiers as foolishly helpless for charging into their deaths.
-However, this is not what the poet intended, with Tennyson instead crafting the poem to cleverly position the reader to view such patriotic acts as heroic, igniting a sense of drive and relentlessness in their bravery as it makes it all the more admirable that despite knowing they were going to die, the soldiers decided to die with purpose and loyalty
anyways. Therefore, this positions the reader to feel impressed by their sheer resilience and determination, causing us to applaud the
soldiers’ efforts to fight through the horrors of war throughout the rest of the entire poem.
-Alternatively, when looking at the metaphor closer,
it’s also interesting that the noun ‘valley’ elicits a subtle undertone of entrapment, with valleys usually being low in ground - it almost conjures
this feeling as though the walls are closing in. Therefore, a more perceptive reader may interpret the metaphor as Tennyson perhaps subtly revealing how the valley acts almost like a grave due to valleys typically being structured like a hole that stretches on for miles – the war
has essentially caused them to ‘charge’ straight into their graves early, and yet they do not falter in confidence as to ‘charge’ you run at
something with full speed. Ultimately, this further emphasises and magnifies the admiration readers feel for the soldiers.
-Metaphor refers to the biblical illusion that demonstrates Gods protection which is highly ironic in this context
-Could be a symbolism to criticise the higher ranks who should have prioritised the safety of the soldiers, but instead forced them to engage in an unattainable battle, resulting in their death due to their low status
-Alternatively, could be used to symbolise the inevitability of tragedy as the noun ‘valley’ suggests that the soldiers are trapped in by enemies surrounding and were ultimately going to die as there was no way out.
-The idea of them returning from ‘the mouth of hell’ links to the story of when Jesus went to hell to offer those there salvation from their sins, relating to the soldiers as they were sacrificing their lives to save those back home.

Question 18

analysis of “honour the Light Brigade!”

Answer 18

-The poem ends on equilibrium, which is atypical of a poem centring the notion of war
-Tennyson commands the reader to hold glory to the soldiers through the imperative verb ‘honour’ which implicates the reader should remember the soldiers for their valour and fortitude in the fighting, also reiterating patriotism which is littered throughout the poem by raising the men to a place of great respect and reverence.
- further enhanced by the exclamative, which reinforces the high level of remembrance these men deserve as they became saviours to us by sacrificing themsleves.

Question 19

analysis of the structure of Charge of the Light Brigade

Answer 19

• this poem follows no apparent rhyme scheme however upon closer inspection, there are noticeable rhyming couplets appearing in indented lines
• the rhyming couplets perhaps symbolise the inevitable deaths of the soldiers as they were sent unprepared into a battle, and if the poem had followed this all the way through, it would be story-like and predictable
• with the infiltration of non-rhyming lines intruding the poem, it represents the chaos and carnage the soldiers fought, displaying how they courageously put up a fight in a battle they knew they would lose. This highlights the utter valour of the men for striking their best efforts into this futile battle.

Question 20

analysis of “theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die”

Answer 20

-The anaphora reiterates the soldiers obedience, as they had to blindly follow orders given to them, making them mindless weapons of war, a cog in a machine alluding to the way war causes a loss of individuality. Due to the soldiers low ranks, they are expected to move as a unit, as though they are one, implicating that they have no sense of self, instead they must all unite, which is also referenced by the repetition of the noun ‘the six hundred’
-Repetition highlights the lack of individualism as the soldiers are referred to as a group, hinting they have been indoctrinated to becoming commendable fighters, not on their own, but as a group
-Praises the soldiers for following orders and being amenable, having no voice to speak up for anything

Question 21

context of Exposure

Answer 21

Owen was a soldier in the first World War, and experienced the stalemate and countless wars of attrition, which attributed to the war being deemed futile. As he fought during the winter months, the government did nothing to improve the abysmal states of the trenches, with various men catching trench foot and hypothermia
He wrote to show Britain the horrors on the front line, which widely contradicted the proposed propaganda published by the government

Question 22

analysis of “merciless iced east winds that knive us”

