GCSE Power and Conflict Poetry Review

A comprehensive set of vocabulary-style flashcards based on lecture notes covering major English poets and their works regarding power, conflict, and nature.

"my…" (My Last Duchess)

A possessive pronoun used to highlight the Duke's self-obsession, vanity, and the objectification of the Duchess.

Neptune Metaphor (My Last Duchess)

A comparison to the Roman God of the sea that highlights the Duke's dominant and overwhelming nature.

Neptune vs. Sea-horse Metaphor

A metaphor used to show the power imbalance within a household, mirroring the power imbalance in patriarchal society.

Dramatic Monologue (My Last Duchess)

A form that establishes the speaker as the sole dominant voice, mirroring his control over the narrative and the Duchess.

"cold clockwork" Metaphor (Bayonet Charge)

Highlights how soldiers develop a mechanical, unemotional state, losing their independence and becoming cogs in a machine.

"King, honour, human dignity, etcetera" List

A list demonstrating that self-indulgent patriotic ideals are hollow and are abandoned to survive the brutal reality of war.

Fishing Imagery (Kamikaze)

Used to capture childhood innocence and joy, while paralleling how people can become trapped by fate like fish.

The number $8$ Symbolism (Kamikaze)

Symbolism involving an infinity symbol and a sailing knot used to represent the continuous cycle of pain and shame for the soldier.

"black with snow" Oxymoron (Exposure)

Creates a stifling tone of despair and indicates that nature has been subverted into a hostile force attacking man.

"cringe in holes" Imagery (Exposure)

Imagery that dehumanises soldiers, showing they have lost their dignity and been reduced to an animalistic state.

Caesura in "Exposure"

A structural feature showing that war and nature are unpredictable, contributing to the mental disintegration of soldiers.

"valley of Death" Metaphor

A biblical reference with connotations of hell used by Tennyson to highlight the horrors of the battlefield.

Personification of the Battlefield (COTLB)

Refers to the "jaws of death" to compare the battlefield to a predator, emphasizing the bravery of soldiers.

Imperatives in COTLB

Commands like "honour" used to immortalise soldiers and emphasize the message of remembrance and respect.

Lament (COTLB)

A poem of mourning that Tennyson twists into a poem of celebration, mirroring his twisting of the reality of the battle.

The Sublime

The concept that nature has the power to inspire intense, simultaneous emotions of awe and terror.

"act of stealth" Symbolism (The Prelude)

Symbolises man's overwhelming pride and aggressive nature, which detracts from the beauty of the natural world.

Semantic Field of War (Storm on the Island)

Terms like "strafe," "salvo," and "bombarded" present nature as an unpredictable aggressor.

"spits like a tame cat" Simile

A domestic image used to suggest that human imagination exacerbates the perceived power of nature.

"a huge nothing" Oxymoron (Storm on the Island)

Reinforces the idea that it is the human imagination that gives nature its frightening power.

"shattered visage" Symbolism (Ozymandias)

Connotes destruction and ruin to highlight that human power is temporary and the downfall of egoistic rulers is inevitable.

Mixed Sonnet form (Ozymandias)

A mixture of Shakespearean and Petrarchan sonnets used to show that no tradition or authority lasts forever.

"King of Kings" Allegory

An allegory referencing Jesus used to attack the narcissistic pride and supreme power of God-like rulers.

Semantic Field of Injury (Poppies)

Words like "bandaged" and "blockade" that represent the emotional injury and grief of the maternal speaker.

Domestic Imagery in "Poppies"

The description of making "tucks, darts, pleats" mirrors the layers of anxiety and sharp memories experienced by the mother.

"tosses his guts" Imagery (Remains)

Brutal and colloquial language used to show how soldiers mentally distance themselves from violent encounters.

"blood-shadow" Metaphor (Remains)

Represents the imprinted memory of the dead man and the overpowering nature of the speaker's guilt.

Red Light Imagery (War Photographer)

Has connotations of blood and danger, while potentially linking to a church tabernacle to show the photographer seeking comfort.

"black'ning church" Symbolism (London)

Connotes decay and corruption to show how the institution has failed and is involved in oppressing the poor.

"mind-forged manacles" Metaphor

Symbolises how people are shackled by poverty and authority due to their own internalised way of thinking.

Dharker's Symbolism for Institutions

The use of "Koran" (religion), "maps" (nations), and "slips" (finance) to represent divisive man-made powers.

"bright" vs "shadow" Contrast (The Emigree)

Contrasts the speaker's nostalgic, idealised view of her past with the threatening, hostile reality of her city.

"Dem" Anaphora (Checking Out Me History)

An accusatory repetition used to highlight conflict with authority figures who force their worldview on subjects.

"carving" Metaphor (Checking Out Me History)

A metaphor for the slow, painstaking, and resolute process of reclaiming one's cultural identity.