POWER & CONFLICT
NAME
CLASS
TEACHER(S)
REVISION SHEET
OZYMANDIAS
POEM TITLE
WHAT IS THE
POEM ABOUT?
THEMES / IDEAS
SHELLEY
The statue of a great Egyptian king who thought that he was powerful.
The statue is now destroyed and ruined and surrounded by nothing.
Power doesn’t last
Arrogance
Allegory
“cold command”
KEY
QUOTATIONS
“ ‘Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair’ “
“The lone and level sands stretch far away”
“cold command” - alliteration emphasises the cruelty of the ancient king
LANGUAGE
FEATURES
“Look on my works” – tone implies Ozymandias’ arrogance
“lone and level sands stretch” – alliteration emphasises lack of power
First person narrator – “I”
STRUCTURE/FORM
FEATURES
Irregular rhyme– the rhyme pattern is broken… like the statue?
“cold command” – starts with a description of absolute power…
“lone and level sands stretch away” – …ends with idea of death & emptiness
CONTEXT
LINKS TO…
Inspired by the discovery of a statue of an Egyptian pharaoh in the 1800s.
The Egyptian kings thought that they were immortal.
The broken statues prove they were not.
LONDON
POEM TITLE
WHAT IS THE
POEM ABOUT?
THEMES / IDEAS
BLAKE
The poem describes how many people in London are suffering, and blames
those in power.
Inequality
Powerlessness
Social criticism
“In every cry of every man”
KEY
QUOTATIONS
“mind-forged manacles”
“marriage hearse”
“every cry of every…” – repetition - emphasises scale of inequality & pain
LANGUAGE
FEATURES
“mind-forged manacles” – metaphor – implies that Londoners feel trapped
“marriage hearse” – juxtaposition – a happy life undermined by death
Last line of each stanza is most powerful – each stanza builds tension
STRUCTURE/FORM
FEATURES
Description of suffering and misery increases from start to finish
Final word – “hearse” – poem ends with an image of death
First person – “I” – makes the description sound real, not imagined
CONTEXT
LINKS TO…
Britain was a powerful and rich nation when this poem was written, but the
poem shows that many people were suffering and treated badly by the
wealthy and powerful. The poem criticises this inequality.
THE PRELUDE
POEM TITLE
WHAT IS THE
POEM ABOUT?
THEMES / IDEAS
WORDSWORTH
The poem describes a man’s journey in a small boat.
This journey might represent – or stand for – our journey through life from
innocence to experience, or safety to danger.
Man versus nature
Power of nature
Personal development
“a little boat tied to a willow tree”
KEY
QUOTATIONS
“strode after me”
“were a trouble to my dreams”
“little boat tied to a willow” – word choice – little/willow – imply fragility
LANGUAGE
FEATURES
“strode after me” – the “craggy steep” is personified – it chases him
Repetition of “no” in final lines – creates a negative /uncertain mood
Blank verse – no formal structure – sounds less formal, more conversational
STRUCTURE/FORM
FEATURES
CONTEXT
LINKS WELL TO…
“were a trouble to my dreams” – first person – makes the story sound real
First / last line contrast– starts happy (“summer”) ends anxious (“trouble”)
This is a romantic poem. This doesn’t mean it is about love.
Romantic poets – like Wordsworth – wrote about life and experience.
Romantic poetry is about the powers and conflicts that shape our lives.
MY LAST DUCHESS
POEM TITLE
WHAT IS THE
POEM ABOUT?
THEMES / IDEAS
BROWNING
“My Last Duchess” means “My previous duchess” – my previous wife. The
speaker – the Duke of Ferrara – is speaking about a painting of his last wife
as he prepares to marry again. The poem suggests that he thought his last
wife was too flirtatious – and there are hints that he may have murdered
her…The Duke clearly felt he had no power of his last wife’s behaviour.
Control
Pride
Jealousy
“Looking as if she were alive”
KEY
QUOTATIONS
“All smiles stopped”
“Notice Neptune…taming a sea-horse”
Repetition of “as if…alive” – emphasises obsession with death
LANGUAGE
FEATURES
Tone of “all smiles stopped” – suggests that the duke killed the duchess
Symbolism/metaphor of the statue of Neptune – violent male power
Dramatic monologue – only the Duke’s voice is heard – he is dominant
STRUCTURE/FORM
FEATURES
CONTEXT
LINKS TO…
First line / opening – emphasises importance of the idea of death
Last line / conclusion – emphasises obsession with power and control
The poem is set in 16th century Italy, a time when Italy had great power and
culture. Browning is interested in how power can corrupt.
REVISION SHEET
POEM TITLE
WHAT IS THE
POEM ABOUT?
THEMES / IDEAS
THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
TENNYSON
The poem is about a disastrous battle between British and Russian forces
that took place in 1854. The poem celebrates the bravery of the British
cavalry who knew they were riding to their deaths.