Answer 22

-skilfully, Owen immediately immerses the reader into the midst of war, employing the effective noun phrase ‘merciless iced winds that knive us’ to personify
the wind in a ruthless way.
-Structurally, Owen interestingly exposes the
reader to the sinister and threating nature of the weather first, instead of
focusing on the fighting and warfare prevalent within the propaganda and soldier
indoctrination at the time. Instead, Owen subverts the readers’ expectations,
rejecting and exposing the fabricated lies embedded within such
propaganda.
- With the opening line alone, Owen instantly gives us the impression
that the weather is more impactful than the enemy – it is not the glory of
fighting and war that is portrayed, but rather the sinister and dangerous
power of nature. Upon closer inspection, the skilful use of the adjective ‘merciless’
successfully convey the sheer danger of nature. -Firstly, Owen personifies nature by
attributing the wind with human qualities, as if nature is the real enemy
within the horrors of war. However, Owen does not use the positive and
beautiful traits that nature is typically connoted with, instead
characterising it as emotionless and heartless. It’s as if nature is an even
worse enemy than humans because nature has essentially turned callous and
numb, gone is the kindness and warmth. Coupled with the powerful
emotive verb ‘knive’ in relation to the wind kniving the soldiers, it further
enhances the sense of danger inherent within nature. It’s turned malicious as
it is weaponised, as if nature is a greater force than any gun or bomb
combined. There is also an undertone of mocking within the verb, as the
soldiers use guns whilst nature uses knives. This metaphor conjures the idiom ‘to
bring a knife to a gunfight,’ which means to come poorly prepared. However,
despite nature using a poorly chosen weapon for battle, it is able to overpower,
unravel and strip the soldiers of all solace, safety and power. Alternatively,
the pathetic fallacy further gives the impression that the weather almost
betrays man in a way, as being ‘stabbed in the back’ is also often the
image conjured in relation to knives

Question 23

analysis of “dawn massing in the east, her melancholy army attacks…..on shivering ranks of grey”

Answer 23

• the personification of dawn further reiterates the idea that this war of attrition is being fought between man and nature. The metaphor could be interpreted to implicate how dawn is supposedly preparing her army to fight the men, as though brewing stormy, cold conditions to throw at the men to wear them down before the actual enemy does. This portrays the power of nature to be superior to any human power as it can turn a soldier to a shadow of who they once were with these abhorrent conditions
• a more interesting interpretation of this is that the soldiers are being weakened by the continuous stalemate, as the affect of attrition is successful in wearing down both army’s supplies and morale. With these conditions being inflicted upon the men, they view the sunrise as a devastating event as it brings around yet another monotonous day with depleted resources and motivation.
• Also, the use of the metaphor ‘shivering ranks of grey’ suggest that nature is taking its toll on the men, dilapidating them into mere skeletons as their bodies give in to the troublesome weather. the noun ‘grey’ could refer to the sombre mood of the men, being robbed of warmth and comfort falling into a relentless depressive state.
• It could also represent the weather being stormy and cloudy, as we associate ‘grey; weather with miserable storms and voluptuous rainfall, meaning the new day is attacking the soldiers with the weapons of exposure to the elements
• On the other hand, it could be a reference to the men displacing their actual enemy with nature; the German’s army uniform was grey, which could link to this euphemism as though nature has took over from the opposition and is grinding down the soldiers to states of terror.

Question 24

analysis of the form of Exposure

Answer 24

• the poem is a long, repetitive cycle which represents the boring, monotonous reality of fighting during the stalemate
• with the stanzas all being 5 lines long, it shows the repetition through the narrative, as nothing changes, showing the incessant boredom the soldiers faced and being forced to face their depletions.
  -the long story comes to a halt, however the final line is ‘but nothing happens’ which is used to symbolise how the men were sat in trenches trying to escape hypothermia, whilst supposedly fighting for their country

Question 25

context for Storm on the Island

Answer 25

Heaney’s canon is typically about nature, given that he grew up surrounded by its beauty in the countryside
Had farming experience which immersed him to be vulnerable to the dangers of nature as well as the beauty
work promotes respect and reverence for the natural world whilst reminding the reader of their mortality compared to natures transcendence

Question 26

analysis of “spits like a tame cat turned savage”

Answer 26

-employs simile to accentuate mans’ indifference as it implicates they believe they can control nature and keep it as a pet
-on closer inspection, adjective ‘tame’ creates the impression of nature being domesticated, however it also encapsulates a stronger revelation of humanity’s underestimation of nature due to its calm and relaxed facade.
-sharp juxtaposition between ‘tame’ and ‘savage’ where Heaney highlights the duality of nature ; demonstrating it to be alluring and ravenous
-Adjective ‘savage’ underpins the sublimity of nature being a free, potent force that is superior to the transient morality of humans.
-Also interesting where the line is positioned as it is littered with enjambment, perhaps to accentuate how nature ceases to be controlled and is impossible to be stopped
-The speed at which nature turns savage causes a shock to ignite in the reader, from the jarring change in temperament

Question 27

analysis of ‘tragic chorus’

