English Lit Poem Quotes

• Who was on the throne when Ozymandias was written? What is the significance of this?

  George III, who led many battles, just like Rameses II (Ozymandias) - the whole poem relates to the situation in England.
• Give two details about Percy Shelley and explain why they relate to the poem.

  .He was a pacifist, which explains why he appears very anti-war and represents Ozymandias as a cruel dictator

  .He was one of the second generation of romanticists, who tended to set poems in distant lands to set themselves apart from the first romanticists
• Give three themes of Ozymandias.

  .Those in power believe their power is supreme

  .Art lasts longer than human power

  .Nature is the only permanent power
• What elements of a Petrarchan sonnet has Shelley used in Ozymandias?

  The first octave presents Ozymandias (the problem), and the sestet illuminates his loss of power.
• What elements of a Shakespearean sonnet has Shelley used in Ozymandias and how does this change by the end of the poem?

  It begins with a Shakespearean sonnet rhyme scheme (lines 1 to 3) then changes to a new, irregular rhyme scheme.
• What does the change in sonnet form in Ozymandias represent?

  Not even the form of sonnet is constant, just like power.
• What is the significance of 'I met a traveller' in Ozymandias?


  It distances Shelley from the poem - prevents it becoming an open, direct criticism of the British monarchy.
• Give three examples of negative language in Ozymandias. Why has Shelley chosen these words?

  'shattered', 'frown' 'sneer' - impresses that he is not praising the powerful.
• What is the significance of 'cold command' in Ozymandias?

  The alliteration of the hard 'c' sound reflects Ozymandias' harsh nature.
• Give an example of a religious reference in Ozymandias. Why is this significant?

  Ozymandias refers to himself as 'King of Kings', the title of Jesus - he sees himself as God-like.
• What is the significance of Seamus Heaney being born in 1939?

  He lived through the conflict between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
• What is the significance of 'you know what I mean' and the juxtaposition "exploding comfortably" in Storm on the Island?

  Use of everyday language seems out of place as the situation is not normal - the inhabitants see it as normal as they have experienced it many a time.
• What is the significance of the use of one stanza and enjambment in Storm on the Island?


  It makes the storm seem overwhelming and inescapable.
• What is the significance of the half rhyme in the first and last lines of Storm on the Island? Why isn't it a full rhyme?

  It creates a cyclical structure - a rhyme would be too perfect and wouldn't reflect the chaos of the storm.
• Why is there no rhyme in the majority of Storm on the Island?

  It represents the uncontrollable storm.
• What form is Storm on the Island written in? Why is this form used?

  Dramatic monologue - reflects the imbalance between the islanders and nature and that nature is indifferent to what is going on.
• In Storm on the Island, who could 'We are prepared' also be referring to apart from the islanders?

  The Catholics in Ireland - they are ready for attack from the British.
• Give three examples of war imagery in Storm on the Island.

  'blast' 'pummels' 'bombarded
• What type of verse is used in Storm on the Island and what does this represent?

  Blank verse - uses iambic pentameter, no rhyme scheme and is quite structurally controlled - blank verse is a British tradition - Heaney is infusing English tradition with Irish opinions and phrases to juxtapose the two - the English could be trying to control the Irish.
• What other job, apart from a poet, does Jane Weir have?

  She is also a textile designer.
• What form is poppies in and why?

  Dramatic monologue - it doesn't give the son a voice and therefore the poem is centred on those left behind and further impresses that the son is no longer present.
• Which 4 structural elements in poppies suggest the chaotic impact of war?


  .Free verse (no organised structure)

  .Stanzas are different lengths

  .Enjambment

  .Caesuras are used
• What is the significance of

  'turned into felt,

  
  

  Slowly melting' in poppies? (2)

  .The reference to felt relates to Weir's career

  .The new stanza and caesura (break in the line) represent her breaking down emotionally
• What is the significance of 'sellotape bandaged around my hand' in poppies?

  .Domestic imagery infused with war metaphor shows how war is consuming every part of her life

  .'bandaged' has a dual meaning - she may be attempting to heal from the loss of her son by reminiscing, or is hiding away her emotion
• What is the significance of 'the world overflowing like a treasure chest' in poppies?

  It shows the son's very naive view of the world - he does not see the fear in war his mother sees. He also appears more childlike, as though he never grew up at all.
• How do both the mother in Poppies and the photographer in War Photographer find themselves between two different worlds?

  The mother is between a world with her son and the one without, whereas the photographer travels between one with war and one without.
• War photographer has no specific form as such, but does follow a uniform rhyme scheme and has equal length stanzas. Why is this?

  It imposes order on the chaos of war, juxtaposing the structure and war. It also makes the poem clinical and matter-of-fact, just as the photographer has to do in his field of work.
• What is the significance of the caesura in 'Rural England. Home again' in War Photographer?

  It separates England from places of war, suggesting that the english cannot grasp the horror of war as they separate what they see from their own lives.
• What is the significance of the half rhyme 'prick with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers' in War Photographer?

  It quickens the speed of the line, mimicking the speed at which people forget what they see in photographs.
• Explain the cyclical structure in War Photographer.

  The poem starts with the photographer coming back from war and ends with him leaving again, giving the impression that his life is pre-determined, as fate is leading him to keep doing his job even though no one takes notice.
• What is the significance of the photographs being set out in 'ordered rows' in war photographer? What could this be likened to?


  The photographer is trying to restore order to the chaos of war - it could be likened to war graves - he is trying to sanitise war and make it palatable.
• What is the significance of 'all flesh is grass' in War Photographer?


  It is an extract from the Bible, explaining the transitory nature of human life and its fragility, which we ignore.
• What is the significance of 'Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh' in War Photographer?

  The caesuras force the reader to stop and think about each war in turn, but then carry us away from them, just as we move on from the pictures. The use of plosives also give it a quick-fire pace, like gunfire.
• Where did Robert Browning live for most of his life?

  Italy.
• Where/when is My Last Duchess set?

  The Italian renaissance.
• In what era did Browning write My Last Duchess?

  The Victorian era.
• Why did Browning set My last Duchess in the Italian Renaissance? Give two reasons.


  .The poem is based on an Italian Duke in the 16th century

  .To distance himself, to avoid openly criticising Victorian England's treatment of women.
• Complete the sentence.

  When a Victorian woman married, she became the _____ ________ of her husband.

  Legal property.
• What two types of power are touched upon in My Last Duchess?

  Political (the Duke's power as a Duke)

  Domestic (the Duke's power over his wife)
• What is the significance of the title of My Last Duchess?

  'My' is possessive - the Duke is objectifying the Duchess.