power and conflict anthology
OZYMANDIAS - SHELLEY
overall meaning
the power of nature over mortal humans, and power is temporary
etymology of the name Ozymandias shows that mortals hold no real power against nature. ‘ozy’ means air, and ‘mandias’ means to rule
structure and form
Shelley’s way of ridiculing all those who view power as eternal, by presenting someone who has this belief as foolish and egotistical
sonnet structure, Shelley conveying his ironic love for himself
furthermore caesura and enjambment are used throughout the poem for reflect the crumbling statue and ozymadias’ crumbling power
literary techniques
his mortal power is shown to be useless against nature
juxtaposition of the confident exclamation “look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!”
metaphor “sands stretch far away” passing of time has erased his power
negative and cruel semantic field surrounding Ozymandias, shows Shelley’s criticism of those who wish to hold ultimate power
“wrinkled lip” ”sneer” ”cold command”
context
shelley was a romantic and antimonarchist and believed King George had been in power to long, so this whole poem is a critisism of king george, yet as shelley wrote this poem as from the view of a distant traveller, he cannot be attached to these views himself
compare to
my last duchess - power is corrupting, power leads to pride, power can be undermined, power is oppressive
london - nature ever powerful, power in the hands of some is corrupting
the prelude - nature more powerful than man
LONDON - BLAKE
overall meaning
power in the hands of some is corrupting and oppressive, the conflict between the oppressed and the powerful
the constant reference of acknowledging suffering, auditory imagery, “cry” “tear” “voice” “I hear”
structure and form
structure mimics the control the narrator feels he is under, mimics the control the people of London are under
regular structure, four quatrains, each containing a line of iambic pentameter, and there is a regular ABAB rhyme scheme
repetition of “chartered” emphasised the control people are under
literary techniques
the power London holds corrupts even the most joyous aspects of life
oxymoron at the end “plagues the marriage hearse”
“blackning church” corrupted and polluted church
context
blake was a romantic poet who lived in london most his life, but believed all the institutions in the city were corrupt, and through his poetry he criticized these institutions and promoted equality, he was radical at the time
compare to
my last duchess - in both power is corrupting, and causes suffering, one on an individual level, and one on an institutional level
EXTRACT FROM, THE PRELUDE - WORDSWORTH
overall meaning
one should respect the power of nature, as the initially arrogant narrator is humbled beneath the powerful mountain, fragility of human life compared to natural power
could be a metaphor for growing up, he feels intimidated by the threat of adolescence, the mountain is the threat of his adult self and the dismissal of his youth
the personification of nature at the end of the poem “move slowly through the mind” and “a trouble to my dreams” he feels inferior and humbled by the power of nature
mystical references to reflect mystical and dreamlike childhood “elfin” “sparkling light.”
structure and form
part of an autobiographical epic, and is a personal narration where he experiences and epiphany
iambic pentameter, blank verse, free flowing thoughts, the volta in line 21 conveys his sudden epiphany, from comfortability to fear and uncertainty
literary techniques
the repetition of huge - he is at a loss for words, he doesn’t understand this, he can’t comprehend it’s power, he is afraid.
repetition of huge
euphemisms to describe mountain “that spectacle”
context
fictionalised version of Wordswortth himself, so he’s narrating his experiences to us, possibly warning us of things, reminding us of the power if nature, as he wrote in the midst of the industrial revolution
compare to
storm on the island - both convey the power of nature, the fear both narrators have for nature, and that humans can do little in the face of nature, however one conflict is physical and the other is psychological
ozymandias - overwhelming power of nature, the foolish arrogance of humans
exposure - power of nature
MY LAST DUCHESS - BROWNING
overall meaning
a critique of the oppressive nature of patriarchal authority, conflict between powerful and powerless, conflict between outwards appearances and true nature
never refers to the duchess by her name, always refers to her as “my” and “her” and even at one point his “object” throughout poem
structure and form
explores the duke’s self centred nature and need for dominance and control , and his growing madness
dramatic monologue, entirely the duke’s perspective, rhyming couplets and iambic pentameter show need for control, however as the poem progresses there are more caesuras and enjambment showing his growing madness and loss of control
literary techniques
his destructive power shown through euphimism for his Duchess’s murder
“i gave commands then all smiles stopped” - shows people obeyed him, he had power, he is superior,
context
set in italy during the italian renaissance, was written during the industrial revolution, when women were starting to demand for better rights, and browning was a poet who married for love, and his wife was a respected poet herself
compare to
ozymandias - both power wielding people are narcissistic, power is unstable and easily lost
london - corruption of power at an individual and institutional level
CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE - TENNYSON
overall meaning
praising the soldiers who followed the orders of the powerful, which lead them to their certain deaths, comment on inner conflict, knowing you will die but still doing your duty
repetition throughout the poem of “rode the six hundred” despite all that was going on around them, they still rode and followed their orders and at the end of the poem they are labelled the “noble six hundred”
literary techniques
euphimisms to describe war and conflict, as his job as poet laureate was to convey the patriotic version of war rather than the realities
“horse and hero fell” - softens the impact and the reality of brutal battle
bravery emphasised by making their fate seem more inescapable
“jaws of death” “mouth of hell”
structure and form
ballad to commemorate a story for future generations, this poem memorializes the soldiers
six stanzas - one stanza to memorialize each 100
dactylic dimeter makes the poem fast paced, reflects horses hooves, beating hearts
end stopped lines to show certainty and resolve “theirs but to do and die.”
