Ozymandias

'Of that colossal wreck'

● The ruined statue shows how human achievements are insignificant compared to the passing
of time. The oxymoron here is used to emphasise that his work did not last and show the scale
of destruction. Nothing is left and even if it is in a million pieces and a symbol of the
consequences of power not his success.

'Look on my Works, ye mighty and despair!' - Volta

● These are the words of Ozymandias who would hope that when people see this statue around
the amazing city that he built they would be in awe of his power but ironically it shows how
nothing is left of his power and that human power doesn't last.
● Secondly, 'My works' refer to the artwork/artist, even though it was made to be a celebration
of Ozymandias, the actual words suggest that the artist should be celebrated meaning
Ozymandias should be in 'despair'.

'I met a traveller from an antique land'

● The poet distances himself from the statue by hearing about it second hand rather than by
himself. The idea of an 'ancient land' suggests it is long forgotten. The poem is believed to be
about a dictatorship and the idea that a thirst for power and ruling dates back in history and
can be compared to modern day Britain where we have a government and in the end they will
just be reduced to history books. From a distant land undermines the great king

'And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command'

● The verb 'wrinkled' suggests that the power of Ozymandias' was already fading, even though
the statue was made to be during the peak of his ruling, he was already losing power and
beginning to slip away.
● This idea is important as it shows that humans shouldn't cling on to power, just like Napoleon
who was a dictator in 1810 he seemed invincible and conquered Europe but in 1812 became
defeated, it was believed that this poem was based loosely on Napoleon.
● The verb 'sneer' conveys ideas that rulers have no contempt or sympathy and another political
reference to suggest that they have no interest to help the ordinary citizens. This idea is then
emphasised by the alliteration of the hard 'c' sound to show how emotionless the ruler is. The
noun 'command' suggests an army leader without emotion such as Napoleon.
 Bayonet Charge

“His terror's touchy dynamite”

● The ruined statue shows how human achievements are insignificant compared to the passing
of time. The oxymoron here is used to emphasise that his work did not last and show the scale
of destruction. Nothing is left and even if it is in a million pieces and a symbol of the
consequences of power not his success.

“Dropped like luxuries”

● These are the words of Ozymandias who would hope that when people see this statue around
the amazing city that he built they would be in awe of his power but ironically it shows how
nothing is left of his power and that human power doesn't last.
● Secondly, 'My works' refer to the artwork/artist, even though it was made to be a celebration
of Ozymandias, the actual words suggest that the artist should be celebrated meaning
Ozymandias should be in 'despair'.

'Suddenly he awoke and was running- raw”

● This poem begins in media res, as war is like an unnatural awakening. Our normal lives are
like a dream and then for this soldier he is being put into war which is a change from normal
life.
● The repetition of 'raw' gives the impression war is painful and emotional. He has contrasted
war with real life through speed, ' running' and 'suddenly' which indicates speed.
● There are no full stops in the poem for a long time to indicate the idea of breathlessness, as he
could be running away from danger or represents how war always keeps you on edge.
● Another contrast is his 'hot khaki' – this is supposed to be protecting him but instead, it’s
damaging him, coupled with the idea of 'raw-seemed' is literal of the soldiers burning of lice
and then finding them in the seems and also non-literal as it is the thicker part of the uniform
and rubs against the soldiers skin causing friction.
● The use of the adjective 'raw' is deliberate here as it is war backwards, this could be to show
that the things which are supposed to protect him have turned against him.

“Bullets smacking the belly out of the air”

● This line is very bizarre and ironic, there is an alliteration of 'bullets' and 'belly' which is
comical and also coupled with the verb 'smacking' heightens the comedy.
● The use of personification of 'the belly out of the air' is to add more comedic effect and also
present the soldiers relief and amusement that he hasn't been hit by the bullets and is safe, it is
further ironic as if it hits his belly he dies and the air will suffer no consequences.
● He then also describes the rifle to be a part of his body and as if a natural reflex. He is also
'numb' to show he cannot experience feelings and has to suppress them and this brings out the
comedy in him. Hughes lengthens the poem through the word choice of 'lugged' as it takes a
long time to say, this contrasts the urgency of the soldier.
 War Photographer

