Power & Conflict Poems

LONDON - William Blake:
Fill in the blank words:
“I wander through each —— street, near where the —— —— does flow.”

“I wander through each chartered street, near where the chartered Thames does flow.”

What is going in this quote:
“I wander through each chartered street, near where the chartered Thames does flow.”

The speaker walks through London, noticing control everywhere.

What are the methods in the quote:

“I wander through each chartered street, near where the chartered Thames does flow.”

• Repetition (“chartered”): Highlights man-made control over nature and life.

• Juxtaposition: Nature (“Thames”) vs human restriction (“chartered”) stresses corruption.

• First-person narration: Makes the poem personal and observational.

• Alliteration (“chartered… chartered”): Creates a mechanical, oppressive rhythm.
  

Fill in the blank words:
“Marks of ——, marks of ——.”

“Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”

What is going in this quote:
“Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”

The speaker observes visible suffering on people’s faces.

What are the methods in the quote:
“Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”

• Repetition (“marks”): Emphasizes lasting pain and oppression.

• Alliteration (“weakness, woe”): Links emotions to create a mournful tone.

• Imagery: Visual signs of suffering make despair real.

• Consonance: Reinforces the persistence of misery.

Fill in the blank words:

“In every ——of every Man, in every —— cry of ——.”

“In every cry of every Man, in every Infant’s cry of fear.”

What is going in this quote:
“In every cry of every Man, in every Infant’s cry of fear.”

Universal suffering across generations.

What are the methods in the quote:
“In every cry of every Man, in every Infant’s cry of fear.”

• Repetition (“every”): Shows widespread pain and fear.

• Sound imagery (“cry”): Evokes helplessness.

• Parallelism: Connects adults and children in shared suffering.

• Tone: Bleak and hopeless.
  

Fill in the blank words:

“The —— —— manacles I hear.”

“The mind-forged manacles I hear.”

What is going in this quote:
“The mind-forged manacles I hear.”

The speaker hears metaphorical chains of mental and social oppression.

What are the methods in the quote:
“The mind-forged manacles I hear.”

• Metaphor: Mental chains reflect internalised oppression.

• Alliteration (“mind-forged manacles”): Highlights psychological control.

• Symbolism: Manacles symbolize loss of freedom.

• Tone: Critically condemns societal restriction.
  

Fill in the blank words:
“How the —— —— cry every black’ning —— appalls.”

“How the Chimney-sweeper’s cry every black’ning Church appalls.”

What is going in this quote:
“How the Chimney-sweeper’s cry every black’ning Church appalls.”

The Church is condemned for ignoring social suffering.

What are the methods in the quote:
“How the Chimney-sweeper’s cry every black’ning Church appalls.”

• Imagery (“black’ning Church”): Suggests moral corruption.

• Juxtaposition: Innocent child vs corrupt institution.

• Symbolism: Church as failed authority.

• Tone: Bitter and accusing.

Fill in the blank words:

“Runs in —— down Palace ——.”

“Runs in blood down Palace walls.”

What is going in this quote:
“Runs in blood down Palace walls.”

Royalty implicated in the people’s suffering.

What are the methods in the quote:
“Runs in blood down Palace walls.”

• Metaphor: Blood represents violence and oppression.

• Imagery: Violent and disturbing.

• Symbolism: Palace symbolizes political power.

• Tone: Harsh and accusatory.

STORM ON THE ISLAND - Seamus Heaney

Fill in the blank words: “We are ——: we build our —— ——,”

“We are prepared: we build our houses squat,”

What is going in this quote:
“We are prepared: we build our houses squat,”

The speaker sets the scene of a coastal community bracing for a storm.

What are the methods in the quote:
“We are prepared: we build our houses squat,”

• Declarative sentence: Shows confidence and readiness, sets tone of control.

• Imagery (“houses squat”): Suggests sturdy, solid homes built to withstand nature’s force.

• Enjambment: Flowing line reflects natural rhythm of life and weather.

• First-person plural (“we”): Creates collective experience and shared struggle.

Fill in the blank words:
“Sink walls in —— and roof them with good ——.”

“Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate.”

What is going in this quote:
“Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate.”

Description of the houses, emphasizing solidity and protection.

What are the methods in the quote:
“Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate.”

• Concrete imagery: Highlights physical strength and permanence against natural elements.

• Technical diction (“slate”): Suggests careful, practical preparation.

• Caesura: Adds weight, slowing the pace like the deliberate building process.

• Tone: Calm and assured, reinforcing control over environment.
  

Fill in the blank words:

 “Spits like a —— cat turned —— .”

 “Spits like a tame cat turned savage.”

