Poetry

• Who is the The Manhunt written by?

  Simon Armitage
• what is the context of the manhunt?

  the wife of a soldier gets to know her husband again when he returns from war

  sometimes contains subtitle 'Laura's poem' who is the wife of the soldier Eddie Beddoes

  Eddie suffers from PTSD which is suffered by many soldiers
• what are the stanzas in the manhunt?

  composed of 2 line stanzas of varying lengths of lines

  initially these couplets rhyme making the poem seem closed however the rhyme breaks down making the poem feel disjointed showing the fragility of the soldier
• what poetic technique is used throughout the Manhunt?

  enjambment- gives the poem a sense of movement reflecting the desire of progress from the speaker

  the way the sentences are broken across stanzas also shows how broken the soldier is
• what phrase is repeated throughout the manhunt?

  'only then' emphasises that the soldier's healing is slow and pain-staking
• what is an extended metaphor used in the manhunt?

  rivers

  'the frozen river which ran through his face'

  a physical scar from war but also a psychological scar has been left

  the fact the river is frozen shows the lack of movement and progress
• what is used for 3 consecutive stanzas in the poem?

  pairs of verbs

  'handle and hold'

  'mind and attend'

  'finger and thumb'

  show taking an active role in the soldier's recovery
• what metaphor shows the soldier's fragility?

  'damaged, porcelain collarbone'

  the body is then broken down into separate broken OBJECTS such as 'rudder of shoulder-blade' and 'parachute silk of his punctured lung' showing how war dehumanises soldiers
• what stanza shows the progress of the relationship?

  'Then I widened the search, traced the scarring back to it's source'

  the soldier's wife is moving closer to the cause of suffering but he is still not whole again
• what stanza shows the ongoing PTSD the soldier is objected to?

  'to a sweating unexploded mine

  buried deep in his mind'

  unexploded mine shows the tension and stress caused by the memories the soldier has of war

  he has not dealt with everything as it is 'unexploded'

  his psychological injuries are hidden and difficult to recover and treat

  the metaphor of a bomb shows he is forever intertwined with his experience as a soldier
• what does the final line of the manhunt show?

  'then, and only then, did I come close'

  a muted ending shows that the recovery is not completely and only close to complete

  the repetition of the phrase shows how long the recovery may take
• what poems can you compare the manhunt to?

  the soldier- contrast

  dulce et decorum est- focuses on battle

  living space???

  a wife in london- relationships affected by war

  possibly mametz wood- body imagery
• Who is Sonnet 43 written by?

  Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• what is the context of sonnet 43?


  written as part of series of sonnets about Robert Browning

  forced to court in secret as Elizabeth's father was very strict

  in late 30's when she fell in love

  wrote many poems when they were in separation
• how is the poem sonnet 43 opened?

  'How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.'

  opens with question

  showing personal and conversational nature

  lover is listening intimately

  direct address using thee
• what phrase is repeated in the opening lines?

  'I love thee' used 9 times in the poem

  demonstrates strength of her emotions

  feelings are constant and true despite physical separation with lover

  this form of repetition is almost prayer like and called anaphora

  as if words cannot convey intensity of her emotions so she repeats them
• what technique is used in the second line?

  'I love thee to the depth and breadth and height/ My soul can reach' uses polysyndeton

  reflects her excitement and passion

  emphasises scale of her love

  goes to the very edges 'reach'

  comes from her soul uses religious language and is eternal and unconditional like her faith in God
• what is reflected in the final lines of the poem?

  'and, if God choose,/ I shall but love thee after death'

  reflects her religious faith

  her love is so powerful that it can overcome death
• what is the form of the poem?

  petrarchan sonnet

  octet (ABBACDDC) followed by sestet (EFEFEF)

  turning point between octet and sestet is the volta

  octet introduces intensity and divinity of love

  sestet develops theme showing she loves him for an entire lifetime from 'childhood's faith' to 'death'

  traditional love poem

  iambic pentameter shows consistency
• what language is used continuously in the poem?

  'ideal Grace'

  'Right'

  'Praise'

  use religious language

  love is like religion to her

  touches every aspect of her life
• what poems can you compare sonnet 43 to?

  she walks in beauty- uses exaggerated language to express love

  Valentine- uses positives + negatives of relationships
• who is London written by?

