English Literature Paper 2 - Power and Conflict

Conflict and Effects

Quote: "valley of Death"

Poem: The Charge of the Light Brigade – Alfred Lord Tennyson
Explanation:
A biblical allusion to Psalm 23 ("valley of the shadow of death") used to show the danger and inevitability of death the soldiers faced. Tennyson honours their bravery despite the military blunder that led them into this doomed cavalry charge during the Crimean War.

Represents physical conflict in battle — soldiers ride into near-certain death due to a command error. The biblical allusion adds solemnity and shows how soldiers obey orders without question, highlighting the bravery and futility of war.

Quote: "merciless iced east winds that knive us..."

Poem: Exposure – Wilfred Owen
Explanation:
Nature is personified as a violent attacker. The “merciless” wind is more deadly than the enemy. This highlights how WWI soldiers were not only fighting humans, but also suffering and dying from the freezing, relentless weather in the trenches.

Presents conflict between man and nature. The wind is personified as a violent enemy. It shows that WWI soldiers often died from the cold more than bullets, emphasizing the relentless suffering and futility of war.

Quote: "bombarded by the empty air"

Poem: Storm on the Island – Seamus Heaney
Explanation:
“Bombarded” is a military word, turning the weather into an enemy. The phrase suggests invisible but powerful natural forces, symbolising fear of the unknown and the psychological impact of anticipation, especially relevant in isolated communities or war zones.

Explores psychological conflict and fear. Though there's no physical enemy, the speaker feels under siege by nature. This reflects how conflict can be invisible but still oppressive, much like modern political or social threats.

Quote: "bullets smacking the belly out of the air"

Poem: Bayonet Charge – Ted Hughes
Explanation:
A visceral image that combines sound and motion. “Smacking” is onomatopoeic and sudden; “belly” makes the air feel almost alive. This shows the chaotic violence and shock of being on the battlefield, capturing the soldier’s panic and confusion mid-charge.

Captures the chaos and violence of combat. The explosive sound imagery shows how terrifying and disorienting war is for the soldier, emphasizing his instinctive panic in the face of deadly conflict.

Quote: "his bloody life in my bloody hands"

Poem: Remains – Simon Armitage
Explanation:
A play on words: “bloody” literally refers to the death of a looter shot by the speaker, but it also connotes guilt and trauma. The repetition suggests emotional weight — the speaker can’t forget what he did, even though he was just “doing his job.” PTSD and moral responsibility are central themes.

Explores the emotional and psychological aftermath of war. The repeated “bloody” shows internal conflict and guilt. Even after the fighting ends, the speaker remains haunted — showing how conflict leaves lasting scars.

Quote: "a half-formed ghost"

Poem: War Photographer – Carol Ann Duffy
Explanation:
Refers to a man dying in a photo. “Half-formed” hints both at the developing photo and the man being caught between life and death. It also shows how war victims become ghostly memories, dehumanised by distance and desensitised viewers.

Represents the dehumanising effect of conflict. The photo captures someone between life and death, suggesting how war victims become ghost-like and forgotten, reduced to images rather than people, especially by distant observers.

Quote: "pages smoothed and stroked and turned"

Poem: Tissue – Imtiaz Dharker
Explanation:
The gentle verbs reflect fragility and reverence, possibly for scripture or important documents. This highlights how paper (and by extension, human creations like maps, borders, money) holds both power and impermanence. It questions the things we build society on.

Explores conflict between human power and fragility. Paper — used for borders, money, history — seems powerful, but it’s delicate. This reflects how human systems create conflict, yet are ultimately weak compared to nature and time.

Quote: "my stomach busy / making tucks, darts, pleats"

Poem: Poppies – Jane Weir
Explanation:
This sewing imagery metaphorically reflects the mother’s inner turmoil and anxiety as she prepares to let her son go off to war. “Tucks, darts, pleats” are typically gentle and domestic — contrasting with the violence of war — but here they describe her tight, knotted emotions, showing how deeply the situation affects her physically and emotionally.

Shows the emotional conflict of a mother letting go of her child to war. The domestic sewing imagery masks deeper turmoil. Her physical reaction (tight stomach) reveals how war causes intimate, personal suffering at home, not just on the battlefield.