'In his dark room he is finally alone with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows'
● In the beginning Duffy changes the form from trochaic to iambic pentameter; this is to make
the reader feel unsettled. The use of symbolism of the 'dark room' to reflect his purpose; is he
a dark person or is he capturing dark events.
● The red light of the darkroom has connotations of the light that burns continuously in Catholic
churches to symbolise the presence of Christ and also of blood– a sight that the photographer
must be all too familiar with.
● Aside from the function of the light to help process the films and protect the images he has
taken, there is more than a suggestion that the darkroom is a place of sanctuary for the
photographer, just as a religious or spiritual person may look for the same kind of solace in a
church had they been confronted with the same horrors that the photographer must endure.
● The darkroom is a metaphor for the photographer’s depression; the result of the suffering he
sees. It could also signify the way humans deliberately block out and hide from unpleasant
truths.
● The photographs being in 'ordered rows' could be an allusion to a graveyard as he is
essentially capturing people's deaths. = This therefore presents a moral dilemma as he earns a
living using other people's suffering but he is also exposing the deaths to the western world.

‘A half- formed ghost. He remembers the cries of this man's wife, how he sought approval'
● As the image develops in the solution, Duffy uses a metaphor to liken it to a 'half formed
ghost', this is used to deliberately remind us the person being photographed is dead. We are
then focusing on the man's wife, he puts the verb 'cries' at the end of the line to emphasise the
pain she feels. This is then contrasts his feelings as he seeks approval to photograph the death,
but we don't know if he receives it, this is to further imply a moral dilemma.

'The reader's eyeballs prick/ with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers'
● There is an internal rhyme here which is to make the line feel jolly, this is done ironically as
the reader should feel shock and horror. He also uses 'prick' which suggests it is tiny and
suggests how little this impacts then as they don't fully form. Although he wanted to
transform how the reader saw the war they actually forget about it, they metaphorically wash
it out through the bath and getting drunk. Shows the western world is aware but ignores the
conflict and suffering. It also shows his pain and moral dilemma has been for nothing as he is
unable to change theses people's minds.
 My Last Duchess

'That's my last Duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call'
● The noun 'last' suggests that she is dead and suggests that she was just one of many. The
painting is physically painted onto the wall not hung and shows urgency as these paintings
only take a day (it was the style) showing that he wanted to kill her quickly and the artwork is
more important that her.
● He can't wait to have her executed. The pronoun 'my' shows how he sees her as a possession
to present his power.
● The poem is written in iambic pentameter, meaning that each line has five iambs (de-dums). It
is said that such a meter fits the natural conversational rhythm of English particularly well –
an apt choice then, for a poem depicting a scene of this nature. The rigid rhyming couplets
aim to mimic the speaker’s sense of order and power.

“that spot of joy into the Duchess' cheek”

● Suggests he has jealousy for his wife and decides to kill her.
● The noun 'spot' is symbolic of sin to suggest she was in the wrong, he tries to deface her
image by suggesting she was unfaithful but he was only jealous.
● Enjambment is used throughout the entirety of the poem, as sentences run across lines of
poetry. The effect of this is two-fold. Primarily, it reflects the long, rambling sentences of the
conversation hogging, egotistical Duke. Secondly, it makes the poem difficult to read,
disrupting the flow to create a stop-start rhythm – representative of the awkward nature of the
conversation.

“I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together.”

● This is where it is revealed that he had his wife killed.
● The plural of 'smiles' suggests that she smiled too much. He gives him the respect she gives
everyone else and he doesn't like how she doesn't notice his power.
● The verb 'passed' suggests that they don't see each other much as they would only 'pass' each
other. The verb 'passes' is also a euphemism for death.
● Browning here attacks ruling classes as they allow for men to treat women as possessions
within society. It also shows that he is above the law, the full stop marks the end of her life.
● Browning uses irony to get across the true meaning of the poem: Despite the Duke’s harangue
of the Duchess’s character traits, this is not a poem lamenting her, but rather the Duke’s own
tyranny, ego-centrism, and jealousy. Several language features create this, for example the
rhetorical question he utilises to assert that he should never ‘stoop’, an idea which is
immediately contradicted by the ‘command’ (a verb reflecting his oppressive nature) to have
her killed.
 Exposure

“Our brains ache”

● Owen persistently personifies the weather to create the impression that the weather is as much
of danger to the soldiers as the enemy itself. The weather is constantly referred to as an
enemy, for example through suggesting it ‘knives’ the men, gathers a ‘melancholy army’
against them, and uses ‘stealth’ to attack them. The use of pathetic fallacy (e.g. the ‘mad
gusts’) even add emotions and malice to the forces of nature.
● The assonance of the repeated 'i' slows down the pace to mimic the feelings of the soldier
being out in the cold for a long time. Also our expectations are challenged: we would expect a
silent night to allow people time to sleep or relax without stress but it is the opposite, this is to
suggest war turns everything upside down.
● Suggests the enemy could be preparing an attack and reflects a tired tone through 'wearied
we... awake' the 'w' here is used to draw out the line even further to convey the long length of
time the soldiers are experiencing.

“Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army.”

● Similes and metaphors are used to figuratively describe the physical and psychological pain
that the men are enduring. For example, the dawn of a new day is compared to a ‘melancholy
army’ being amassed – a new day signals a repeat of the cycle of misery and despair. The use
of 'massing' here suggests the danger is larger from the weather.
● The use of personification suggests as if the weather is arming itself up and having better
protection than the soldiers do.
● Also the use of pathetic fallacy here 'melancholy' to reflect the emotions of the soldiers but
also to depict the weather doesn't want to be this way but it needs to protect the great horrors
of war from attacking nature. This was much like many soldiers who didn't have the choice to
fight. The repetition of 'ranks ' and the assonance 'a' sound suggests the attack from nature is
endless and the soldiers can do nothing about it. Lastly we are painted a picture of all the
soldiers shivering in these trenches together, the idea of it only being 'grey' shows it is not a
personal attack on the soldier but just something the weather has to do.

"Like twitching agonies”

● Wilfred Owen uses the simile . to show a gruesome image of dead soldiers in no-man's land.
● However, the simile could also compare the force of the wind to the physical agony
experienced by the men during conflict. Although calm and more emotionally than physically
brutal, Owen reminds the reader of the physical torment of war.
 Storm on the Island
"We are prepared: we build our houses squat, / Sink walls in rock and roof them with good
slate."
● These lines indicate the resilience and determination of the islanders in the face of the storm.
They have learnt from their past experiences and have built strong houses that can withstand
the stormy winds.
● The use of the word "squat" suggests that the houses are compact and sturdy, while the phrase
"sink walls in rock" implies that the houses are firmly anchored to the ground.
● The use of the word "good" to describe the slate used for roofing suggests that the islanders
have taken great care in building their homes.

"We are bombarded by the empty air."

● This line highlights the contrast between the power of the storm and the emptiness of the air
around the island. The phrase "bombarded by the empty air" suggests that the storm is so
powerful that it can make the very air around the island feel heavy and oppressive. This line
also highlights the vulnerability of the islanders in the face of the storm.

“Space is a salvo / We are bombarded with it at every turn."

● These lines suggest that the storm has created a sense of claustrophobia on the island. The use
of the military term "salvo" suggests that the storm is like an attack, and the islanders are
constantly under siege.
● The phrase "bombarded with it at every turn" suggests that there is no escape from the storm,
and that it has permeated every aspect of life on the island.

“It is a huge nothing we fear”

● It suggests that the islanders are not afraid of the storm itself, but of the powerlessness they
feel in the face of it.
● The use of the word "nothing" suggests that the storm is an abstract concept that the islanders
cannot control or comprehend. This line also highlights the human tendency to fear the
unknown.
 Remains
"On another occasion, we got sent out / to tackle looters raiding a bank"
● This quote introduces the setting of the poem and establishes the speaker as a soldier. The use
of the phrase "on another occasion" implies that this is not the first time the speaker has been
sent out on a mission, suggesting that he has been in the military for some time.
● The use of the word "tackle" implies that the soldiers are actively engaging the looters, rather
than merely observing or deterring them. This establishes the soldiers as an active force in the
conflict.

"probably armed, possibly not"

● The use of the word "probably" suggests that the soldiers do not have definitive information
about the looters' armaments, but that the assumption is that they are armed.
● The use of the phrase "possibly not" introduces a sense of uncertainty and danger, as the
soldiers cannot be certain that the looters are unarmed. This contributes to a sense of tension
and unease in the poem.

"his blood-shadow stays on the street, and out on patrol / I walk right over it week after week"
● The use of "blood-shadow" is a powerful image that suggests the soldier cannot shake off the
memory of what happened.
● The repetition of "week after week" shows that the memory is constantly present and is
affecting the speaker's daily life. This line highlights the lasting impact of traumatic events
and the difficulties soldiers face when trying to move on from them.