What is going in this quote:

 “Spits like a tame cat turned savage.”

Mid-poem simile comparing the storm’s force to a wild animal.

What are the methods in the quote:

 “Spits like a tame cat turned savage.”

• Simile: Makes the storm vivid and unpredictable.

• Juxtaposition (“tame” vs “savage”): Shows how nature can quickly shift from calm to violent.

• Personification: Gives the storm animal-like qualities, making it threatening.

• Onomatopoeia (“spits”): Creates a sharp, aggressive sound effect.
  

Fill in the blank words:

 “Strange, it is a —— ——that we fear.”

 “Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear.”

What is going in this quote:
 “Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear.”

Reflective moment mid-poem, highlighting the unseen power of the storm.

What are the methods in the quote:
 “Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear.”

• Oxymoron: “Huge nothing” contrasts size and invisibility, expressing fear of the unknown.

• Tone: Thoughtful, a mix of awe and anxiety.

• Alliteration (“huge” and “nothing”): Emphasizes the paradox.

• Theme: Suggests human vulnerability against nature’s intangible forces.
  

Fill in the blank words:

 “Exploding —— ——on the cliffs.”

 “Exploding comfortably down on the cliffs.”

What is going in this quote:
 “Exploding comfortably down on the cliffs.”

 Describes the storm’s impact on the landscape.

What are the methods in the quote:
 “Exploding comfortably down on the cliffs.”

• Oxymoron (“exploding comfortably”): Contrasts violence with calm, unsettling effect.

• Alliteration (“comfortably...cliffs”): Smooth sounds contrast with harsh imagery.

• Imagery: Powerful visual of nature’s force.

• Tone: Ambiguous, showing both beauty and danger.

Fill in the blank words:

“We just sit tight while wind dives and strafes invisibly.”

“We just sit tight while wind dives and strafes invisibly.”

What is going in this quote:

“We just sit tight while wind dives and strafes invisibly.”

Closing line. The people endure the storm’s unseen attacks.

What are the methods in the quote:

“We just sit tight while wind dives and strafes invisibly.”

• Imperative tone (“sit tight”): Suggests passive endurance.

• Personification: “wind dives and strafes” gives war-like aggressive actions to the wind.

• Adverb (“invisibly”): Highlights the unseen, unpredictable threat.

• Metaphor: Compares the storm to an invisible enemy.

EXPOSURE - Wilfred Owen
Fill in the blank words:  “Our —— ache, in the ——iced east winds that —— us…”

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

What is going in this quote:
 “Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us…”

Opening line. The soldiers suffer in freezing, brutal weather.

What are the methods in the quote:
 “Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us…”

• Personification (“winds that knive us”): Shows nature as a violent attacker.

• Alliteration (“merciless…knive”): Harsh sounds reflect pain and aggression.

• Sensory imagery (“ache”): Evokes physical and mental suffering.

• Enjambment: Mimics ongoing, relentless exposure to weather.

Fill in the blank words:

 “Worried by ——, sentries ——, curious, nervous, but nothing ——.”

 “Worried by silence, sentries whisper, curious, nervous, but nothing happens.”

What is going in this quote:
 “Worried by silence, sentries whisper, curious, nervous, but nothing happens.”

Soldiers’ tense wait during the night.

What are the methods in the quote:
 “Worried by silence, sentries whisper, curious, nervous, but nothing happens.”

• Sibilance (“sentries whisper, curious, nervous”): Creates quiet, eerie atmosphere.

• Repetition (“nothing happens”): Emphasizes frustrating stillness and anticipation.

• Adjectives: Show emotional strain of the soldiers.

• Juxtaposition: Contrast between nervous tension and inactivity.

Fill in the blank words:

 “Sudden —— flights of —— streak the —— .”

 “Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence.”

What is going in this quote:

 “Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence.”

Describes sudden bursts of gunfire breaking the quiet.

What are the methods in the quote:

 “Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence.”

• Onomatopoeia (“flights of bullets”): Sounds dynamic and dangerous.

• Alliteration (“sudden successive”): Creates rapid, sharp rhythm.

• Juxtaposition (“silence” vs “bullets”): Highlights violent interruption of calm.

• Imagery: Vivid snapshot of war’s unpredictability.

Fill in the blank words:

 “But —— happens.”

 “But nothing happens.”

What is going in this quote:

 “But nothing happens.”

Repeated line emphasizing inactivity and stagnation.

What are the methods in the quote:

 “But nothing happens.”

• Repetition: Highlights monotony and despair.

• Short sentence: Adds weight and finality.

• Tone: Suggests hopelessness and frustration.

• Structural motif: Creates a cyclical feel to the poem.