Answer 27

-displays an element of Greek tragedy as it outlines and warns the audience of the fate of characters. Tragedies always end in death- and in some cases storms do as well, which makes the previous over-confidence of the community ironic as the storm unravels the humans’ transient power by striking without warning, rendering humans powerless and vulnerable
-Alternatively, Greek tragedies also encompass a hamartia- a fatal flaw- which in the communities case is their stimulating arrogance and pride, with their hubris too comfortable, foreshadowing their ultimate downfall against the hands of nature

Question 28

analysis of “strange, it is a huge nothing we fear”

Answer 28

• ends poem with a jarringly strong sense of disequilibrium, with the original equilibrium unravelling as the poem develops. This is an atypical narrative structure which serves to emphasise how we can never find true peace within the sublimity of the natural world
• this is signified immensely through the poem brimming with punctuation and power, with Heaney utilising the caesura to signify the division between nature and humanity , reflected by the way the the punctuation breaks up, undermines and infiltrates the poem’s structure.
• This is best observed with the oxymoron ‘strange, it is a huge nothing we hear’ with the speaker’s use of diction disintegrating as he finds his fears impossible to quantify
  -storm depicted as juvenile by the adjective ‘huge’ signifying his eloquence depleting by the final lines, as if the storm and nature itself is an enigma which renders humans lost for words to communicate its sheer might.
  -Alternatively, the fact it is an oxymoron is interesting as by nature, oxymorons indicate something contradictory, confusing and warped, therefore Heaney highlights how the unparalleled sublimity of nature is able to disorientate us due to the ambiguity of the oxymoron.
  -encapsulates the fear of the unknown as how can someone fight something intangible- they simply can’t.
  -The oxymoron can be interpreted to signify the warped ideologies of the village people in believing they could ever withstand or prepare for and overpower the storm- linking to the tragic chorus with their hamartia of arrogance.

Question 29

context of Bayonet Charge

Answer 29

• Hughes’ father served in WWI
• Hughes exposed to propaganda from the government as he was 9 when WWII began, meaning he could see the false imagery the government were promoting compared to the first hand experiences from his father.

Question 30

analysis of “suddenly he awoke and was running- raw”

Answer 30

-Adverb ‘suddenly’ immerses the reader into the carnage of the battlefield, mixed with fear and a release of apprehension, introducing conflict from the beginning of the poem, suggesting the soldier has no time to orientate himself, he just launches straight into action ,reflected by being in media res.
-upon closer inspection, the present participle ‘running’ is an intransitive verb implicating that the soldier is bewildered and perplexed, with a lack of understanding of where he is running and unbeknownst to the purpose of the battle he is fighting, thus indicating the devastating psychological impacts of war as the soldiers lacks motivation and sense of clarity
- The pronoun ‘he’ is entirely ambiguous, highlighting how this man could be any soldier in any war from any country. In one light, this portrays the repercussions of war to be universally shared amongst all soldiers, as they are all forced into these futile battles, rarely knowing the purpose of the efforts they exert
A more interesting interpretation is that ‘he’ mirrors the lack of identity the soldier carries, exacerbating how as far as the generals are concerned, the soldiers are a singular unit, each representing a cog of the machine which is the army.
-Additionally, this is coupled with the adjective ‘raw’ which derives connotations of uncooked, unprepared food, the soldier is being presented as meat- reflecting the dehumanisation soldiers experience within the first line of the poem.

Question 31

analysis of form and structure in Bayonet Charge

Answer 31

Poem flows with enjambment, with the entire first stanza consisting of a single sentence, which serves to communicate the rapid pace and fierce intensity war provides.
Enjambment also robs the reader of taking a breath between these lines, perhaps linking to the breathlessness of the running soldier, which could be due to lack of fitness training, or perhaps the emotional drainage of war and the anxiety flourishing his mind
This long sentence concludes with the rhetorical question ‘was he the hand pointing that second?’ which positions the reader to question whether the soldier is fighting on the grounds of his own morals, or if he is a mechanical cog in the perpetually ticking clock of battle and war

Question 32

analysis of “he lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm”

Answer 32

-Verb ‘lugged’ connotes heavy and cumbersome, implying the rifle was awkward and a burden to carry, demonstrating how the equipment used was unfit for purpose when running and fighting, also implying he is not physically adept to carry the rifle, proving he was not ready for the hardship and strain of war.
-Simile suggests the rifle is defunct, so the soldier is in a state of despair as his weapon won’t protect him against his enemies. This makes him vulnerable, which could be from a lack of training on how to operate the artillery which lead to him being unprepared to fight.
-Hughes combines the semantic field of body parts with violence with dehumanising metaphors to blur the lines between what is human and what is weapon, implying the soldiers are mindless weapons of war as they have to protect themselves as a consequence of government lies.

