Poems to learn properly

Poison tree, envy, vergissmeinnicht, anthem for doomed youth, what were they like, partition

I was angry with friend. I told my wrath, my wrath did end I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath grow.

I was angry with friend. I told my wrath, my wrath did end I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath grow.

Resentment, anaphora, tone of anger juxtaposed to child-nursery rhythm. Deep passionate hatred, associates the rhythm with his hatred for his foe.

And I watered it in fears…And I sunned it wit smiles And with soft deceitful wiles

Allusion - refers to this as being like the garden of Eden, asyndeton of “soft deceitful” emphasises the constant emotions and suggests its no good to hold onto emotions. Sibilance emphasises

And it grew both day and night. Till it bore an apple bright.

Hyperbole of growth emphasises level of hatred and how much is kept inside

In the morning glad I see my foe outstretched beneath the tree

Death imagery, Enjambment

Envy: Not made to bear the violet blue, nor lil fair.

imagery of stereotypical beauty in plants, suggests that beauty is not always external.

Envy: It could ne’er be discontent with its own pretty flower

Metaphor suggests that a beauty changes from person to person, use of the generic noun flower symbolises all the types of beauty.

Envy: It all in vain would fret

Writer makes a pun out of “vain”, suggesting that changing oneself to try and be beautiful is futile, links to idea of beauty being in many forms and personal.

Vergissmeinnicht: Three weeks gone and the combatants gone

Repetition(gone) emphasising the lack of care for the soldiers death, symbolises humanities kindness departing

Vergissmeinnicht: The frowning barrel of his gun overshadowing

Figurative lang + complex structure emphasises the harshness and complexity of war. Personification, shows the guns have a longer life than men - making a facial expression.

Vergissmeinnicht: Look. Here in the gunpit spoil.. who has put: Steffi. Vergissmeinnicht, in a copybook gothic script

"Spoil” emotional coldness as brits search the dead remains, shows radicalisation of war. Imperative + litote, brings readers attention. Irony as the picture with a “perfect font” is dishonoured and ripped, emphasises the losses during war

Vergissmeinnicht: Paid and mocked at by his own equipment, that’s hard and good while hes decayed

Personification of his gun, humiliating as he is mocked by an inanimate object. Vivid, violent imagery of a decayed body, shows the violence of war, and emotional coldness

Vergissmeinnicht: The dust on the paper eye and the burst stomach like a cave

Gory imagery and zoomorphic simile shows the violence of war, extent to which he is forgotten, onomatopoeia in plosive “b” in “burst”

Anthem: What passing bells for those who die as cattle?

Ironic use of sonnet structure expresses how war isnt lovely, harsh critiquing tone to express anger for lack of respect.

Anthem: Stuttering… rattle… patter

Tricolon of onomatopoeia suggests the chaos of war.

Anthem: Only the monstrous anger of the guns

Personification of weapons suggests the dehumanising nature of war that the weapons are more respected than soldiers.

What: Did the people of Viet nam use lanterns of stone? Did they hold ceremonies to reverence the opening of buds?

Materials show permanence, durability, light shows hope, metaphor symbolises hope, and joy for new things - later changes to acceptance of change.

What: Were they inclined to quiet laughter? Did they use bone and ivory, jade and silver for ornament?

“Quiet laughter” suggests they were once a happy community. Tricolon suggests peace and wealth, symbolises cultural wealth,

What: A dream ago perhaps. Ornament is for joy. All the bones were charred.

Emphasies how deeply war changed people, everything good seems so far away in the past, “Charred bones” emphasises the extent of damage to them and the culture, emphasises how deep it is.

What: When bombs smashed those mirrors there was time only to scream

Juxtaposed to the tales that came from open mouths, but now there is so much terror it is only screams that come out of open mouths. So much culture and life is dead that it is now inanimate objects being destroyed

Partition:

Auditory imagery strengthens the idea of partitioning, as the mother hears these noises yet chooses to partition herself from them in fear.

Partition: So she stood int he garden listening

Emphasises the fear she feels as she is paralysed by the disturbing noises she hears in the train station, the fact she stands in their garden suggests that she further separated herself from conflict physically.

Partition: The birds sounded different … neem trees brought no consolation

Suggests the extent of partitioning that even nature was disturbed deeply by the conflict and the screams of people. Alludes to the idea of this having a widespread effect, that even the harmless trees and birds are crying in fear.

Partition: And each day passed with her listening to the cries of the people

Hyperbole used to further emphasise the extreme trauma of all those people, and the alludes to the idea that conflict is so powerful those physically disconnected from it can feel its deep pains.