AQA English - CONTEXT Power & Conflict Poetry: Main Poems

Ozymandias

Shelley is a romance poet who is anti-monarchy and anti-religion. Her radical poetry tends to be emotion rather than reasoning.

Ozymandias is the throne name of Ramesses II, ruler of Ancient Egypt.

London

Blake is an anti-monarchy poet who has extreme political views.

Blake grew up in London, which he saw was full of greed and inequality, especially after the Industrial Revolution.

My Last Duchess

Victorian view of women being only domestic.

Poem is based upon the Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso II, who’s first wife died of suspicious circumstances. It’s believed that he killed her with poison.

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Tennyson was a Poet Laureate, so many of his poems were propaganda and heavily biased.

A disastrous battle between British cavalry and Russian forces during the Crimean War. The Light Brigade were defenceless and many were killed.

Bayonet Charge

Hughes’ father fought in WW1, leaving him emotionally traumatised for life.

The poem highlights the brutality of war as a tribute to his father’s suffering without influence of patriotism.

Remains

Armitage was a Poet Laureate.

Published this poem for “The Not Dead” Channel 4 Documentary to raise awareness of soldier’s suffering with PTSD after returning home.

Poppies

Weir’s two sons influenced her desire to explore young men going into war.

The title resembles the poppies that grew on the battlefield that became a symbol of remembrance for WW1. This reinforces the theme of remembrance in her poem.

War Photographer

Duffy was one of the UKs Poet Laureates, and was interested in the responsibilities and difficulties of the roles of war photographers.

A quote is a reference to a famous photo of a girl running from a napalm attack in the Vietnam War.

Kamikaze

Garland was inspired to look into why people died for their country. The poem explores the inner turmoil in Japanese individuals and the societal expectations placed upon them.

Kamikaze pilots were considered to be cowardly if they did not die for their country, and would usually be shunned by their families if they refused.