Power and conflict ocr

• the Tennyson...sea' -Papa T- Fred D'aguiar


  'the Tennyson learned at sea'

  definitive article
• to...'


  'to disobey'

  last word introduces more rebellious tone towards British influences

  reference to obedience of COLB which led to deaths - hints at dangers of following orders blindly

  potential reference to colonialism??

  obedience lacked when younger when they'd 'sit tight'

  shows speaker reflecting on events from older, wider perspective

  ->challenges message of COLB, nothing glorious about war
• Rhyme and rhythm of poem

  free verse - but some syllabic similarities between lines6 lines each + some enjambment

  reason hinted in last line 'to hear, to disobey'

  freeing himself from poetic constrains of original poem / British poetry - throw off colonial ideas + embrace traditions

  'disobeying' Tennyson shift between first 2 verses and last verse first 2 focusing on childhood memory last 1 bringing us back to present day + act of writing poetry switching tenses form past and present

  -sestet-> (regular length used commonly in British poetry) combining British and Guyanese heritage in the form of the poem . Embraces some conventions but will reject other, wrestling with his heritage
• panicky...' 'popping...'


  emphasis of sound in poem - especially in verse 1onomatopoeic 'panicky rattle' to 'popping cannon'

  reference to COLB - celebrated for its onomatopoeia

  ->onomatopoeia portrays army as out of depth - more realistic that Tennyson's description in COLB rebels against glorifying of empire + speaks out against colonialism as reader is shown dangers of following bad orders - 'picked off on by one' speaker distancing himself from imperial traditions of glorifying soldiers

  ->pathetic, unimpressive (panicky)
• consonants...recall'


  'consonants stretched past recall'

  sound of reciting poem humorously delt with - hyperbolic descriptions of grandfather's performances - personification highlights over-the-top performance

  metaphor carries in over two lines - structure reflects length of recitals
• tin-...it' 'poison...darts' 'red...'


  speaker in his youth imagines events to be taking place in jungle

  soldiers are 'tin-soldering it' - links to childhood toys + potential incompetence

  picked off by 'poison-tipped blow-darts' - mixes stories and images of exotic jungle worlds w original 'redcoats' is an insulting term for British army of colonial era shows poet commenting on colonialism of Britain
• Rhyme and rhythm of poem, and effect of it- envy - Mary Lamb


  simple structure + regular throughout2 x 8 syllable lines followed by 6 syllable line abccb rhyme scheme

  EFFECT

  emphasizes complete control narrator has over feelings comforting for reader to have moral lessons taught so absolutely each stanza ends w full stop bringing poem to neat + complete end akin to nursery rhyme w faint sing-song effect nursery rhymes often contain warning - structure fits the message
• And if...bent"


  "And if this tree were discontent/ or wished to change its natural bent"

  "Discontent" hints to conflict.

  "bent" links to the fact that it is not all about looks and more about talent that you can't change. This uses and extended metaphor of a rose to display and envious person.

  -personifies flower
• "Like such...are:"


  "Like such a blind and senseless tree, as I've imagines this to be all envious persons are:"

  This uses a simile to compare a rose to people. This changes narrator perspective to first person. This suggests that the speaker has experienced envy herself which shows that it is a very common emotion. This has a tone of instruction and moral. The contraction of I've shows an informal tone. Use of caesura at the end to make the reader pause and focus on the next line. Harsh adjectives
• "Nor after...scent"


  "Nor after a gentle shower had

  ever smelled its rose's scent" - This uses enjambment to allow the poem to flow. The use of senses emphasizes its qualities.
• "And should...rose"


  "And should it fret, you would suppose

  it had ne'er seen its own red rose" - You is a direct address and engages with the reader. This creates a conversational tone between the reader and writer. This break in formality shows how ridiculous envy is and a waste of emotion. Envy can make us blind to our own qualities
• "It all ...fret"


  "It all in vain

  would fret" - The verb "vain" suggests that it is pointless to try and change who you are. "fret" contrasts to the positive adjective of "lily fair".
• The Assyrian...fold' The destruction of Sennacherib- Lord Byron