Power and Control

Quote: "lone and level sands stretch far away"

Poem: Ozymandias – Percy Bysshe Shelley
Quote Analysis:
The alliteration of “lone and level” emphasizes the vast, empty landscape. The sands surround the ruined statue of a once-great king.
Link to Power:
This quote highlights the temporary nature of human power. Ozymandias boasted of his greatness, but all that remains is a shattered statue in an endless desert. Time and nature have erased his empire, showing how all power eventually fades.

Quote: "mind-forg’d manacles"

Poem: London – William Blake
Quote Analysis:
A powerful metaphor: “manacles” (chains) suggest imprisonment, and “mind-forg’d” shows these chains are created by people’s own thoughts or society’s rules.
Link to Power:
Blake critiques oppressive political and social power — the government, church, and monarchy all control and limit individual freedom. The people of London are mentally and emotionally imprisoned by these institutions.

Quote: "all smiles stopped"

Poem: My Last Duchess – Robert Browning
Quote Analysis:
This euphemistic line implies the Duke ordered the death of his wife. The calm tone makes the act sound routine, showing his cold, controlling nature.
Link to Power:
The Duke abuses his male and aristocratic power to control and silence the Duchess. The poem critiques absolute, unchecked personal power, especially over women.

Quote: "merciless iced east winds that knive us..."

Poem: Exposure – Wilfred Owen
Quote Analysis:
Nature is personified as a brutal enemy. “Merciless” and “knive” convey violence and pain, showing how the cold is just as deadly as bullets.
Link to Power:
Highlights the power of nature over humans and the soldiers’ helplessness. Despite military power and weapons, they are vulnerable. It contrasts human conflict with a greater, indifferent natural force.

Quote: "dem tell me"

Poem: Checking Out Me History – John Agard
Quote Analysis:
The repeated use of “dem” (them) versus “me” emphasizes division and control. The speaker critiques the biased education system that withholds his true cultural history.
Link to Power:
Examines cultural and institutional power — particularly how those in authority (like the British education system) control knowledge and identity. The poem challenges colonial and historical power structures by reclaiming forgotten narratives.

Power of Nature

Quote: "the lone and level sands stretch far away"

Poem: Ozymandias – Percy Bysshe Shelley
Quote Analysis:
The alliteration in “lone and level” emphasizes the vast, empty desert that has consumed the ruins of Ozymandias’s once-mighty statue. The endless sands suggest nature’s dominance and permanence.
Link to Power of Nature:
Nature has erased all trace of human greatness. The once-powerful king is now irrelevant, buried under sand. Shelley uses this to show that natural forces like time and decay will always overpower human ambition and pride.

Quote: "like a living thing, / Strode after me."

Poem: The Prelude (Extract) – William Wordsworth
Quote Analysis:
The mountain is personified as “like a living thing” that “strode” after the speaker, making it seem powerful, conscious, and threatening. This reflects the speaker’s growing fear as nature transforms from something beautiful into something vast and intimidating.
Link to Power of Nature:
Nature is shown as a dominant, almost supernatural force that can evoke awe and fear. The experience leaves a lasting psychological impact on the speaker, showing how nature’s power can humble human pride and alter perception.

Quote: "merciless iced east winds that knive us..."

Poem: Exposure – Wilfred Owen
Quote Analysis:
The wind is personified as “merciless” and the verb “knive” conveys violence and aggression. This suggests that nature is an active, hostile force.
Link to Power of Nature:
Nature is portrayed as an invisible, inescapable killer. In WWI, soldiers were often more threatened by weather than by the enemy. Owen presents nature as more powerful and more terrifying than any human opponent — a force that cannot be reasoned with or defeated.

Quote: "we are bombarded by the empty air"

Poem: Storm on the Island – Seamus Heaney
Quote Analysis:
“Bombarded” is a military metaphor, turning the air into a weapon. The paradox of being attacked by “empty” air shows that even unseen natural forces can be threatening.
Link to Power of Nature:
Nature is shown as aggressive and dominating. The community prepares for the storm, but is still left feeling vulnerable. The poem explores how natural forces overpower human defences, evoking both respect and fear.