poetry context

The Manhunt

This poem is about Eddie Beddoes, his wife Laura and the impact on their relationship after Eddie returns from war injured.

Sonnet 43

This poem is about quantifying a powerful and enduring love, she eloped, left her family and was disinherited for him

London

This poem is about the negative aspects of society a walker sees as he explores the city of London, he was a part of the romantics radical group

The Soldier

This jingoistic poem is about a soldier who understands that he may die in battle, but accepts that death as being worth it for his country, he never directly fought- passed en route.

She walks in beauty

This poem is about a man describing an unnamed woman and the love he feels for her, Mrs Anne Wilmot, wife of Byron’s first cousin.

Living Space

This poem is about the Mumbai slums and finds beauty and joy in the danger and risks of shanty housing

As Imperceptibly as Grief

This poem explores the ways that grief affects our life and how eventually, like Summer, it fades, she lived a reclusive life and was obsessed with death.

Cozy Apologia

This poem is about the ‘contented’ love that the poet feels for her husband and is inspired by Hurricane Floyd, in 1999

The Prelude

This poem is about a memory of a young boy ice skating in the Lake District, how strong and vibrant he felt and how nature did not notice him.

Valentine

This poem challenges the stereotypical ideas of love, giving an ‘onion’ rather than a cute card on Valentine’s day, was created because of a challenge from a radio presenter

A Wife in London

This poem, in two parts, describes a woman who finds her husband has died in war and then gets a letter from him, inspired by the Boer War

Death of a Naturalist

This poem remembers a child’s experience learning about the natural world and the effects it had on him, he was deeply affected by the death of his four year old brother when he was young

Hawk Roosting

This poem is told from the point of view of a hawk, and shows how strong and

powerful he feels, often interpreted as being about dictatorship but this was denied.

To Autumn

This poem is about how the poet enjoys the season of Autumn, inspired by the water meadows in Winchester

Afternoons

In this poem the writer reflects on how lives can become restricted and narrowed, inspired by the view from his top floor flat overlooking the playground in the middle of the housing estate

Dulce et Decorum Est

This poem describes a gas attack on soldiers heading towards rest after being on the front lines of battle, he reenlisted as he felt it was his duty but died a week before armistice

Ozymandias

This poem, featuring 3 voices, describes what a traveller saw., inspired by the statue of Ramses II

Mametz Wood

This poem is about how farmers find bones a long time after WW1 and how the skeletons of Welsh soldiers are found arm in arm, inspired by the battle of the Somme