  The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold

  -simile shows how intimidating the Syrian army was because it is compared to a wolf attacking sheep in their pen. This is also showing how the people of Jerusalem felt like they were being trapped inside their city walls. Also, there is a contrast between predator and prey, which could represent the Assyrians and the Jerusalemites.
• And his...gold '


  ''And his cohorts in were gleaming in purple and gold'

  The noun cohort shows how militaristic the poem is, as it is militaristic language. Purple and gold are linked with royalty to show power and wealth. Gleaming could reference how the Assyrian army were more about the looks than ability. The pronoun also shows that Sennacherib is proud of his army and takes ownership of them
• sheen of...sea'


  'sheen of their spears like stars on the sea'

  -sibilance emphasises the sinister threat and how impressive the army is

  -Anapaestic tetrameter - the melodic uniform rythm of the poem echoes the marching of the army down the hill towards jerusalem.
• Hath melted...Lord!'


  Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!

  The use of snow shows how things can grow again after the destruction - the underdog will rise. The verb melted shows how easy it is for God to cause damage; this is further seen by the very glance as it is a very playful very. This sentence is also exclamatory to show how the glad the Jerusalemites are that Sennacherib has been defeated. Also structurally, the last word is focussed on God to shows its power.

  -effortless power/destruction of God

  - humans are as feeble and fragile as snow

  -Extended metaphor of seasons - the word glance suggests the power of god as its not even a full look, shows how easy it is as if its just like snow melting to massacre a whole army - (Sennacherib)
• Main message


  The underdog will always triumph It isn't always about appearance eg weapons God always have overall power
• Form & Structure (7)

  -Quatrains - creates a distinctive rhythm that is fast paced to juxtapose the tragic subject. This can be seen as a parallel to the contrast between a great army and the tragedy of war

  -4 stressed sounds - predictable like the fact humans always fight

  -Written in formal verse - strict rhyme and rhythm to organise storytelling also represent the strictness of an army. Also helps to drive the narrative

  -6 stanzas - this includes 2 rhyming couplets with an AABB scheme, simple format helps drive the narrative

  -Regular structure is further shown by the fact each line is end stopped and around half the lines begin with "and"

  -Anapaestic tetrameter rhythm is like horses hooves to show strength and power of God
• That oppresses...Tunes' There's a certain slant of light- Emily Dickinson


  'That oppresses, like the Heft Of Cathedral Tunes'

  -Simile, large and intimidating, trapped by the sounds of religion, claustrophobic (heaviness)

  -thinking about death is powerful and overwhelming
• Heavenly...us-'


  Heavenly Hurt, it gives us-

  -anastrophe, emphasis

  -Alliteration, oxymoron, pain is coming from heaven

  -wounds her internally
• imperial...'


  'imperial affliction'

  -pain cause by a king, could be pain cause by the King of Heaven (God)

  -blaming God for the intense negative feelings she's endured
• structure of there's a certain slant of light

  > informal rhyme scheme - writer forming relationship w/ reader

  > lots of caesuras - emotions taking over - stream of consciousness

  > messy structure, suggests mental state of writer

  -fragmented sentences creates a sense of uncertainty
• songs...young' - Frances E. W Harper


  songs for the old and young

  inclusive- for all ages

  binary opposites
• Let...songs' 'songs'


  'Let me make songs'

  -starts poem with a hopeful tone -> symbol of hope and unity, hope she can end chaos and strife

  'songs'

  repeated, emphasises belief and power of music to change the world

  listed in first stanza, declarative sentence & end stopping (.)

  contrasts with next stanza
• not...sabres'/ 'for...strife'


  not for the clashing of sabres,/ for carnage nor for strife

  not-> adverb- not meant to create violence or suffering clashing-> onomatopoeia- aural imagery of physical violence

  -carnage and strife- abstract nouns- outcome of physical violence
• sweet ...duty,' 'to ...highway'


  'sweet anthems of love and duty,' to float o'er life's highway'

  -love and duty-> abstract nouns- solutions she offers. Do what is morally right for yourself and others.

  float-> verb- sounds easy/ care-free lives

  highway- metaphor journey of life will be much easier.
• our world...weary'


  'Our world so worn and weary'

  -alliteration and assonance (repetition of vowels in a word)

  -personal pronoun changes to all inclusive- everyone is responsible for change alliteration= tired
• Of the...mansions,/ Where...night'


  Of the bright and restful mansions,/ Where there shall be no night

  
  

  Biblical allusion

  Metaphor = no suffering/danger if you live a life of love and duty. Heaven will be full of light and joy.