"I see every round as it rips through his life"

● This suggests that the speaker is haunted by the violence he has witnessed and participated in,
and that he feels responsible for the death of the looter.
● The use of the word "round" suggests that the speaker is referring to bullets, and the use of the
word "rips" implies violence and destruction.

"the drink and the drugs won't flush him out"

● This suggests that the speaker is struggling to come to terms with his experiences.
● The use of the phrase "flush him out" suggests that the speaker is trying to rid himself of the
memories and emotions associated with the violence he has witnessed.
● The use of the words "drink and drugs" implies that the speaker is turning to substance abuse
as a coping mechanism.

"his bloody life in my bloody hands"

● This suggests that the speaker is grappling with the moral implications of his actions and the
impact they have had on the life of the looter he has killed.
● The use of the word "bloody" suggests violence and bloodshed, and the repetition of the word
creates a sense of emphasis and intensity.
● The use of the possessive "my" implies a sense of responsibility and guilt on the part of the
speaker.

Kamikaze – Beatrice Garland

"a tuna, the dark prince, muscular, dangerous"

 ● Garland uses the metaphor of a tuna fish to describe the kamikaze pilot.
● The words "muscular" and "dangerous" signify the strength and power of the pilot, while
"prince" suggests the high honor and status they held in Japanese society.
● The context of WWII Japan, where kamikaze pilots were revered as heroes and martyrs,
highlights the cultural significance of such metaphors.

"he must have wondered which had been the better way to die"
● The word "better" implies that the pilot had a choice in how to die, but the fact that he is a
kamikaze suggests otherwise.
● This paradoxical phrase highlights the internal conflict of the pilot as he contemplates his fate.
● The context of WWII Japan, where kamikaze pilots were expected to sacrifice themselves for
their country, emphasizes the magnitude of this internal struggle.
"a shaven head full of powerful incantations, a Samurai"
● The words "shaven head" and "powerful incantations" suggest the pilot's religious and
spiritual preparation for his mission.
● The reference to the Samurai further emphasizes the pilot's honor and status in Japanese
society.
● The context of WWII Japan, where the Samurai code of honor and loyalty was deeply
ingrained, highlights the cultural significance of these references.
"they treated him as though he no longer existed"
● The word "treated" suggests a deliberate and conscious action, while "no longer existed"
implies a complete erasure of the pilot's former identity.
● This phrase highlights the social stigma that kamikaze pilots faced after their missions.
● The context of WWII Japan, where the cultural reverence for kamikaze pilots did not
necessarily extend to their families, emphasizes the isolation and loneliness that these pilots
experienced.
 Poppies – Jane Weir

“Blackthorn’
● Links back to when jesus was crucified and sacrificed himself for humanity (which is what
the soldier is doing for his country) and had to wear thorns on his head which reminds his
mother of jesus and could suggest that his mother is sending him to his death.reminiscent of
the barbed wire landscape.

‘sellotape bandaged around my hand’

● The idea of the sticky sellotape that is surrounding her hand gives the sense of claustrophobia
and suffocation, whereby she feels strange in her own domestic life knowing that she has to
say goodbye to her son. Similarly, when we think of the sellotape, we think of a tackiness and
its almost as if her life is closing in around her, like the sellotape is on her hand that forces her
to become so detached and distressed with the aftermath of conflict.
● One could argue that the stickiness of the sellotape was the final bond that held the mother to
her son and now, once she removes the last cat hair, there is no longer a metaphorical
sellotape bond that holds them together, it seems that now, the only way she can connect
herself back to her son is if she physically removes the hairs from him and tries to create a
sticky barrier that would hopefully bring them closer.

‘Treasure chest’
● War to him only has positive connotations
● The simile about the treasure chest could also indicate that the mother feels as though she is
losing her child to the world.
● Normally, treasure is lost for centuries before it is found by people (or sometimes never found
at all) - taking that into consideration, with the son going off to war, the chances of him
coming back are low and therefore she describes his departure like that of a treasure chest and
therefore shows the emotional effect of conflict on those left behind through the feeling of
loss.
● The caesura on the line ends prematurely, perhaps reflecting the mother’s fear that her son’s
life will end prematurely
‘Wishbone’
● Legs are spread wide and arms kept by her side – as though she is collapsing, an image of her
physical grief at the war memorial.
● Works as a oxymoron – ‘wish’ and ‘bone’ – she wishes her son was alive but her son is dead,
he is a skeleton, ‘bone’
● Wishbones are snapped in half alluding to how the son’s wish to go to war has snapped the
relationship between mother and son.
● Wishbone –you make the wish with a child but here he is absent so the wishbone is never
broken so the wish is never made/never fulfilled.
 Charge of the Light Brigade – Alfred Lord Tennyson

