AQA GCSE Power & Conflict Poetry Flashcards

includes analysis of quotes, comparisons and key themes

Ozymandias by Percy Shelley

Ozymandias-alternate name of Egyptian Pharaoh, Rameses II, tyrant, dictator, transience of political power

‘wrinkled lip’ and "sneer of cold command"—ALITERATION-reflect his arrogance and the inevitable decay of his empire.

‘wrinkled lip’-VERB-conjures the image of someone grimacing in disgust and contempt, displaying the king’s disregard for his subjects, viewing them as inferior. this antipathy is then paired with immense power which enables him to exploit and torture the people he oversees with no regret or remorse. Shelley uses this as a contrast to the eventual decay and ruin of his legacy, highlighting the theme of the impermanence of power.

‘the hand that mock’d them’-SYNECDOCHE-the artists work is mocking the king, sees glory in a statue he is criticising, over looks evidence that contradicts the grandeur. ‘mock’ can mean to ridicule or to create a likeness of something-the sculptor made the statue to ridicule the king, the sculptors hand is delineating the vainglory of his subject -'‘lifeless things’, a good imitation of how the king behaved when he was alive/shows his cruelty and disdain

‘sands stretch far away’-ALITERATION-desert is vast and survives far longer than the broken statue of the king, emphasising the insignificance of the king, statue stands unrecognised and abandoned-only travellers know it exists even when the king had tried so hard to engrain his power into the world forever. his pursuits are negative due to the use of the phrase ‘far away’. nature has steadily overtaken the human race, constant war of humans vs nature, idea that nature will one day reclaim everything that society has taken from it, the desert, NOT the king, is the most powerful, dramatic irony is how the king is confident his legacy will live on forever when readers know it hasn’t

COMPARE TO ‘THE PRELUDE’-nature is the stronger force, human power is shown as weak and transient,

-failed attempts of mankind to overpower and manipulate a force beyond its control are displayed.

'Mark'-REPETITION-demonstrates the permanent impact of place's power with wide-reaching and exception free power, can't remove the impact of suffering of their experiences, citizens are branded by their experiences

Form-sonnet, iambic pentameter, 2nd hand account-distances reader from the dead king, human power can be destroyed

Analysis-tyranny of the ruler

Structure-builds up image of statue by focusing on different parts, ends by describing the big desert-INSIGNIFICANCE

Inferences-nothing left to show for king’s power or civilisation, statue is a symbol for temporary nature of political power, Shelley speaks through the poem about his hatred of oppression and the monarchy

Language-human power, power is lost and is replaced by power of art, nature and time have more power than human power

THEMES:

pride, arrogance, power,

London by William Blake

London-powerful city, instantly sets up theme of power for the rest of the poem, backdrop of influence

'Marks of weakness, marks of woe'-ANAPHORA-break from iambic pentameter reflects how people can rise up against institutions of power, free themselves from societal restraint

- tell readers about the corruption of power

- those with power are deluded in their belief of the supremacy of power

- dramatic irony-king is confident his legacy will live on-the statue is broken and his legacy will be forgotten-the empire is reduced to sand

'Runs in blood down palace walls'-METAPHOR-emphasises that the monarchy are guilty of living in luxury while doing doing to alleviate the struggles of the city, palace walls protect the family from danger whilst the rest of the city is living in a morbid environment, hereditary nobility are responsible for the deaths of the soldiers who are fighting to protect THEIR privileges.

'Youthful harlot's curse'-JUXTAPOSITION-innocence of youth with the immorality of harlot, shows that the young and innocent are being drawn into prostitution, 'curse'-shows the hardened heart of those corrupted by the city, many women were condemned to immorality and prostitution to make a living, as women couldn't work-only valued for their appearance and sexual fulfilment

HEAR-2nd stanza is an acrostic of this word, shows a subliminal message to the readers that Blake focused on auditory signs on suffering

COMPARE TO ‘TISSUE’-show human power of oppression and suffering, relief of permanence fading, both criticise wealth, monarchy and inequality

‘London’-’chartered’-given to people what should be for everyone

‘Tissue’-’borderlines’-symbol of division and limitation, different responses to inequality, oppression and suffering,

differences-L has cyclical structure, T offers solution to the problem of power

Form-dramatic monologue, rhyming couplets (unbroken), regular rhythm

Senses-depressing sights and sounds of the city visual & oral

Contrasts-everything is effected, nothing is pure

Structure-imagery of deprived people, emotional language

Rhetoric-rhetorical language for persuasive techniques, reinforces horror of the situation, repetition

THEMES:

anger, hopefulness, suffering

The Prelude by William Wordsworth

The Prelude-philosophical, sexual desire, introduction to a larger poem

‘heaving through the water like a swan’-SIMILE/VERB-’heaving’ connotes sustained physical effort, the illusion of control is broken as the mountain rises from the water, and nature’s supremacy becomes apparent. simile shows he is confident and in control-enhances contrast with the end of the poem. ‘heaving’ suggests strength and power, whilst ‘swan, suggests gracefulness and elegance-both ideas create a juxtaposition of a strange image and could leave the reader questioning Wordsworth’s abilities, a tranquil and breath-taking image of nature. swan=wisdom, poise, beauty, innocence-links to him being a child (13)