  William Blake
• what is the context for London?

  written at end of 18th century

  period of industrial revolution where London was rapidly growing

  more people moved from countryside

  Blake mourns loss of pastoral ideals as well as other poems in this collection

  Blake revolutionary romantic writer

  angered at control of religion and law
• what is the form of London?

  dramatic monologue

  first person narrator speaks passionately about suffering

  ABAB rhyme scheme unbroken and echos relentless misery of London
• what are the first two lines of the poem?

  'I wander thro' each charter'd street,/ Near where the charter'd Thames does flow'

  repetition of charter'd expresses Blake's frustrations with rules and laws

  rules are unnatural and even powerful natural features like the Thames are under human control

  verb 'wander' suggests aimlessness and pointlessness of his walking and shows how he feels powerless
• what word is repeated in the poem?

  'every'

  emphasises feeling of bleakness

  despair effects everyone including babies 'infant's cry of fear'

  who should be innocent

  similarly innocence is corrupted with 'youthful Harlot's curse'

  emphasised by capitalised 'Man' and 'Infant' to show universality
• what lines are a powerful metaphor?

  'In every voice, in every ban,/ The mind forg'd manacles'

  implies the rules and laws placed on common people have been internalised and are inescapable

  people are trapped as even thoughts are under control
• what image does the Church create?

  'Every black'ning Church appalls'

  should be religious image of hope but Blake inverts this

  angry with all forms of power

  believes the Church has corrupted and tarnished by failure to protect ordinary people

  black image also could suggest the soot that has tarnished the city by industry
• what views does Blake take in the last lines of the 3rd stanza?

  'And the hapless Soldier's sigh/ Runs in blood down Palace walls'

  takes anti monarchy stance

  ordinary people are suffering and the royalty hide behind the protection of the palace walls

  palace have blood on their hands
• what is language is used in the poem?

  use of the senses

  'curse' -swearing

  'cry of fear'

  'I hear'

  'mark'

  depressing sights and sounds of the city

  first stanza- SEE

  second stanza- HEAR

  last 2- combine the 2
• what poems can you compare London to?

  A wife in London- uses imagery of city to express individual's feelings

  to autumn and the prelude- negative images of city with positive portrayal of country
• Who is The Soldier written by?

  Rupert Brooke
• what is the context for the soldier?

  wrote this in 1914 at outbreak of war

  not an experienced soldier

  well-educated man from Cambridge

  lived pastoral and idyllic life

  England's beauty often emphasised in his poetry

  feelings of patriotism widespread in England

  war was very different- things such as machine guns were new
• what metaphor is used to talk about Brooke's dead body?

  'There shall be/ In that rich earth a richer dust concealed'

  dust references his dead body

  has religious connotations such as the book of Genesis as man is created from dust

  also book of common prayer says 'ashes to ashes, dust to dust' spoken at many English funerals

  even when he dies an eternal part of him will carry on

  wealth is gained from dying for one's country (contrast to DEDE)
• how does the poem personify England?

  'A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,/ Gave once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam.'

  portrays England as a mother

  shows how England brings him comfort and reassurance

  she is generous and giving to her young
• what line shows the soldier will attempt to give back to England?

  'Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given'

  progression from gives to given makes the line cyclical and reciprocal

  the soldier will repay the generosity of his motherland
• what is the ending of the poem like?

  'and gentleness/ In hearts at peace, under and English heaven'

  calm and tranquility

  sacrifice is rewarded by eternity in utopia or heaven

  idealistic imagery does not reflect the reality of the war which Brooke never experienced
• what imagery is used throughout this poem?

  'flowers'

  'rivers'

  'suns'

  'air'

  uses nature imagery to capture England's idyllic landscape

  nothing more natural than love and patriotism of England
• what form is this poem in?

  the form of the poem is a sonnet

  object of love is England

  elevates his emotions and shows how strong they are

  the octet shows how England has enriched his life, whereas after the volta the sestet considers how he will return his gifts to his country
• what poems can you compare The Soldier to?

  Mametz Wood + Dulce- about WW1

  A Wife in London- a soldier's plans are hindered by his early death