Fill in the blank words:  “Like —— agonies of men —— its brambles.”

“Like twitching agonies of men among its brambles.”

What is going in this quote:
“Like twitching agonies of men among its brambles.”

Compares soldiers’ suffering to natural pain.

What are the methods in the quote:
“Like twitching agonies of men among its brambles.”

• Simile: Evokes images of struggle and entrapment.

• Visual imagery: “brambles” suggest harsh, painful environment.

• Metaphor: Nature’s cruelty parallels war’s torment.

• Emotive language (“agonies”): Evokes strong sympathy.

Fill in the blank words:

 “We cringe in ——, back on —— dreams, and ——, snow-dazed.”

 “We cringe in holes, back on forgotten dreams, and stare, snow-dazed.”

What is going in this quote:

 “We cringe in holes, back on forgotten dreams, and stare, snow-dazed.”

Describes soldiers’ mental state and physical condition.

What are the methods in the quote:

 “We cringe in holes, back on forgotten dreams, and stare, snow-dazed.”

• Alliteration (“cringe,” “holes,” “forgotten”): Emphasizes vulnerability.

• Metaphor (“forgotten dreams”): Shows lost hopes and morale.

• Imagery (“snow-dazed”): Suggests confusion and numbness.

• Tone: Reflects despair and exhaustion.

BAYONET CHARGE - Ted Hughes

Fill in the blank words:

 “He lugged a —— numb as a —— arm.”

 “He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm.”

What is going in this quote:
 “He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm.”

Opening line. The soldier struggles physically, burdened and injured.

What are the methods in the quote:
 “He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm.”

• Simile (“numb as a smashed arm”): Conveys pain and loss of control.

• Imagery: Vivid, physical suffering.

• Alliteration (“lugged”): Emphasizes heaviness.

• Tone: Harsh and urgent.

Fill in the blank words:

“Suddenly he —— and was running —— in raw-seamed hot —— .”

“Suddenly he awoke and was running raw in raw-seamed hot khaki.”

What is going in this quote:
“Suddenly he awoke and was running raw in raw-seamed hot khaki.”

Soldier jolts to life during charge.

What are the methods in the quote:
“Suddenly he awoke and was running raw in raw-seamed hot khaki.”

• Repetition of “raw”: Highlights pain and vulnerability.

• Alliteration (“raw-seamed”): Adds harsh, rough texture.

• Enjambment: Mimics sudden action.

• Imagery: Creates physical intensity.

Fill in the blank words:

“In what cold —— of the stars and nations was he the hand —— that ——?”

“In what cold clockwork of the stars and nations was he the hand pointing that second?”

What is going in this quote:
“In what cold clockwork of the stars and nations was he the hand pointing that second?”

Soldier questions fate and purpose amid chaos.

What are the methods in the quote:
“In what cold clockwork of the stars and nations was he the hand pointing that second?”

• Metaphor (“cold clockwork”): Suggests fate is mechanical and indifferent.

• Rhetorical question: Shows confusion and existential doubt.

• Personification: Stars and nations given mechanical agency.

• Tone: Reflects anxiety and helplessness.

Fill in the blank words:

“The —— tear that had brimmed in his eye —— like molten iron from the —— of his chest.”

“The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest.”

What is going in this quote:

“The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest.”

Contrast between initial pride and overwhelming fear.

What are the methods in the quote:

“The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest.”

• Juxtaposition: Patriotism vs. physical terror.

• Simile (“sweating like molten iron”): Shows intense heat and stress.

• Imagery: Emotional and physical turmoil.

• Tone: From hopeful to fearful.

Fill in the blank words:

 “He plunged —— with his —— toward the —— hedge.”

 “He plunged past with his bayonet toward the green hedge.”

What is going in this quote:
 “He plunged past with his bayonet toward the green hedge.”

Soldier charges forward in battle.

What are the methods in the quote:
 “He plunged past with his bayonet toward the green hedge.”

• Dynamic verb (“plunged”): Conveys violent, impulsive action.

• Symbolism (“green hedge”): Nature contrasts with violence.

• Imagery: Physical immediacy of the charge.

• Tone: Urgent and chaotic.
  

Fill in the blank words:

“Bullets —— the belly out of the ——”

 Describes sounds and violence around soldier.

What is going in this quote:
“Bullets smacking the belly out of the air”

Describes sounds and violence around soldier.

What are the methods in the quote:
“Bullets smacking the belly out of the air”

• Onomatopoeia (“smacking”): Makes violence palpable.

• Personification (“belly out of the air”): Air hit violently, adding vividness.

• Imagery: Creates tense atmosphere.

• Tone: Aggressive and threatening.