Patriotism
Heroism
Horror of war
“Half a league, half a league / Half a league…”
KEY
QUOTATIONS
“all the world wonder’d”
“into the mouth of Hell”
Repetition – “half a league…” – reflects the tension of the soldiers building
LANGUAGE
FEATURES
Hyperbole – “all the world wonder’d” – Tennyson exaggerates the truth
Personification – “mouth of Hell” – makes Hell seem alive, like a monster
Opening line/introduction – “Half a league…” – tension before tragedy
STRUCTURE/FORM
FEATURES
CONTEXT
LINKS TO…
Rhythm – reflects the pace of battle and the cavalry charge
Last line / conclusion – “Noble six hundred” – reveals the poet’s admiration
Queen Victoria was the ruler of Britain and its empire at the time the poem
was written. One of the strong ideas supporting this power was the idea
that people would always be willing to die ‘for Queen and country’.
REVISION SHEET
EXPOSURE
POEM TITLE
WHAT IS THE
POEM ABOUT?
THEMES / IDEAS
OWEN
WW1 soldiers in trenches. The poem describes that nature – the weather –
is as dangerous as the enemy soldiers. Sitting doing nothing therefore
means that they are slowly dying anyway – there is no escape.
Power of nature
Futility of war
Suffering
“Our brains ache in the merciless iced east winds that knive us…”
KEY
QUOTATIONS
“what are we doing here?”
“nothing happens”
Personification – “east winds that knive us” – nature is the enemy
LANGUAGE
FEATURES
Rhetorical question – “What are we doing here?” – disillusioned, critical
Repetition – “nothing happens” – shows hopelessness – nothing changing
First person – “Our” – reflects the experience of all soldiers (not “my”)
STRUCTURE/FORM
FEATURES
CONTEXT
LINKS TO…
Stanza length – each stanza has the same structure – nothing changes
Last line/conclusion – “Nothing happens” – emphasises hopelessness
Wilfred Owen, wrote this poem while in the trenches himself. He died soon
after writing it. He wanted to expose the truth of the horror of war.
REVISION SHEET
POEM TITLE
WHAT IS THE
POEM ABOUT?
THEMES / IDEAS
STORM ON THE ISLAND
HEANEY
The narrator of the poem is from an isolated island community. He
describes how they try to cope with the powerful storms that attack their
home.
Power of nature
Group experience
Tension / waiting
“We are prepared:”
KEY
QUOTATIONS
“Exploding comfortably”
“It is a huge nothing that we fear”
First person plural – “We are prepared” –represents a community / tone
LANGUAGE
FEATURES
Oxymoron – “Exploding comfortably” – contrasts ideas of fear and safety
Simile – “like a tame cat turned savage” – the storm is personified
Opening/introduction – “we are prepared” – begins with feeling of safety
STRUCTURE/FORM
FEATURES
CONTEXT
LINKS TO…
Position of “Blast” / “Exploding” – placed at start of line to increase impact
Last line/conclusion – again emphasises importance of community – “we”
Seamus Heaney was an Irish writer. Some readers think this poem is linked
to the violent political events that took place in Ireland – Island/Ireland
sound similar, and the first 8 letters of the title spell Stormont – the name
given to Northern Ireland’s parliament building.
REVISION SHEET
BAYONET CHARGE
POEM TITLE
WHAT IS THE
POEM ABOUT?
THEMES / IDEAS
HUGHES
The poem is about a single soldier’s terrifying experience of a bayonet
charge.
Patriotism
Fear
Battle
“Suddenly he awoke and was running”
KEY
QUOTATIONS
“patriotic tear”
“king, honour, human dignity, etcetera”
Personification – “patriotic tear” – The tear is patriotic, not the soldier now
LANGUAGE
FEATURES
Listing – “king, honour, human dignity, etcetera” – devalues these ideas
Opening line - “Suddenly he awoke and was running” – Shock of action
STRUCTURE/FORM
FEATURES
CONTEXT
LINKS TO…
Caesura in stanza 2 – As the soldier’s thoughts slow, the poem’s pace slows
REVISION
Can you remember the full quotation?
Can you comment on it in terms of theme, language, structure, form or context?
POEM
QUOTATION TO COMPLETE
Bayonet Charge
“Suddenly he awoke and was running”
Bayonet Charge
“patriotic tear”
Bayonet Charge
“king, honour, human dignity, etcetera”
Storm on the Island
We are…
Storm on the Island
Exploding…
Storm on the Island
It is a huge nothing …
Exposure
Our brains ache in the merciless…
Exposure
what are we…
Exposure
Nothing…
The Charge of the
Light Brigade
The Charge of the
Light Brigade
The Charge of the
Light Brigade
Half a league…
all the world…
into the mouth…
My Last Duchess
As if…
My Last Duchess
All smiles…
My Last Duchess
Notice Neptune, taming…
The Prelude
a little boat tied to…
The Prelude
strode…
The Prelude
were a trouble to…
London
In every cry…
London
mind-forged…
London
marriage…
Ozymandias
Cold…