Question 33

context for Remains

Answer 33

Armitage recognises the devastating intellectual impacts war can have on a soldier, the memories haunting them incessantly as they struggle to relax, with them fatigued from lack of sleep and more often than not resorting to drugs and alcohol to erase the memories transiently, to escape the horrors of reliving them for just a trace of freedom.

Question 34

analysis of ‘probably armed, possibly not’

Answer 34

• refrain used to highlight the brutality and traumatic nature of war
  -in terms of syntax, ‘probably armed’ is positioned before ‘possibly not’ and the adverbs of certainty is interesting as ‘probably’ indicates a high likelihood of the man being armed, and yet ‘possibly’ declines its possibility of being certain, being of a lesser degree.
  -it encapsulates the sheer level of brutalisation the soldiers are conditioned into, with the adverb with the highest degree being positioned first disturbingly accentuates how the soldier’s first instinct is to fire, assuming the worst of the situation as he has been trained to kill any objects that impose a threat.
  -He is rendered cynical and brutalised, his perspective of death becoming so diluted to the extent where murder has become normalised, ingrained and integral within his line of work, with the situation almost transporting him back to the battlefield where he was forced to become a mindless weapon of war in order to survive. The fact that it’s a refrain almost makes him sound broken – like a broken record on repeat. His trauma has been overlooked to the point where he is constantly reminded of his horrific actions – it’s soul-destroying

Question 35

analysis of “and the drink and drugs won’t flush him out”

Answer 35

-reveals how the soldier felt the need to rely on intoxicating substances to try and grant himself freedom from the everlasting haunts occupying and dominating his mind. Implicates the utter devastation post-war trauma causes because the solider is coming to terms with the horrifying experiences as his brutality begins to wear off and bring to light the abhorrent actions and scenes the solider participated in.
- the verb ‘flush’ derives connotations of being cleansed, perhaps relating to how the soldier wants rid of the recurring tragedies of war that incessantly repeat on his mind, causing him internal pain to relive these horrifying moments. Upon closer inspection, this could also hint at guilt the solider is feeling, as he is traumatised of his actions in war now he is reflecting upon them without being desensitised, and he wants to cleanse himself of this guilt.
-use of imperative verb ‘won’t’ derives connotations of stubborn refusal, implicating that the power of memory is so strong that even these dominating substances fail to rid the soldier of the trauma. This highlights how the solemn memories are almost stained permanently in his mind, scarring his thought and feelings exerting detrimental damage upon his emotional wellbeing
- the enjambment from this line to the next stanza mirrors how the soldier’s mind is racing with these intruding, relentless memories abruptly interrupting his thoughts. The speed of the poem quickens, immersing the reader into this soldier’s brain, giving them an insight of the swift relay of thoughts that are leading this man to corruption

Question 36

analysis of “tosses his guts”

Answer 36

-On the surface, this vivid and graphic imagery of the dead
’looter’ can easily be interpreted as the soldier’s disregard
for the dead, where the concept of death has become so diluted that they are desensitised by the horrific nature of conflict. Armitage’s effective use of the verb ‘tosses’ offers
varied interpretations which powerfully capture the
effects of war.
-One way to see this is a form of the brutalisation soldiers were forced to take on in order to cope in traumatic scenes. The almost slang term alludes to the soldier’s mindset that this ‘looter’ is just another dead man, and in comparison to the other deaths he has encountered, this is nothing unusual. In some respects, this can be seen as rude as he is referring to the dead in a disrespectful manner, however, it can also signify the reality of war, making soldiers indoctrinated into believing this was a moral scenario.
-Another interpretation is ‘tosses’ being colloquialism, possibly to show how these young men are emotionally unready to witness such detrimental events at such a young age when they have not fully matured. He creates an informal and conversational tone to implicate how he’s become dissociated with
reality, that such trauma has become ingrained within his life so much so that it has embedded itself into such
conversational tones, haunting him through even his everyday language.