Where did William Blake live and what did he do?

• Lived in late 18th-century England during the Industrial Revolution.

• He was a radical thinker and poet who critiqued social inequality and corruption.
  

What does London reflect about Blake and expose about society?

• Reflects Blake’s anger at the suffering caused by industrialization and the ruling classes.

• Exposes the control (chartering) and emotional damage of the urban poor.

Where was Seamus Heaney from and what does his poem explore?

• Was an Irish poet influenced by rural life and political conflict in Northern Ireland.

• His poems often explore nature and human struggle, reflecting the Troubles indirectly.
  

What does Storm on the Island use?

• Uses the metaphor of a storm to explore conflict and survival in a harsh environment.

• Reflects both physical and political storms, showing resilience amid threat.
  

What does the title Storm On the Island echoe?

Echoes “Stormont,” the Northern Irish Parliament, hinting at political unrest and the Troubles, a period of violent sectarian conflict in late 20th-century Northern Ireland.

Who was Wilfred Owen and what did his poetry challenge?

• A WWI soldier-poet who wrote about the brutal realities of trench warfare.

• Challenges glorified patriotic ideas and shows soldiers’ suffering and mental torment.
  

What does Exposure highlight?

• Highlights the harsh weather and psychological strain soldiers faced in WWI.

• Owen’s Christian beliefs and war experiences inform the poem’s despair and moral questioning.

Who was Ted Hughes?

• A 20th-century British poet known for exploring violence, nature, and human instinct.

• His father fought in WWI, influencing his interest in war and its impact on people.

What does Bayonet Charge depict?

• The confusion and fear of a soldier’s experience in battle.

• The poem critiques patriotic propaganda and explores the conflict between man and nature.
  

Who was Alfred Lord Tennyson what is his poem about?

• Victorian England’s Poet Laureate, writing patriotic and heroic poetry.

• The poem recounts a real, disastrous cavalry charge in the Crimean War (1854).
  

What does The Charge of the Light Brigade glorify?

• Soldiers’ bravery despite a military blunder.

• Reflects Victorian ideals of duty, honour, and sacrifice, yet also the futility of war.

Who was Simon Armitage?

• A contemporary poet who often writes about modern warfare and psychological trauma.

• Remains draws from real soldiers’ experiences in Iraq, focusing on PTSD.

What does Remains explore?

• The poem explores guilt and haunting memories after killing in combat.

• It critiques the disconnect between frontline violence and public understanding.
  

Who is Jane Weir?

• A modern poet who focuses on personal experiences and family life.

• Poppies explores the impact of war on those left behind, especially mothers.
  

What does Poppies show?

• Shows grief, memory, and loss from a family perspective.

• It contrasts public war imagery with private emotional pain.

Who is Carol Ann Duffy?

• A former UK Poet Laureate known for giving voice to marginalized perspectives.

• War Photographer examines the emotional toll on journalists witnessing war.
  

What does War Photographer highlight?

• The poem highlights the contrast between distant audiences and war realities.

• It questions ethics and empathy in media portrayal of conflict.
  

What does Beatrice Garland write about?

• writes about personal and historical trauma; Kamikaze focuses on WWII Japan.

• It explores the conflict between individual survival and national duty.

What is Kamikaze about?

• About a kamikaze pilot who returns home, facing shame.

• It critiques blind nationalism and the cost of war on identity.
  

Who is Imtiaz Dharker?

• A contemporary poet of Pakistani-British background.

• Tissue explores fragility and power of human life through metaphor of paper.

What does Tissue reflect?

• Reflects on themes of control, freedom, and human connection.

• It subtly critiques man-made boundaries and hierarchies.

What does Carol Rumens write about?

• Writes about displacement and memory, often political and personal.

• The Emigree deals with the experience of forced migration and nostalgia.

What does The Emigree explore?

• explores how memories preserve a positive homeland despite conflict.

• It challenges political oppression and celebrates personal identity.
  

Who is John Agard?

• a Guyanese-British poet focused on postcolonial identity and history.

• The poem critiques Eurocentric education and celebrates black historical figures.
  

What does Checking Out Me History challenge?

• It challenges power structures that erase minority histories.

• Uses dialect and direct voice to assert cultural pride.

Who was Percy Bysshe Shelley?

• A Romantic poet and political radical.

• Ozymandias reflects on the impermanence of power and legacy.

What does Ozymandias critique?

• Critiques tyranny and human arrogance.

• It symbolizes the decay of empires and the futility of pride.
  

Who was Robert Browning?

• Was a Victorian poet famous for dramatic monologues.

• The poem exposes the possessive, controlling nature of power in relationships.