Power and Conflict Poetry Vocabulary- Year 10 Conflict Poems

Question 1

Tier 2

Perspective

Answer 1

A particular attitude or way of regarding something; a point of view.

‘Poppies’ is told from a mother’s perspective, rather than that of a soldier as in most war poetry.

Question 2

Tier 2

Contemporary

Answer 2

The time in which the text was produced.

A contemporary reader of ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ may have experienced a greater sense of patriotism than that of a modern reader.

Question 3

Tier 2

Patriotism

Answer 3

The feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to a country or state.

We see a clear sense of patriotism in ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ in the soldiers’ commitment to the battle.

Question 4

Tier 2

Dehumanise

Answer 4

To take away someone’s sense of humanity, to present someone as less-than-human.

The soldier in ‘Bayonet Charge’ is dehumanised to seem more like a weapon than a man.

Question 5

Tier 2

Rural

Answer 5

A countryside setting.

The calm setting of rural England is contrasted with the chaos of the warzones in ‘War Photographer’.

Question 6

Tier 2

Cynicism

Answer 6

A general distrust of the motives of others.

‘War Photographer’ expresses cynicism towards general civilians in the line “they do not care.”

Question 7

Tier 2

Propaganda

Answer 7

Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.

‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ could be read as a form of propaganda, particularly as Tennyson was Poet Laureate.

Question 8

Tier 2

Epiphany

Answer 8

A sudden moment of realisation.

The soldier in ‘Bayonet Charge’ seems to have an epiphany mid-charge and questions the purpose of war.

Question 9

Tier 3- Whole Text

Context

Answer 9

The definition of context in English Literature refers to the descriptions of events, people and background information that offers the reader a clearer understanding of what is happening in the narrative.

It is important to understand the context of ‘Remains’ which is based on a real-life soldier’s experience in Iraq and his post-traumatic stress disorder.

Question 10

Tier 3- Language

Atmosphere

Answer 10

The feeling or sense evoked by an environment or setting.

Duffy contrasts a calm and ordered atmosphere in rural England with the chaos of warzones in ‘War Photographer’.

Question 11

Tier 3- Structure

Enjambment

Answer 11

A ‘run over’ from one poetic line to the next, without punctuation.

The enjambment in ‘Poppies’ seems to mirror the mother’s love for her son, running on or outpouring from one line to the next.

Question 12

Tier 3- Structure

Caesura

Answer 12

A punctuated pause midway through a poetic line.

The frequent caesura in ‘Bayonet Charge’ could represent the soldier pausing to reflect on the purpose of war and stopping to question who was responsible for this moment.

Question 13

Tier 3- Structure

Quatrain

Answer 13

A 4 line verse of poetry.

The quatrain structure in ‘Remains’ breaks down in the final stanza, which could mirror the breakdown of soldiers as a result of war.

Question 14

Tier 3- Language

Contrast

Answer 14

An obvious difference between two or more things.

‘War Photographer’ contrasts the peace of rural England with the terror of foreign warzones.

Question 15

Tier 3- Language/Structure

Juxtaposition

Answer 15

Placing two elements/ideas near each other, often to show contrast.

Owen uses juxtaposition in the phrase “misery of dawn” to contradict our usual expectations that light is associated with hope, and instead highlight how for soldiers, daylight brought greater danger.

Question 16

Tier 3- Language

Metaphor

Answer 16

A direct comparison of two unrelated things, typically by stating that one thing is another

In Wilfred Owen’s poem ‘Exposure’, nature seems to be used as an extended metaphor for death.

Question 17

Tier 3- Language

Tone

Answer 17

The attitude conveyed by the narrator’s word choice in a story.

Weir uses a nostalgic tone in the poem ‘Poppies’ to convey a mother’s love for her absent son.

Question 18

Tier 3- Form

Dramatic monologue

Answer 18

A poem in the form of a speech or narrative by an imagined person.

The form of first person dramatic monologue in ‘Poppies’ allows us to experience the inner emotions of the speaker.

Question 19

Tier 3- Language

Semantic field

Answer 19

A group of words related to a common idea or theme.

‘Bayonet Charge’ uses a semantic field of weaponry to portray the soldier like a tool or machine.

Question 20

Tier 3- Language

Imagery

Answer 20

Visually descriptive language.

‘War Photographer’ uses religious imagery to reverently describe the light and photographer and underline the importance of the job.

Question 21

Tier 3- Structure

Ellipsis

Answer 21

A punctuation mark consisting of a series of three dots representing a pause or omission of information.

The repeated ellipsis in ‘Exposure’ signifies the soldiers waiting for attack on the battlefield.

Question 22

Tier 3- Structure

Stanza

Answer 22

A group of lines in a poem; a verse.

The irregular stanza structure of ‘Poppies’ could represent the speaker’s lack of control over her emotions, or it could signify the chaos of war.

Question 23

Tier 3- Structure

Anaphora

Answer 23

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

The use of anaphora “theirs not to” in ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ highlights the obedience and unfailing patriotism of the soldiers.

Question 24

Tier 3- Structure

Epistrophe

Answer 24

The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences.

Owen uses epistrophe “But nothing happens” to demonstrate the mundanity of war through a repeated anti-climax.

Question 25

Tier 3- Structure

Sestet

Answer 25

A 6 line verse of poetry.

The regular sestet structure of ‘War Photographer’ could reflect the order of England or perhaps it was intended to mirror ordered rows of photographs.

Question 26

Tier 3- Language

Colloquialism

Answer 26

An informal word or phrase used in ordinary or familiar conversation.

The regular use of colloquialisms in ‘Remains’ establishes a conversational and informal tone.

Question 27

Tier 3- Structure

Direct speech

Answer 27

A sentence in which the exact words spoken are reproduced in speech marks.

The direct speech in ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ adds a sense of immediacy to the action.

Question 28

Tier 3- Language

Sibilance

Answer 28

Repetition of the ‘s’ sound.

Owen uses sibilance in the line, “Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence” to establish a sinister tone and portray the snow as bullets flying through the air.

Question 29

Tier 3- Structure

Framing

Answer 29

A story within a story.

Kamikaze uses narrative framing to imagine a woman telling a story about her father, which establishes a sense of distance in the poem.

Question 30

Tier 3- Structure

Refrain

Answer 30

A repeated line in a poem.

The refrain “Rode the six hundred” in ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ maintains our focus on the soldiers and creates a feeling of momentum.

Question 31

Tier 3- Form

Ballad

Answer 31

A poem used to commemorate a story with a musical quality. Ballads were traditionally set to music.

‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ is written in the form of a ballad, commemorating an event that took place during the Crimean War.

Question 32

Tier 3- Structure

In media res

Answer 32

The reader is plunged mid-way into the events of a narrative.

The poem ‘Remains’ begins in media res with the reader being thrown into the middle of the conversation. This could reflect the unpredictability of war and how soldiers are often unprepared for what comes next.

Question 33

Tier 3- Structure

Free verse

Answer 33

No rhyme or meter used in a poem.

Garland’s use of of free verse in ‘Kamikaze’ could help to establish a more serious tone or may represent the pilot’s attempt to break away from military control.

Question 34

Tier 2

Disillusioned

Answer 34

Losing faith or trust in something formerly regarded as good or valuable.

The soldier in ‘Exposure’ seems disillusioned with war.