Poetry (themes and context)

What are the key messages in ‘To a Child Dancing in the Wind’

The speaker is feeling regret and jealousy at the freedom and innocence of childhood

Key themes in ‘To a Child Dancing in the Wind’

childhood, freedom, time, and growing up

context of ‘To a Child Dancing in the Wind’

Yeats was in love with Maud Gonne, proposed to her, she rejected the offer and married someone else then had a child. The theory is that the poem is addressed to that child

What are the key themes of ‘The Collar’

Religion, restriction, struggle, doubt

Context of ‘The Collar’

George Herbert was an MP, lawyer, vicar, and Parish Priest. He is a metaphysical poet who believes in a reality beyond what we can feel. He was writing in the 1600s

Key messages in ‘A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General’

a poem of mourning yet there is a sarcastic insincere tone

Key context of ‘A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General’

Jonathan Swift is known for satire writing that makes political points. Queen Anne (ruler at the time) was fond of this general and gifted him land. General = Sir John Churchill Duke of Marlborough, who exploited troops and was involved in the war of Spanish succession

Key themes of ‘A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General’

power and death

Key messages of ‘England in 1819’

describes a large collection of things and people in 1819 that the speaker sees as graves (dead), political attack and survey

Key themes of ‘England in 1819’

politics and power

Key context of ‘England in 1819’

Shelley was a romantic poet concerned with social justice. It was written after the Peterloo Massacre (Machester) where working class people were fighting for the vote, the cavalry were sent in killing some protesters. The king at the time (George III) who had gone mad, had to stand down as King

Key messages in ‘Leisure’

yearn to enjoy ourselves, peace, and leisure. Savouring the small things in life

Key themes in ‘Leisure’

Life and nature

Key context in ‘Leisure’

Davies was part of the Georgian poets who wrote Pastoral poetry, exploring the natural world. His most famous poem and in an anthology called ‘Songs of Joy’. He had a very challenging childhood so spent lots of his time idealising nature in his poems, grew up in rural Wales.

Key themes in ‘Remembrance’

death, grief, loss

Key context in ‘Remembrance’

Bronte didn’t marry therefore it isn’t autobiographical. She did experience grief with losing her Mum and 2 Sisters. Her sisters were also writers and when they were younger they would write about an imaginary world, ‘Gondal, this poem is set there.

Key messages in ‘The Schoolboy’

Schooling systems as a form of cruel capture, the child wanting to be free and unrestricted (his natural being)

Key context in ‘The Schoolboy’

It is a pastoral poem. Blake was a Romantic, Romantic poets interested in the beauty of childhood and how it should be enjoyed. Blake was uncoventional and had a spiritual relationship with nature, questioning why children and humans are moved away from nature.

Key messages in ‘The Darkling Thrush’

signifying the death of a century, death and decay, amongst a bleak and seemingly hopless environment there can still be a glimmer of hope

Key themes in ‘The Darkling Thrush’

Hope, despair, nature

Key context in ‘The Darkling Thrush’

Despite Hardy coming from the Victorian era, he wrote novels with traits from the British Romantic era as he was inspired by Romantics like Wordsworth. Employs Pastoral literature ideas: advocating that the country is much more pure and more honest than the city. This may have been a response to the industrialism of the age. the poem is an extended metaphor for the decay of Western civilisation at the end of the 19th century. But the thrush is a symbol of possible rebirth through religious faith.

Key messages in ‘The Passionate Shepherd to His Love’

declaration of his love and his hopes and plans for their future. Trying to convince her to come and be his lover

Key themes in ‘The Passionate Shepherd to His Love’

pleasure, care-free love

Key context in ‘The Passionate Shepherd to His Love’

A pastoral poem in a rural setting. Marlowe was very famous playwright and poet. He lived in London during the time that the British state closely observed citizens (Marlowe was one who was watched). Therefore he may have wanted to escape London to a life of rural uncomplicated pleasure.

What happens in ‘My Last Duchess’

The Duke is talking to the official negotiate of his next marriage, showing them all his artwork and describing his last wife (that he has a portrait of).

key messages in ‘My Last Duchess’

Male control over Female sexuality

Key themes in ‘My Last Duchess’

gendered expectations, power, control, jealousy and possessiveness

Key Context in ‘My Last Duchess’

Based on the Duke Alfonso II (Duke of Ferrara) talking about his first wife Lucrezia de Medici who died under suspicious circumstances (poison?). It was rumoured that he killed her.

Key messages in ‘The voice’

Loved one no longer there, memories of his time with her, how grief raises feelings of regret ostalgia and longing.

Key themes in ‘The Voice’

grief, nostalgia and regret

Key context for ‘The Voice’

Hardy wrote the poem as part of a sequence of poems inspired by thee death of his first wife Emma Gifford. Hardy and Gifford weren’t a happy couple when she passed away, therefore her passing caused Hardy to have to confront not only her death but also the arc of their relationship

Key messages in Sonnet XIX: On his blindness

the speaker (autobiographical) is scared that he won’t be able to serve god, as he no longer has a purpose (blind) therefore he can’t read or write. However God reassures him at the end.

