Power & Conflict- Complete Analysis Of The 5 Poems You Need To Learn

Overview of the Top Five Poems for GCSE English

• Key Poems to Focus On:

  • Kamikaze

  • My Last Duchess

  • London

  • Bayonet Charge

  • Remains

• Focus on learning these five explicitly as they are essential for your examination.

• Familiarize yourself with other poems for a generic understanding but prioritize mastering the five listed.

Exam Strategy

• If one of the five poems comes up: Compare it with one of the other four.

• If a different poem appears: Use quotes and analysis from the five priority poems.

Analysis Framework

• When analyzing poems, look at:

  1. Language

  2. Structure

  3. Form

• For each poem, prepare three key quotes and one piece of contextual information that links to the poem's themes.

1. Poem: London

• Form: Narrative poem that tells the story of London.

• Three Important Quotes:

  1. "The mind-forged manacles I hear"

  2. "Marking every face I meet, marks of weakness, marks of woe"

  3. "The hapless soldier's sigh runs in blood down palace walls"

• Language Analysis:

  • Quote 1: Personification with "the blood… running down" highlights responsibility of power.

  • Quote 2: Anaphora with "mark" emphasizes suffering.

  • Quote 3: Oxymoron in "hapless soldier" critiques war's exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

• Context: Explore the theme of the British Empire and its impact on society.

2. Poem: My Last Duchess

• Form: Dramatic monologue with a single speaker (the Duke).

• Key Quotes:

  1. "Since none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you, but I" (juxtaposition, foreshadowing)

  2. "Then would be some stooping and I choose never to stoop" (sibilance, enjambment)

  3. "Then all smiles stopped together" (caesura, realism)

• Language Analysis:

  • Quote 1: Shows control and insecurity of the Duke.

  • Quote 2: Highlights the Duke’s egotism and disdain for emotional vulnerability.

  • Quote 3: Implies her death, showcasing his power and the chilling effect of control over life.

• Context: Focus on the theme of patriarchy and the Duke's complex relationship to it.

3. Poem: Bayonet Charge

• Form: Epic poem depicting a soldier’s experience in war

• Key Quotes:

  1. "Bullets smacking the belly out of the air" (personification, verb use)

  2. "In bewilderment he almost stopped" (symbolism)

  3. "King, honour, human dignity, etcetera, drop like luxuries" (simile)

• Language Analysis:

  • Quote 1: Emphasizes the brutal reality of war.

  • Quote 2: Symbolizes confusion and loss of purpose in battle.

  • Quote 3: Critiques propaganda’s hollow promises as he removes himself from these ideologies.

• Context: Examine the disillusionment of war and patriarchal expectations.

4. Poem: Remains

• Form: Narrative poem recounting a soldier's trauma after killing.

• Key Quotes:

  1. "Myself and somebody else and somebody else are all of the same mind" (juxtaposition)

  2. "Sleep, dream, and blink" (semantic field, foreshadowing)

  3. "He’s here in my head when I close my eyes" (personification)

• Language Analysis:

  • Quote 1: Highlights depersonalization in combat and the impact of propaganda.

  • Quote 2: Contrast of peace with disturbing memories suggests unresolved trauma (PTSD).

  • Quote 3: Symbolizes the relentless grip of those traumatic experiences on the soldier's psyche.

• Context: Address how war traumatizes individuals while contributing to the larger narrative of masculinity and patriarchy.

5. Poem: Kamikaze

• Form: Epic poem capturing the journey of a kamikaze pilot.

• Key Quotes:

  1. "A shaven head full of powerful incantations" (metaphor, symbolism)

  2. "My mother never spoke again in his presence" (juxtaposition, volta)

  3. "He must have wondered which had been the better way to die" (juxtaposition, symbolism)

• Language Analysis:

  • Quote 1: Reflects the indoctrination and lack of agency in military culture.

  • Quote 2: Shockingly reveals the disownment from society of those who seek to break from control.

  • Quote 3: Contemplates the consequences of defying societal expectations in the search for identity.

• Context: Discuss the influence of propaganda in warfare and its effects on personal identity.

Study Tips

• Revise each poem thoroughly, focusing on the key elements mentioned above.

• Practice comparing and contrasting poems in mock exam conditions.

• Utilize past paper questions to test your understanding and application of these poems.