‘the horizon’s bound’-METAPHOR-shows that Wordsworth is hiding what will be revealed to build tension and suspense-to highlight the readers perception of it, they know it is important and significant, dark and threatening language, shows humanity’s misplaced confidence and false sense of superiority over nature, drastic shift in tone, peak is heavily personified, metaphor of limitation-symbolises limits of the poet’s vision, could link to the physical horizon he saw as a child, mental and emotional boundaries that restricted the understanding of the world, limited understanding of the world, sublime and vastness of nature, reflects a growing relationship with nature

‘huge and mighty forms’-ADJECTIVES-speaker thinks he is in control by performing an act of stealth, but really he is just following nature-controlled by a greater force. Wordsworth may be suggesting how mankind always think they are in control but is always subject to nature. nature is described as a powerful, conscious being that can influence our lives, glimpses of the divine, religious imagery, something like God or part of God’s creation, nature’s powers are immortal, repetition of the word ‘huge’ throughout the poem reflects the reader’s temporary loss of words due to his immense fear of the mountain

COMPARE TO ‘OZYMANDIAS’-nature is the stronger force, human power is shown as weak and transient,

-failed attempts of mankind to overpower and manipulate a force beyond its control are displayed.

'Mark'-REPETITION-demonstrates the permanent impact of place's power with wide-reaching and exception free power, can't remove the impact of suffering of their experiences, citizens are branded by their experiences

Form-1st person narrative, turning point in poet’s life, iambic pentameter, unrhymed, regular rhythm makes it sound like a speech

Structure-light/carefree, dark/fearful

Language-pretty images of nature, threatening imagery, powerful ability of nature, less confident at the end of the extract-haunting effect on the speaker

THEMES:

confidence, the sublime, fear, reflection

My Last Duchess by Robert Browning

My Last Duchess-no name of the Duchess shows how irrelevant she is, the ominous nature of her disappearance, eludes to the significance of status throughout the poem

‘bough of cherries some officious fool’-ENJAMBEMENT-wants his wealth and status to be more important, shows his materialism-he doesn’t like natural pleasures of the earth, sees her liking things other than himself as a criticism of him-shows insecurity, hurts his ego if he is not the only thing she takes an interest in, relies on controlling women to make him feel powerful and desirable-underlying sense of vanity/vulnerability, contemptuous attitude towards his wife’s admirers, shows how possessive his is of her, cherries signify good fortune/hope/love/friendship which shows the love his wife receives from her admirers

'all smiles stopped together’-SIBILANCE/CAESURA-euphemism for her murder, shows the power he holds (can have her killed whenever he wants), overaction to why he killed her-lack of control, mental health problems, possessive nature, cold and cynical, highlights the swiftness of how quickly he got her removed from his life, ruthless leader, dictator over his dead wife, his status and wealth has given him a new sense of power from which he can now abuse and use ruthlessly

‘Notice Neptune, though, taming a sea-horse’-ALLITERATION/METAPHOR-duke sees himself as God like, excessive hubris and pride of the duke, materialistic-he condemns his wife finding nature beautiful, but puts lots of value into the statue, returns to subject of his art from the beginning of the poem which shows how egotistical and vain he is, the story is a subtle warning to his visitor of how he wants his next wife to behave, reflects on his pride and need of control, political manoeuvring back to his choice of topic conversation, Neptune was a Roman God of the Sea-antithesis for how the duke thinks he is the God of the Land-sees similarity in him and Neptune

COMPARE TO ‘OZYMANDIAS’:

similarities:

• humanity’s pride and power is unfounded, in O, the poet shows a loss of power over time and in competition with nature and in MLD, the poet shows that the Duke’s power is constantly undermined by enjambment and nature

• origin of pride and love for power, authority and control

differences:

• subjects of oppression are different in each poem

• MLD-shows as a symbol of oppression -’then all smiles stopped together’

• O-symbol of institutions of power-’cold command’-cruel and harsh repression

Form-dramatic monologue, iambic pentameter, rhyming couplets, enjambment, power is unsettling, unstable character

Dramatic Irony-when the Duke exposes what he has done to his wife, the writer lets us read between the lines and work it out for ourselves what has happened

THEMES:

pride, jealousy, power

The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Exposure by Wilfred Owen

Storm on the Island by Seamus Heaney

Bayonet Charge by Ted Hughes

Remains by Simon Armitage

Poppies by Jane Weir

War Photographer by Carol Ann Duffy

Tissue by Imtiaz Dharker

The Emigree by Carol Rumens

Checking Out Me History by John Agard

Kamikaze by Beatrice Garland