Key themes in ‘Sonnet XIX: On his blindness’

Fear, faith, religion, relationship with God

Key context in ‘Sonnet XIX: On his blindness’

parable of the talents: Father/landowner who gives his 3 sons money, one uses all the money and the other invests it, then the last one buries it. The Father is so angry with the child who didn’t use it, he exiles him. This story is found in the bible and is a story of morality. Milton’s talent is writing and he is fearful that God will be angry at him if he doesn’t use this talent. Milton went blind, he was also a puritan (strict religious beliefs), served in Cromwells government (no monarch).

Key messages in ‘Sonnet 130’

true love doesn’t stem from exaggerated, unrealistic comparisons to nature or idealized beauty. Values her genuine human qualities, and natural beauty

Key themes in ‘Sonnet 130’

genuine/ realistic love, beauty

Key context for ‘Sonnet 130’

A love poem that subverts expectations of conventional romantic poetry as it was traditional to write about the beauty of the person you were in love with. This mode of writing was called a blazon

Key messages in ‘Extract from the Prelude book V’

The speaker reflects how he goes and stands at this boys’ grave (died when 12) and he would enjoy nature (calling to the owls)

Key Themes in ‘Extract from the Prelude book V’

exploration of nature, self-discovery, and the impact of nature on the human spirit.

Key context in ‘Extract from the Prelude book V’

Wordsworth was a poet Laureate, who grew up in the Lake District and was deeply influenced by the natural landscape and his personal experiences. It is philosophical and autobiographical conveying Romantic ideas about being close to God and kids being free in nature. Features of the sublime.

Key messages in ‘London’

The poem critiques social injustice and the impact of industrialization on the lives of the poor

Key themes in ‘London’

Social oppression and injustice, corruption, politics and the effects of industrialization on society.

Key Context for ‘London’

The poem was written during the early 19th century, a time of significant social and economic change in England, reflecting the effects of the Industrial Revolution. Blake was a Romantic poet who focused on nature, creativity, and individualism. Part of songs of experience. The French Revolution was a major influence for Blake, inspiring him how the oppressed could seize power and he hoped for a similar revolution in England.

Key messages in ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’

The poem expresses awe at the beauty of London in the early morning, highlighting the harmony between nature and the city. It conveys a sense of tranquility and reflects on the fleeting moments of peace amidst urban life.

Key themes in ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’

nature, urban tranquility, fleeting moments of peace.

Key context for ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’

Wordsworth was a Romantic poet, who illustrated the appreciation of the sublime. The poem was written during the early 19th century, amidst the Industrial Revolution, contrasting the beauty of nature with urban development.

Key messages in ‘She walks in beauty’

The poem celebrates the beauty and grace of a woman, using nature imagery to illustrate her physical and inner qualities. It reflects on the harmony between her appearance and the deeper essence of her character.

Key themes in ‘She walks in beauty’

Romance, beauty, admiration, perfection

Key context for ‘She walks in beauty’

Byron was a Romantic poet who focused on the connection between humans and nature, he was a womaniser, it was inspired by seeing his cousin in mourning

Key messages in ‘To Autumn’

the poem depicts a beautiful nature scene describing the move from the early stages of autumn to start of winter

Key themes in ‘To Autumn’

the beauty of nature, the cycle of life and death, time passing

Key context for ‘To Autumn’

The poem is an ode to Autumn (praise). Keats was a Romantic poet, meaning that he had a deep appreciation for the power and beauty of nature. He wrote the poem in 1819 when he was staying in Winchester and would do a walk daily (when he got inspiration for this poem).

Key messages in ‘On first looking into Chapman’s Homer’

Keats is describing how he read widely and heard about Homer’s (Ancient Greek poet) writing then he read Chapman’s translation of it and he felt as if he had experienced an epiphany

Key themes in ‘On first looking into Chapman’s Homer’

power of literature and imagination, joy of reading

Key context for ‘On first looking into Chapman’s Homer’

Keats was a Romantic poet, in 1816 he read the poem and wrote this poem straight after. It was a translation written by the Elizabethan playwright, George Chapman, on the works of Homer. Homer wrote the Illiad and the Odyssey. Uranus was discovered in 1781.

Key messages in ‘The author to her book’

an extended metaphor of a mother to her child, an author to her book. light-hearted and humorous and a clever metaphor for a female poet. very critical of her book, but does show care, affection and attention towards it, however there is ambiguity about her feelings

Key themes in ‘the author to her book’

creation, authorship, identity and imperfection

Key context for ‘the author to her book’

working Mother, wife and poet. English woman who emigrated to America and was the 1st ever published female poet. One of America’s most successful female poets. Was writing in a time where 99% of poets were male.