context
about 600 british cavalry soldiers in 1854 in the crimean war, against the russian artillery. strong theme of nationalism through the poem, as a poet laureate that was his job, but to do your duty even in death
compare to
bayonet charge
exposure
EXPOSURE - OWEN
overall meaning
conflict between propaganda and harsh realities of war and how humans have to survive in bleak condition, humans v nature
metaphor at the end of the poem, “all their eyes are ice” shows how nature has overpowered them, and how war has left them all traumatized
structure and form
shared experience
collective pronouns throughout the whole poem
futile war, nothing has actually happened
“but nothing happens” at the beginning and end of the poem, and anaphora throughout the whole poem
boredom of war
ellipses in the second line of first stanza “us…”
literary techniques
nature is plotted against man, powerful over man
personifies nature throughout the whole poem, “the wind’s nonchalance,” “pale flakes… fingering for our faces,”
context
wilfred owen was a soldier in ww1, and he wanted to dispel the romanticized myth of war in britain at the time, he himself was put into hospital with shell shock. conditions were awful in the trenches
compare to
charge of the light brigade
storm on the island
STORM ON THE ISLAND - HEANEY
overall meaning
the power of nature, or an allegory for the troubles
semantic field of violence and war, “blows, blast, pummels, exploding, bombarded”
structure and form
cyclical structure
half rhyme at the end and the beginning which show this storm is everlasting and inescapable
enjambment and caesura and one long stanza
storm is uncontrollable, there is no order
literary techniques
storm is expected, as sad reality
oxymoron of fear and safety with, “exploding comfortably,” and the colloquial language throughout the poem, “you know what I mean”
context
as it is an allegory about the troubles, the collective pronoun and the one long stanza could be heaney t
rying to convey the importance of unity
compare to
the prelude - power of nature
ozymandias
BAYONET CHARGE - HUGHES
overall meaning
the harsh realities of war compared to propaganda
similes throughout the poem suggest that this soldier cannot comprehend the realities of war so explains it in the only way he can “sweating like molten iron,” and, “rolled like a flame.”
structure and form
chaos of war
starts in media res, enjambment throughout, reader struggles to keep understand the structure, as he struggles to understand the chaos
literary techniques
critique of patriotic propaganda
mocking tone of, “king, honour, human dignity, etcetera,”
patriotism can be overwhelming
“centre of his chest” “patriotic tear”
context
was born after ww1, but wanted to challenge the patriotic ideals surrounding war, and convey the panic and turmoil soldiers felt in the moment
compare to
remains
exposure
war photographer
REMAINS - ARMITAGE
overall meaning
the lasting impact of war, a portrayal of the suffering and trauma soldiers experience after returning from war
childish and colloquial language throughout the poem, how it is impossible to process things, “mates, somebody else and somebody else, tosses his guts,” loss of humanity
structure and form
his trauma leads him to blame himself entirely, he is left with gut wrenching guilt
volta in the poem from third person narrative to first person narrative, “myself and somebody else and somebody else,” to, “I swear I see,” and, “his bloody life in my bloody hands.”
his guilt is inescapable
enjambment conveys how the memories follow him and do not stop, even when he has left the war zone, “but I blink and he bursts again”
literary techniques
memories keep coming back to him
anaphora of, “possibly armed, probably not”
soldiers are not supposed the question of the morality of what they have to do
“three of a kind,” “all of the same mind
he is left mad at the war place
sibilance with, “some distant sun stunned sand smothered land”
context
this poem is based off the experience of a young man who fought in Iraq, and by not referencing the war or the identity of the narrator, Armitage is conveying that this could be anyone
compare to
bayonet charge - soldier’s experience of conflict, and its psychological impact
war photographer - suffering inflicted through haunting memories
POPPIES - WEIR
overall meaning
makes the reader aware of the suffering families go to when a member of their family goes to war
military terms used alongside domestic images throughout the poem, “without a winter coat or reinforcements” which highlights the stark contrast between the comfort of home, and the harsh reality that her son is no longer with her
structure and form
the feeling of loss is endless
enjambment used throughout the poem to demonstrate that her sadness is endless as constant, “felt... slowly melting”
the loss is personal, and loss of family
dramatic monologue which is addressed to her son, which conveys her honest and intimate emotions
literary techniques
sacrifice of the son is honoured, son presented has sacrificed himself for the good of the country
allusion to Jesus’ crown of thorns with the phrase, “blackthorns of your hair”
loneliness is conveyed through the metaphor of a bird being released, however it is only a singular dove rather than the two that are usually together at xmas “single dove”
softness and delicacy of loss, she’s powerless in the face of conflict
language of textiles throughout, “stitch, pleats, felt”
context
Duffy asked Weir to write a poem to raise awareness about the suffering people go through when loved ones go to war, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan
compare to
Kamikaze - both present ideas about personal loss due to conflict, explore ideas about bravery and honour, and attitudes to conflict, and the powerlessness for all those involved in conflict
War Photographer - impact of conflict on soldiers from unconventional perspective
Remains - unrelenting nature of grief and loss, powerless in the wake of war, due to the haunting trauma
Charge of the Light Brigade - both talk about the ideas of honour and bravery, both remember losses, however one is personal and the other impersonal
WAR PHOTOGRAPHER - DUFFY
overall meaning
structure and form
literary techniques
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TISSUE - DHARKER
overall meaning
structure and form
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THE EMIGRÉE - RUMENS
overall meaning
structure and form
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CHECKING OUT ME HISTORY - AGARD
overall meaning
structure and form
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KAMIKAZE - GARLAND
overall meaning
structure and form
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