Power and conflict

Poetry

What is the context of Ozymandias?

Written by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Reflects on the futility of power and the inevitable decline of all leaders and empires.

The statue of Ozymandias was only just discovered at this time and inspired Shelley to write this poem.

How is Ozymandias structured?

Written through a retelling of a story

A frame narrative describing the encounter of a traveler telling them about a ruined statue in the desert

“Look on my works, ye Mighty and despair!” - analysis

Ozymandias is shown as arrogant, demanding that people recognise his achievements

However the irony is that no-one is there to hear him, despite his strong and imperative tone

“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings!” - analysis

Reinforces the arrogance of Ozymandias

Shows that he saw himself as above kings (seen to be chosen by God)

Ironically though he is having to introduce himself, as his legacy only remains on a crumbling statue

“The lone and level sands stretch far away” - analysis

Ozymandias remains alone and isolated from civilisation

This contrasts to his goals of expanding Egypt into a vast empire

The adjective “level” shows the lack of features in the uninterrupted desert, suggesting that Ozymandias has had no impact and that there is no sign of his legacy.

The noun “sands” refers to the figurative “sands of time”, showing how that over time Ozymandias has been forgotten and the sand covering over his memory

What do the “sands” in Ozymandias represent?

The sands of time, showing how Ozymandias’ legacy has been forgotten and lost over time

What type of a poet was William Wordsworth?

A romantic poet who wrote about the current world we live in.

What is the primary message of Ozymandias?

Nothing, not even power lasts forever

“I wander through each chartered street” / “Near where the chartered Thames does flow”

The adjective “chartered” shows how humans can control and are eager to control nature, represented through the River Thames

What does the River Thames represent in ‘London’?

Nature

“And the hapless Soldiers sigh” / “Runs in blood down palace walls” - Good link to Charge of the Light Brigade

Shows the brave sacrifice of soldiers in order to protect the royals and their superiors

“hapless” / “sigh” - Suggests they are seen as disposable and exploited by their commanders, abuse of power

Symbolic metaphor

“The mind-forged manacles I hear” - analysis

“Mind-forged” - Blake believed society was restricted by themselves

Alliteration in “mind-forged manacles” used to draw the reader’s attention and emphasise

What is the main message of London?

Abuse of power has led to the decline of society

Who wrote War Photographer?

Carol Ann Duffy

What is the main theme of War Photographer?

To show the devastating impact of war on families, but also how the average reader doesn’t care

How is War Photographer structured?

War Photographer follows an ordered narrative

Showing how he orders his photographs of chaos mechanically

Detached from the reality of war

“His hands, which did not tremble then though seem to now. Rural England.”

The war photographer is suffering from PTSD

His experiences will stay with him permanently

“A stranger’s features faintly start to twist before his eyes. A half-formed ghost” - analysis

Double meaning - picture is forming, soldier is suffering and twisting in agony

Ghost - the soldier is now likely dead, only remembered through this picture as a half-formed stranger

“The readers eyeballs prick with tears, between the bath and pre-lunch beers” - analysis

“tears” juxtaposes the luxuries of a bath and beers, showing the priviliges of people

The readers don’t see the horrors and their significance

They manually have to prick their eyeballs to provoke a reaction - which seems fake and apathetic

“From the aeroplane he stares impassively at where he earns his living, and they do not care” - analysis

Impassively - without emotion

Reduces the warzone to “where he earns his living” - trying to avoid the sensitive topic of war

“they do not care” - accusing the general public of ignorance towards the harrowing nature of conflict

Who wrote Kamikaze?

Beatrice Garland

What is the main theme of Kamikaze?

Focuses on the conflict in Japanese culture during the war - heavily focused on honour

What is the context of Kamikaze?

A Japanese kamikaze pilot takes off to war and reflects on his life, eventually turning back.

However, due to the system of honour, he is seen as cowardly and ignored by everyone in his life, even his own family.

The poet then questions which death would have been better, a kamikaze death or to grow old with an unloving family.

“he must have wondered which had been the better way to die” - analysis

Even though the pilot came back he was ostracised from society, dead in the eyes of everyone around him.

His wife merely wonders whether he would have preferred to die in kamikaze, with no regret to his treatment.

“the dark shoals of fishes flashing silver as their bellies swivelled towards the sun”

Fishes - metaphorical for the pilots dying, with the “sun” metaphorical for Imperial Japan. No individuality.

flash of silver - symbolic of the kamikaze planes they were contained in