what poems explore patriotism?
bayonet charge
charge of the light brigade
kamikaze
what poems explore power and order?
kamikaze
exposure?
charge of the light brigade
what poems explore uselessness (powerlessness)
bayonet charge
exposure
what poems explore relationships?
poppies
kamikazew
what poems explore trauma?
remains
war photographer
what poems explore nature?
kamikaze
exposure
what poems explore reality of conflict
bayonet charge
remains
war photographer
exposure
(contrasting to charge of the light brigade)
patriotism in bayonet charge
patriotic tear
king, honour, human dignity, etcetera
patriotism in charge of the light brigade
honour, honour the noble six hundred
sabre stroke shatter’d and sunder’d
patriotism in kamikaze
sunrise
samuri sword
head full of powerful incantations
power and order in kamikaze
enough fuel for a one way journey into history
dark prince
power and order in exposure
wind’s nonchalance
merciless iced east winds that knive usc
power and order in charge of the light brigade
someone had blunder’d
uselessness in bayonet charge
like a man who has jumped up in the dark and runs
he lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm
uselessness in exposure
what are we doing here?
but nothing happens
relationships in poppies
released a songbird from its cage
hoping to hear your playground voice catching on the wind
relationships in kamikaze
till gradually we too learned to be quiet
he must have wondered which had been the better way to die
bringing their father’s boat safe
in a figure of eight
trauma in remains
blood-shadow
. But I blink
the drinks and drugs won’t flush him out
his bloody life in my bloody hands
trauma in war photographer
spools of suffering set out in ordered rows
(Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh)
stares impassively [..] they do not care
nature in kamikaze
cloud-marked mackerel, black crabs, feathering prawns
nature in exposure
all their eyes are ice
crickets jingle [..] innocent mice rejoice
merciless iced east winds that knive us [..] wind’s nonchalance
reality of conflict in bayonet charge
yellow hare that rolled like a flame
stumbling across a field
his sweat heavy
reality of conflict in remains
legs it up [..] letting fly
probably armed, possibly not
reality of conflict in war photographer
ordinary pain
running children in a nightmare heat
reality of conflict in exposure
we cringe in holes
reality of conflict in Charge of the light brigade (contrasting point)
Valley of Death
Jaws of Death
Mouth of Hell
what is Bayonet Charge about?
Stressful reality of War
Importance of survival
Lack of emotion, nihilism
Ted Hughes didn’t serve in the war but his father did.
He lived in the North where schemes were set up to recruit soldiers by peer pressure
what is Poppies about?
Addresses the grief that parents face when their children go to war
From a woman’s perspective showing maternal love
1st person - more intimate
Jane Weir wrote it to commemorate those who lost their lives in war from a more loving perspective, allowing the reader to sympathise more
What is The Charge of the Light Brigade about?
glory of men’s sacrifice
but also effect of 1 mistake on the masses and amount of needless sacrifice
Alfred Lord Tennyson didn’t go to war and only read about it
Less emotive and death is more sanitised in this poem
What is Exposure about?
Criticises British army’s unprepared approach to war
Title is a homophone: exposing truth about war, dying from exposure to wind
Wilfred Owen served in the war so its more personal and a dramatic monologue
What is Remains about?
Dramatic monologue exploring PTSD
We should do more for soldiers to help them adjust after their return from war
Simon Armitage talked to people who served in war and used their experiences to write this poem
What is War Photographer about?
War Photographers bring images from the war to the public and help them visualise the horrors of war
Morally challenging as they can’t do anything to help and just have to watch
Carol Ann Duffy had 2 friends who were War Photographers
What is Kamikaze about?
A pilot who is ostracised by his family when he chooses not to complete his mission
Beatrice Garland wrote it to criticise patriotism and was inspired into looking into the motivations as to why people wanted to die for their country
all kamikaze quotes
Sunrise [..] samurai sword
Enough fuel for a one way journey into history
Fishing Boats strung out like bunting
In a figure of eight
Remembered how he and his brothers [..] bringing their father’s boat safe
Cloud-marked mackerel, black crabs, feathering prawns [..] dark prince
He must have wondered which had been the better way to die
Till gradually we learned to be silent
all Remains quotes
Probably armed, possibly not
Legs it up [..] letting fly
Tosses his guts into his body
Blood-shadow
. But I blink
The drinks and drugs won’t flush him out
His bloody life in my bloody hands
all War Photographer quotes
Spools of suffering set out in ordered rows
Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh
Ordinary pain
Rural England [..] children running in a nightmare heat
A stranger’s features faintly start to twist before his eyes [..] half-formed ghost
Foreign dust
Stares impassively [..] they do not care
all Poppies quotes
Disrupting a blockade
Yellow bias binding around your blazer
Steeled the softening of my face
All my words flattened, rolled, turned into felt, slowly melting
Released a songbird from its cage
My stomach busy making tucks, darts, pleats
Hoping to hear your playful voice catching on the wind
The dove pulled freely [..] wishbone
all Bayonet Charge quotes
He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm
Patriotic tear
King, honour, human dignity, etcetera
He almost stopped
Like a man who has jumped up in the dark and runs
Yellow hare that rolled like a flame
all Exposure quotes
Silence, sentries whisper, curious, nervous
But nothing happens
What are we doing here?
Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence
We cringe in holes
All their eyes are ice
Crickets jingle [..] innocent mice rejoice
Doors are closed
Merciless iced east winds that knife us [..] wind’s nonchalance
all Charge of the Light Brigade quotes
Rode the 600 [..] but not, not the 600 [..] left of them, left of 600 [..] honour, honour, noble 600
Into the Jaws of Death, Into the Mouth of Hell
Someone had blunder’d
Volley’d and thunder’d, storm’d
Valley of Death
Half a league, half a league, half a league onward
Sabre stroke shatter’d and sunder’d