'Half a league, half a league, half a league onward, All into the valley of death'
● The use of anaphora here is used to create a sense of rhythm and mimics the sound of the
horses and the charge.
● The idea of a 'valley of death' is a biblical reference (Allusion psalm 23) which is used to
convey that although they are going to kill people it is not wrong as god is on their side.
● This also brings a sense of peace to Christians with the idea that it is justified as they will get
into heaven. The 'half a league' repetition is to slow down time and build up tension allowing
the reader to understand the inevitable fate of death.
'Theirs not to make reply, theirs but to question why, theirs but to do and die'
● The alliteration here puts emphasis on the inevitable death.
● The 'do' and 'die' here is used to show there is no escape and shows the great heroism of the
soldiers, and they would do anything for their country and duty.
● This highlights the honour the soldiers should feel as they would do anything for their
country, which would be important to console people back home.
● This further emphasises the heroism as these soldiers could have known that the order was a
mistake but they still followed their duty to protect their country and the parallel structure
which these lines follow show how all the soldiers are in it together.
'Cannon to the left of them, cannon to the right of them, cannon in front of them'
● The use of repetition of the word ‘cannon’, which creates the idea of the soldiers being
surrounded but as one unit, they were all together.
● This is also used for the same repetition at the end to show even though some died they are
still together. The rhyme scheme also mimics their obedience, it also creates vivid imagery
and allows the reader to feel as the soldiers would, like they were being closed in on.
'Honour the light brigade, honour the charge they made, noble six hundred'
● The use of the verb 'honour' here is being used as a command, as many people were more
outraged by the acts of the government, Tennyson focuses more on the admiration and
nobility of the soldiers.
● The noun 'noble' here is used to break the pattern of the repetitive anaphora, previously used
which would make the reader focus more and process the message better. Lastly Tennyson
focuses on the six hundred soldiers as one unit, dead or alive.
 The Emigree – Carol Rumens

'There once was a country... I left it as a child but my memory of it is sunlight clear'
● Begins in the format of a story, and the past tense of the verb 'was' suggests that this country
is no longer existing, or perhaps taken over losing its identity. The symbolism of her
memories being 'sunlight clear' are a permanently happy, sunlight is a recurring theme which
is a symbol of hope within the poem.

'It may be at war, it may be sick with tyrants, but I am branded by an impression of sunlight'
● There is then a contrast to how they country is presented now, she suggests by leaving the
country she is in a better place as she is not in a country which is full of 'tyrants' and 'war' but
that it also allowed for her to be able to remember her country in good memories. She uses the
verb 'branded' to show a mark of ownership and that her memories own her and that her
childhood experiences have always stayed with her, it bring negative connotations with the
verb as she is marked which may seem harsh. But then Ruemens brings back this idea of
'sunlight' showing she always carries hope despite her memories.

'My city hides behind me. They mutter death, and my shadow falls as evidence of sunlight'
● This shows that she carries with her her mother tongue language but it could also present that
she sees it all through a child's perspective, a lot more innocent. She looks back and describes
it as a 'hollow doll' to desribe her childhood and that her memories aren't real and that as an
adult she can look back and see it was a clouded perspective. This makes the sunlight
memories seem different as it was a smpistic representation of the troubles. These doubts are
then quickly eradicated as she 'spills a grammar', which suggests that holding onto her
language which she clings onto makes her feel closer to her home country.

'It lies down in front of me, docile as paper; I comb its hair and love its shining eyes.'
● She then goes on to personify her country, the simile 'docile as paper' could show how she is
able to recreate the city in the form of a poem on the paper, which is allows for more control,
'I comb its hair and love its shining eyes' she understands that her fabrication of her city
doesn't allow a true representation. This also conveys the attention she is giving and the
'shining eyes' could be like a doll which cannot see and are therefore blind conveying how her
image of her life is a false projection, not 'sunlight' filled. It also conveys a sense of loneliness
and as 'I' is repeated.