Question 37

Context for Poppies

Answer 37

Weir would regularly walk past a war memorial in her local park and placed herself in the position of her youngest son being one of the names inscribed upon it also written during Iraq war in 2009, so related to the time and made her think about losing her son

Question 38

analysis of ‘spasms of paper red’

Answer 38

Firstly, Weir skilfully immerses readers into a sombre tone, embodied by the mental discordance of the
mother as her mind oscillates between the nostalgic memories of her son and the devastating
dejection of recalling her loss. Specifically, this is best observed by the personification of ‘spasms of paper red,’
with the juxtaposition of the semantic field of war manifested by the noun ‘spasms’ eclipsing the
domestic sphere conjured through the poppies being ‘paper red.’ In terms of syntax, it’s interesting to
note that it is the war imagery positioned first within the line, and then the domestic imagery situated after
– this perhaps signifies how war has become a driving force within the mother’s life as it has infiltrated the
domestic setting while poisoning and tainting those treasured memories that the mother holds dearest.
Additionally, it’s also interesting that it is the past that the mother finds solace in, as if the past is so present
that the mother simply has no future without her son – she is stuck living in the past, adding magnitude to
the sheer level of grief that has consumed and infiltrated her life. Furthermore, Weir also effectively sprawls
the line with caesura, which is interesting because by nature, caesura breaks the poem up, almost inhibiting
fluidity and continuation. It’s as if the mother’s grief of losing her son has fractured her ability to move
on, possibly reflecting her psychological decay as her relationship with reality has become so fractured
that she is trapped in a prison of intoxicating memories that are invaded by war.

Question 39

analysis of the structure of Poppies

Answer 39

-fragmented structure reflecting the mother’s mental state to be broken and dissociated
-incessant flashbacks with enjambment to mirror her mind running away back to a time she felt peace was restored and she was able to take comfort in her son. enjambment by nature speeds up the pace of a poem, highlighting these memories flooding through her head suggesting she is struggling to let go as they hold a special place in her heart
- written in first person, talking to the son as if he is still there, suggesting that she is unable to grasp the concept of him being gone, showing the depth of her maternal love and her inability to comprehend his disappearance

-

Question 40

analysis of ‘without a winter coat’

Answer 40

Moreover, this sheer level of grief is only escalated as the poem develops as the mother revisits the
memorial site ‘without a winter coat’ at the end of the poem. Immediately, Weir establishes a cyclical cycle as
disequilibrium becomes the driving and dominating force within the poem – it’s as if the mother’s grief is
so inescapable that she is denied a happily ever after, reflecting how war has utterly destroyed any sort of
equilibrium for those affected. In fact, the mother is portrayed as careless, erratic and unhinged as she
makes the fleeting decision to go out in the cold ‘without a winter coat.’ Interestingly, the fact that she is not
protected from the cold weather depicts grief as something that has made the mother reckless because
she has become absent minded and does not look out for her wellbeing. Literally, a the noun ‘coat’ offers
protection from the cold, which upon closer inspection is perhaps a metaphor for how the mother’s grief has
stripped her of this protection and consequently left her exposed. Therefore, she displays an undertone
of vulnerability because she lacks any sort of armour to fight for herself, merely succumbing to the
overwhelming nature of grief. In essence, readers are left with a poignant note as Weir powerfully extracts
pathos within us, cleverly placing us in a situation where we can grasp the enormity, harrowing and
devastating impacts of conflict

Question 41

Context for War Photographer

Answer 41

Duffy was friends with a war photographer, and heard about the horrifying stories that are entailed within the job, and how they impact the photographer during the development process

Question 42

analysis of ‘Belfast. Beirut. Phnom. Penh. All flesh is grass’

Answer 42

Skilfully, Duffy uses holophrasis to encapsulate how these places that have been involved in conflict are known primarily for the fighting that took place. By nature, holophrasis summarises an idea or sentence using a singular word, so this expresses to the reader how these cities are known to be battlegrounds and little else. The caesura littered in the line is perhaps used to implicate the reputation war gives a place, because making them segregated makes the reader process them one by one, thinking of the devastation and misery conflict has caused these places. It can also show how each war is different by separating them into individual sentences to show they were all unlike however they still have the same devastating impacts
-The declarative ‘all flesh is grass’ is a Biblical reference suggesting all life is fragile, transient and eventually we all will get buried into the ground, however we are all still important and every life is worth living.

Question 43

analysis of ‘a strangers features faintly starts to twist before his eyes, a half formed ghost.’

Answer 43

-Sentence ending with caesura can offer a variety of interpretations of both the war impacts and the impacts on the photographer. The caesura almost makes it a declarative, making it sound like a fact which could perhaps implicate how the photographer has to isolate his job from his life so that he doesn’t relive the traumatic experiences.
-Taken literally, the photo developing sounds eerie due to the pained stranger appearing slowly, immersing the reader into the role of a war photographer, having to witness unpleasant content to publish your work.
-A more deceptive reader may see how the verb ‘twist’ sounds excruciatingly painful as this man lives his last moments suffering in agony, truly portryaing the devastation of war.
-Also, the noun phrase ‘a half-formed ghost’ leads to a variety of interpretations because the photogrpaher could be reliving the memory, it could be the man mutilated, the man could be a ghost of the man he used to be, or he could be half dead.