The War Horse Flashcards
How many dimensions in this poem?
2
how would you describe the dimensions in this poem?
two distinct dimensions
what are the two dimensions in this poem?
- the damage a wandering horse does to the gardens of suburban houses
- a commentary upon the attitudes of people in the south to the troubles in the north
what is the real component of the poem?
the horse, trampling through the gardens of suburban houses
what is the symbolic component of the poem?
represents the unpredictable violence of the northern conflict
regarding the two components of the poem , what two types of poem is this
both a dramatic lyric and a political poem
the poem makes important points about… (2)
the poem makes important points about morality and commitments
the form or structure tends towards the…
the form or structure tends towards the mechanical
the poem is written in..
the poem is written in couplets that are stanzas
it sometimes appears ____ and ______ in its descriptions
it sometimes appears constrained and self-conscious in its descriptions
what comparison is heavy handed in the poem?
sometimes the comparison between the actions of the horse and the situation in the north is heavy handed
Boland makes overuse of…
Boland makes overuse of simile
the comparisons in the poem are…
the comparisons in the poem are rather blunt
what do the rather blunt comparisons do to the poem?
the rather blunt comparisons tend to diminish the theme to the level of message or moral
the opening line of the poem is… (2)
the opening line of the poem is dramatic and abrupt
language in the opening lines
the language is colloquial
the style in the opening line
the style is anecdotal
what causes dramatic immediacy in the opening lines
the use of the present tense causes dramatic immediacy
what does the use of the present tense in the opening lines do?
the use of the present tense causes dramatic immediacy
in the opening lines the imagery is…
the imagery is wonderfully sensual
what technique is used to create vivid imagery?
boland uses onomatopoeia
an example of onomatopoeia in the opening lines
clip clop
what does the use of the onomatopoeia clip clop in the opening lines do?
evokes the sound of the horse’s hooves
what does the word ‘casual’ and the description of the earth ‘innocent coinage’ suggest?
they suggest the thoughtless and senseless actions of the horse
what two quotes suggests the thoughtless and senseless actions of the horse
- use of the word ‘casual’
2. the description of the earth- ‘innocent coinage’
what does the rhythm of the 5th and 6th lines do?
the rhythm of the 5th and 6th lines brilliantly evokes the movement of the horse
example of internal rhyme
hock/fetlock
example of end-line rhyme
(feather/tether)
alliterative sound
f
what contributes to the conveying the movement of the horse in the opening lines (4)
internal rhyme, end line rhyme, alliterative sounds and run-on line
what does internal rhyme, end-line rhyme, alliterative sound and and run-on line convey
the movement of the horse
what suggests the freedom of the horse between stanzas 3-4
a run-on line
what sounds shift in line 7
shift from broad vowel sounds to clipped sounds in line 7
3 examples from broad vowel sounds
ambling, loosed, daily
what do the hard consonant sounds suggest in the opening lines
the hard consonant sounds suggest strength and threat that the horse represents
where is there an example of sibilance
in line 8
what does the sibilance in line 8 suggest
how close the horse is and the threat of his intrusion
what type of image does the sibilance in line 8 represents (2)
a wonderful aural image
rhythm in line 9
an abrupt rhythm
what disrupts the flow in line 9 ?
the full stops
what do the full stops do in line 9?
it disrupts the flow
what personal aspect of the poet is reflected by the disrupted flow
the poet’s anxiety and relief
language in line 9
language is simple
image in line 9
image is one of relief
what does Boland do in lines 10-20
she moves beyond the local event in the suburb to history
what does the language in lines 10-20 acquire?
it acquires a symbolic and political dimension
what does the tone become in lines 10-20? (2)
the tone becomes ironic and accusatory
in lines 10-20, what does the imagery revolve around
the images revolve around the figures of speech
what do the figures of speech that the images revolve around do?
they draw comparisons between the destruction of wrought by the horse and that of war
3 examples of the word only used
only a leaf
only a rose
only a crocus
the word only is used…
the word only is used ironically
the reality of the leaf, the rose and the crocus
the reality is that they are lost and this justification is banal and immoral because it seeks to excuse apathy and indifference
the poems language in lines 10-20 is _____ _______ in its use of _______
the poems language is deliberately political in its use of war imagery
what does Boland link the damaged flowers to?
she links the damaged flowers to bodies mutilated and killed in war
what type of language does the language assume in lines 10-20
the language assumes a distinctly violent dimension
3 examples of violent language in lines 10-20
a maimed limb
screamless dead
like corpse
what do the comparisons lack in lines 10-20
the comparisons lack subtle nuances of metaphor
why do the comparisons lack the subtle nuances of metaphor ?
because they are emphasised in rather too obvious similes
what is the intention of the obvious similes
the intention is to criticise disaffection
what does the poem focus on in lines 10-20 (2)
- the poem focuses on an implicit conflict between the settled and travelling communities
- and the attitudes of people in the south to people in the north
example of poet conveying the attitudes of people in the south to people in the north
But we, we are safe, our unformed fear
Of fierce commitment gone; why should we care
WHAT DO THESE LINES DO
But we, we are safe, our unformed fear
Of fierce commitment gone; why should we care
these lines question the smug selfishness of people who distance themselves from atrocities they hear about, preferring to refer to them as ‘remote’
what do lines 21-24 convey?
they convey the awkwardness and the unknowing movement of the horse
the word stumble is used twice, what does this do?
it emphasises the clumsy actions of the horse, unconscious of the damaged caused, oblivious to it
what is the real image of in lines 21-24?
the real image is one of moral cowardice, a kind of selfish disregard displayed by neighbours who don’t wish to get involved, who need to remain at a distance, and who hide in the houses using ‘the subterfuge’/’of curtains’
what does boland reference when she says ‘the subterfuge’/’of curtains’
the attitudes of those in the south to the problems of the north
what do the people in the south do
they are at a remove and remain deliberately unmoved by the troubles
how does boland describe the inaction of the people in the republic
such inaction, such such neglect and disregard are portrayed as moral cowardice, and as a kind of smugness
when does the poet admit her own relief
she admits her own relief when the horse moves on from her own vicinity
how are the tension and relief wonderfully evoked
they are wonderfully evoked in the rhythms of the short punctuated lines ; thankfully passing us, i pause, wait
what is the most powerful section of the poem?
lines 25-30
what is the language in lines 25-30
based on metaphor, not on simile
what do the images combine in the final lines?
the images manage to to combine worlds history and the present, as well as focusing on the central motif of the horse
quote in the final lines that conveys the damage done by the horse
‘that rose he smashed’/’ribboned across our hedge’
what does the damage done by the horse remind her of?
it reminds her of the injustices endured by the iris throughout history
what image is conveyed in the line
‘of burned countryside’
an image of the terrors of english colonialism
what image is conveyed by the line
‘a cause ruined before, a world betrayed’
in these lines the poet presents and image of irish history with its violence and disappointments
3 components of the powerful climax of the poem in the final lines of the poem
the damage done by the horse, the spectre of the north and the patterns of irish history
