Poetry 4 specialised poems(Ozymandias, Exposure, War Photographer and remains)

“I met a traveller from an antique land”

“Antique” Introduces us to the power of time

Ambiguous lexis may highlight that this is not simply place specific but a commentary on how all empires fall

“Traveller ”“distancing himself from the consequences of these anti-monarchist views

“Lone levels of sand stretch far away”

Alliteration helps emphasise the monotony of the landscape

Nothing of his legacy is left behind

“Sands” possibly metaphor how the sands of time have reduced his empire

Power of nature supersedes the perceived power of men

“Look upon my works ye Mighty, and despair!”

Highlighting his ego “Mighty” being capitalised may imply his blasphemous belief that he is superior to even God

Dramatic irony as there is nothing left of his “works”

Imperative again exemplifying his ego

Criticising King George

“Wrinkled lip, sneer of cold command”

Imagery of disgust highlighting the king’s feeling of superiority towards his subjects

“Sneer” mocking tone connotations of arrogance highlighting his ego

“Cold Command” Alliteration militaristic language criticising the violence of rulers

“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone”

“Vast“ Implies this was once apart of something much bigger reflecting how the King’s empire was so vast but now it is nothing.

All that remains of the “mighty” not even complete

“Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us . . . “

Wind personified as sinister instilling a feeling of fear

Militaristic language ”Knive” Nature itself is a combatant in this war

Use of ellipses this suffering is continuous does not end

“But nothing happens”

Anti-climactic ending doesn’t build upon the previous repetition

Mimics the futility of war in which no one wins

Despite “nothing happening many have already died

“For the love God seems dying”

Religious imagery how can there be such a thing as morality when so many die.

People are losing their faith in the face of hardship

Perhaps may be a metaphor for Christ dying on the cross for the sake of others

“Pale flakes with fingering stealth come feeling for our faces”

Sibilance emphasising the shivering and the feeling of uneasiness

personifying the weather as an unforgiving beast waiting for the right time to strike

“Less deadly than the air that shudders black with snow”

The power of nature is superseding humanity

Colour semiotics of black signifying the weather as evil, unforgiving

Subverts the expectations of war of honour and glory

“Darkroom he is finally alone with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows”

The setting creates a dark and foreboding atmosphere

Alliteration used to highlight how widespread suffering is

By juxtaposing alone with ordered rows which helps show he is not safe from the chaos even from his place of comfort

“Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass

Short sentence structure emphasises the importance of each place in which conflict takes root

Religious lexis used to juxtapose this as it tells us life is fleeting, these events aren’t significant as death is a global constant

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

Whilst the imagery in “prick” depicts the public’s reaction as almost painful to watch

The use of rhyming suggests that though the readers are initially sad they soon move on to other matters.

Juxtaposes the imagery of tears having mournful connotations to the celebrative connotations of “beer”

“Ordinary pain which simple weather cannot dispel”

Weather can cause pain and suffering to the fortunate whereas true suffering in war cannot be made right by a change in weather

“From the aeroplane he stares impassively sat where he earns his living they do not care”

The use of 3rd person they distances the author from the people

Stares “impassively” shows his numbness to his homeland as others has numbness to death

Poem has no resolution reflecting the futility of the war photographers job

“On another occasion, we get sent out”

Begins in media res, reader confused doesn’t know what is going on, disorientated by paralleling the soldiers feelings

“get sent out” normality of soldier life expected to suffer

“His bloody life in my bloody hands”

Repetition of bloody describing the violent nature of his death

Also highlights how he can’t stop thinking about it, regretting his decision

“tosses his guts back into his body. Then he’s carted in the back of the lorry”

“Tosses” denotes a lack of care or respect

Treating the body as an object

Fluidity of the rhyme scheme shows this is a routine war has desensitised all who take part

“Probably armed, possibly not”

Begins with “probably” trying to cope with his guilt trying to justify his actions

Anaphora highlights him constantly thinking of this trauma

regret

End of story, except not really, his blood-shadow stays on the street

“Not really” this contrast shows the soldier is haunted by the memory of the event

An impprint of his existence the soldier cannot