  Made to ease the worries of the elderly

  Point the elderly towards the promise of heaven - comfort them
• title - We lived happily during the war- Ilya Kaminsky


  title - We lived happily during the war

  juxtaposing ideas as it has connotations of fairy tales and happily is not normally associated with war
• they...'


  brutal and blunt verb - 'bombed'

  impersonal pronoun - makes enemy seem cold
• I took...sun.'


  'I took a chair outside and watched the sun.'

  poem in free verse, deliberately disrupted rhythm using enjambment on almost every line

  only end-stopped line is in the middle 'I took a chair outside and watched the sun.' portrays speakers worrying inaction complete line compared to enjambment in rest of poem shows speakers concerning calmness in the midst of horror of war
• Effect of enjambment used

  enjambment extreme + adds to discord

  struggle to read and understand - reflects chaos of war + contrast between horror of events and speaker detachment struggle to understand how they can be so matter-of-fact also highlights key words like:

  'we / protested / but not / enough' 'money' 'protested' becomes foregrounded causes mind to linger on actions / inactions also shows they did something right but did not care enough word is emphasized as is protest poem so poet wants us to learn from poem and not make same mistakes builds up small hope using dashes / fragmented speech (reflecting chaos of war)hopes dashed in next line - shows how speaker had potential to help but chose to remain ignorant to what was going on around him + take action
• What technique is the repetition of money combined w + impact on reader?

  'money' repeated 5 times scope growing w each repetition - from 'house' to 'great country' shows how money's influence has grown and pervaded every area of American life
• Where is parenthesis used + impact on reader?

  parenthesis of '(forgive us)' shows speaker knows they were wrong not to protest more + has some realization of what's happened however brackets minimize this self-awareness at end of line - highlights it / gives it more impact shows speaker acknowledging mistakes brackets acknowledgement of mistakes separated from main message - highlights minimizing responsibility
• soldier...sun' -Vergissmeinnicht - Keith Douglas


  Soldier sprawling in the sun

  - The use of sibilance highlights the fact that the soldier sounds relaxed, which is ironic and contrasting to what he would have been liked when he died.

  OR, hissing/sizzling noise-> emphasise horror and tragedy, body being boiled, nightmare atmosphere

  -The verb sprawling could also be relating to the awkward body language that he formed as he fell to the ground.

  -Pararhyme with the first line, and it is end-stopped.
• the frowning...overshadowing'


  'The frowning barrel of the gun overshadowing'

  - personification to show the damages caused by the gun as it has a lot of power. The verb overshadowing also gives the gun power, potentially to kill. Also, this includes a caesura at the end to unsettle the reader and draw attention the body.

  - as if the gun is more alive than he is- the gun is mocking the man and is much more powerful than him because it can 'frown' at him and has survived when he hasn't
• hit my...demon'


  'hit my tank with one entry of a demon'

  - This is a simile and religious imagery. The use of the pronoun my makes it sound more personal. The demon has created hell on the battlefield, and the language reminds us how horrible hell is. Also, because its only one entry it shows how powerful it is.

  - pure hatred and sees him as evil and satanic

  - natural rhythm of speech
• Steffi. ... .' /'in...script.'


  'Steffi. Vergissmennicht. /in a copybook gothic script.'

  - her photo is the catalyst

  - humanises the dead German

  - obviously practiced this handwriting to show that she has tried hard to make this photo special and the extent to which she loved him which intensified his guilt

  -flashback (structure)
• We...abased'


  'We see him almost with content, abased'

  - The men as a group are glad he is dead. This shows how men can change in war. This is impersonal. The word abased shows that the soldier is being looked down upon by his enemies. This is ionic towards the dead.

  -OR, thinks that the German is at peace now (maybe he looks content)
• And burst the stomach like a cave'


  And burst the stomach like a cave

  - This simile includes very graphic and gruesome imagery to show how deep the wound is and how violent war and death is

  -it suggests that the wound is endless.