Power and Conflict- Poems 6-9

Message in poppies

Weir wrote 'Poppies' to portray power for a mother's love for her son whilst revealing the conflict of the internal struggle experienced by those who are left behind in war

"spasms of paper red, disrupting a blockade"

1. Metaphor transforms the poppy into something trying to break their bond - represents the disconnection between the mother and her son as he leaves for war: feels as if there is a barrier "blockade" between them because he is leaving her protection.
2. Verb "disrupting" may imply that she wants to disturb and
interrupt his ties to the army as it is taking him away from her.
3. The colour imagery of the red poppy she pins to his blazer is
evocative of blood and war, reminding us of the dangerous situation the son is leaving for, reinforced through the military
image of the "blockade".
4. Also a symbol of remembrance: emphasise how she will always remember her son and perhaps wants him to remember her when she is left behind.

"run my fingers through the gelled blackthorns of your hair."

1. Metaphor- transforms his hair into thorns- paints a picture of
her desire to show her affection, love and how much she will
miss him.
2. However, blackthorns are also
sharp and unwelcoming-indicate how now he has grown
up, she cannot freely show her physical affection for him
anymore- internal struggle.
3. She longs for the days in the past when they were close and
"play[ed] at being Eskimos"- struggle between keeping him
close and allowing him freedom
4. Metaphor of "blackthorns" may also be a biblical allusion to
signify Christ's crown of thorns at his crucifixion- perhaps to
convey his death in war is seen as a sacrifice to her.

"The dove pulled freely against the
sky"

1. Symbolism- paint a picture of the freedom and peace that the narrator longs for.
2. Narrator wants peace from suffering death and wars that
take sons away from their mothers.
3. Could also be a metaphor for her son- verb "pulled" suggests something trying to get awaypossibly the son trying to gain freedom from mother's protection- internal struggle.
4. Could perhaps indicate that her son has died: symbol of loss and mourning and therefore creating an image that he has
found freedom in death- left behind permanently.

What is the main theme of 'The Emigree'?

The power of memories of a homeland and sense of identity

Why did Rumens write 'The Emigree'?

To convey the conflict of accepting belonging in a new place for emigrants

"I am branded by an impression of
sunlight"

1. personification- paints a picture of power of memories,
transforms into something positive and permanent.
2. "Sunlight" ; image of happiness and positivity brings joy and
vitality.- juxtaposes with the negative/violent image images
("war"/ "sick") to reveal conflicted emotions
3. Specifically "branded" connotations of pain, suffering,
being marked permanently-cannot escape memories.
4. Overall, demonstrates that whilst there is negativity in her memories, the love for the place overpowers everything else.

"time rolls its tanks and the frontiers rise between us"

1. Metaphor-transforms time into an army which tries to create a barrier between her and her
country.
2. Specifically "frontier"- indicates line/border causing separation, emphasises division and disconnect she feels which may be increasing as time passes by and she hasn't returned.
3. Also, alliteration between "time" and "tanks" signals an
aggressive presence and echoes bitterness she feels about the
ongoing conflict which keeps her from returning.
4. Sympathy for the traumatic impact on her life- sense of
identity has been disrupted because of the disconnection.

"my city comes to me in its own white plane."

1. Personification-paints picture of power of her connection and memories of her country
2. Returns to her when she needs it to provide comfort: evokes a feeling of confidence and certainty that her memories will
always be there- they are reliable in bringing comfort.
3. "white"- light and hope, unmarked, purity of her
memories (from childhood-innocence of her memories)
4. Distance cannot keep it away or break the connection: deep
connection between the speaker and her city, an unbreakable bond that powerfully endures.

What is the main theme of 'Kamikaze'?

The conflict between duty and individuality

What does 'Kamikaze' argue about national identity and patriotism?

They can have a powerful and sometimes devastating influence

"a one-way journey into history"

1. Metaphor- transforms his mission into a heroic adventure
that he will always be remembered for.
2. His actions will fulfil the Bushido code of honour: self-sacrifice and loyalty to country, emphasising his patriotism- will
leave his family feeling proud.
3. "one-way" - should result in his sacrificial death but because he turns around it instead results in his rejection and metaphorical death in the eyes of his family and neighbours. Both choices result in his "death".
4. Influence of propaganda and national identity- great honour
to die for your country-powerful influence over identity

"flashing silver as their bellies swivelled towards the sun"

1. Sibilance- Repeated 'S' sounds reflect the smooth movement of the fish in the water- Creates a peaceful tone/atmosphere-sense of peace that he feels on his journey
2. Also reflects the movement of the samurai sword from line 2.
Ironic because the pilot is turning away from conflict
rather than facing it.
3. Acts as a reminder of the Seppuku code- commit suicide
rather than be caught and bring dishonour on family.
4. Emphasises the beauty and power of nature-contributes to
his decision to turn back and dishonour himself, choosing
individuality over duty.

"And sometimes, she said, he must have wondered which had been the better way to die."

1. Third person pronouns- has no voice, so insignificant that he
cannot even tell the story himself.
2. Tentative language "must have wondered": guessing at how he felt and whether he regretted
his decision. Perhaps showing empathy for her father.
3. End of the narration/story yet we do not know how he actually felt, all second hand told through the words of his
daughter.
4. Implies the potential devastating influence of patriotism- almost better off dead. Metaphorically dead to his family and neighbours because he acted dishonourably.

Message in Checking Out me History

Agard wrote 'Checking Out Me History' to challenge white-centric education and to show the power of education on
an individual's own identity.

"Bandage up me eyes with me own history/Blind me to me own identity"

1. Metaphor transforms the limited curriculum into a bandage to suggest the pain caused by being "blinded"
to aspects of history.
2. Emotive verbs of "bandage" and "blind" show that history is being deliberately hidden from the speaker -accusation of a deliberate, cruel, violent attempt to mislead.
3. Repetition of "me" and "own" establishes the connection between history and identity from the beginning of the poem
4. Sets up a 'them' and 'us' dichotomy from the outset
to challenge the education system

"she still brave the Russian snow a healing star"

1. Light imagery/ semantic field of light to paint a picture of black heroes standing out within history
2. Direct contrast to the "blinding" experienced by the speaker at the start of the poem
3. "star" - their light can shine out against the education
system and a source of guidance for the speaker
4. Emphasising the importance of teaching children about
these people

"I carving out me identity"

1. Metaphor transforms his identity into a statue that he
can form and make his own (taking ownership of it)
2. Active verb "carving" creates the impression that this is an on-going process, also suggests it is challenging and will require force.
3. Reclaimed his power at the end of the poem, sense of
triumph over the white-centric education system
4. Lack of punctuation at the end suggests that this fight
is continuous but should be encouraged