Poetry Questions

Checking Out Me History - What was the poem inspired by?

A school textbook that said West Indian history started with Columbus.

Checking Out Me History - What kind of education did Agard recieve?

A British, eurocentric education because Guyana was a British colony until 1966. After this he began to see how much of his culture had been hidden from him.

Checking Out Me History - What type of language is used?

Creol which is the local dialect of Guyana, where Agard comes from.

War Photographer - Why did Carol Ann Duffy have personal attachment to war photography?

She is very good friends with two war photographers.

War Photographer - What is referenced by "running children in a nightmare heat"?

A famous photo of a girl in a napalm attack in Vietnam. This photo did mean a lot to society at the time, (the poem was published 10 years after the end of the Vietnam war), but now war photography is irrelevant.

Poppies - What other career did Weir have?

Textile designer which explains the references in the poem.

Poppies - Where did Jane Weir live during the 1980s and why would this influence Poppies ?

Weir lived in Northern Ireland during the troubles, this meant she had direct experience of conflict.

Remains - What war was it based on and why was this war unpopular?

Based on the Iraq war and this war was unpopular as it was believed to be unnecessary and for US oil greed.

Remains - What was the poem written for?

"The Not Dead", which was a Channel 4 documentary that explored the impact of PTSD.

Storm on the Island - How was Heaney seen by the Irish public?

Heaney was a respected, catholic, nationalist figure who was very influential in the Irish media.

Storm on the Island - What was Heaney's view on conflict?

He was against taking sides in conflicts even if he took criticism.

Storm on the Island - What are two ways the extended metaphor of the internal Irish conflict of the troubles is made evident in the poem?

The title containing "Stormont" which is the Irish government. Semantic field of military throughout the poem.

Storm on the Island - Where is it set and why is this significant?

The Arran islands which are a symbol of irish culture playing into the extended metaphor of the troubles.

Exposure - When did Owen die?

Owen died a week before armistice day, 1918.

Exposure - Where was Wilfred Owen treated for shell shock and who did he meet there?

Craiglockhart mental hospital and he met Siegfried Sassoon there who influenced his poetry greatly.

Charge of the Light Brigade - What is the purpose of the poem?

The purpose is as to glorify war as Tennyson was the Poet Laureate so he had to create positive government propoganda.

Charge of the Light Brigade - What war and battle was this poem set in?

The Crimean War and the Battle of Balaclava

Charge of the Light Brigade - What is the significance of "Valley of death"?

Valley of death is a biblical reference to Psalm 23 referring to the protection of God, in the poem used as irony and criticism of the higher ranks.

Charge of the Light Brigade - What meter is used and why?

Dactylic dimeter because it mirrors the rhythm of a horse running into battle suggesting unrelenting obedience.

Charge of the Light Brigade - What is the form of the poem and its significance?

This poem takes a ballad form meaning it was meant to commemorate those that had died.

London - What does the term "chartered" mean?

Chartered is where the government gives out exclusive land rights to the wealthy which lead to the wealthy gaining much of the land in London for themselves.

London - What gave radicalists like Blake hope at this time?

The French revolution meant radicalists thought a revolution was needed in Britain.

London - What collection was this poem a part of?

Songs of Experience, significance is that while all other poems have a pair in the other collection but London does not suggesting it is wholly corrupt with no innocence left.

Ozymandias - Who is it by and what name did they use to publish it?

Percy Shelley and they published it as Glirastes which means doormouse, increases ambiguity and mystery.

Ozymandias - What were Shelley's views on war?

He was a pacifist

Ozymandias - What was Shelley's view on the current king?

Shelley despised King George III because he had reigned longer than any other king before and was oppressive, tyrannical and war hungry.

Extract from, The Prelude - Why was the natural sublime considered important in the romantic movement?

The power of nature was used as a protest against the industrial revolution and as a rejection to the cold rationalism of the enlightenment era.

Extract from, The Prelude - What was the Epic poem Wordsworth wished to rival?

Paradise Lost by John Milton

Extract from, The Prelude - What is parallelism and how is used?

Parallelism is grammatically identical or similar components being repeated and it has the effect of showing the transformation of the young Wordsworth.

Extract from, The Prelude - What type of poem is The Prelude ?

The Prelude is an Epic poem, this means it is a long narrative focused around one protagonist and their actions, in this case Wordsworth's younger self.

Extract from, The Prelude - Where is the poem set?

The Lake District, this is where Wordsworth spent much of his time as an adolescent, often with cruel families as his parents died.