Summary Grade 9 AQA Power and Conflict Poetry revision guide
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Course
English
Institution
GCSE
A revision guide for taught poetry AQA Power and Conflict. Includes context, structure and quotes as well as a model response. Grade 9 notes, great for before exam preparation and quick revision. Everything all in one place.
Ozymandias
Written by Percy Shelley, who was a late romantic poet. Wrote the poem in 1817. Shelley
was an atheist who hated the oppression of ordinary people. At the time of his writing King
George III was on the throne and Shelley opposed the battles that the king supported since
he was a pacifist. Therefore, he wanted a revolution to overthrow the monarchy.
Inspired by a statue transported from Egypt to London and is about an oppressive leader
most likely based on Ramsees II to commemorate him. It was meant to last over generations
as he also anticipated his influence would do the same. He looked down on his people but
still fed them. Ramsees was like king george in the way he tried to extend our kingdom by
going into battles. Ozy-Ozium means to breathe and Mandias means to rule. Could possibly
mean to rule over air or something you can't see. They way Ramsees and King George are
so out of touch they can't see and understand the people they have power over. This is ironic
since they can only rule for as long as they breathe so their rule and influence is temporary
and only lasts until they die.
Poem shows Nature vs Man and the ravages of time. Symbol of one empire just becomes a
showcase to another stuck in museums for people to criticise rather than celebrate the life of
the figure. This colossal statue has an eternal life for as long as the statue stays erect but
since the statue is slowly breaking down the influence of the power is dissipating as a result
of nature's power.
The statue is situated in the middle of the desert and seems to have been taken down and
crumbles away leaving only remains. Symbolic of lots of power and control so it makes a
mockery of those in charge. Statue is disintegrating as a result of nature and its power.
Nature never dies and its power doesn't either, unlike these historical figures with small lives.
They are insignificant compared to nature. Statue is eroding because of nature.
Rulers are delusional since they think that their influence remains after death. On the other
hand art does last longer than humans. This could be criticising traditional religions and their
ancient forms of worship.
The poem is in a sonnet form to ironically criticise leaders. It’s a mixture of a petrarchan
sonnet and the shakespearean sonnet form to show how things never stay the same and
they evolve. This is critical of man's arrogance and how things that we create do not last like
all human power structures that are easily destroyed.
Iambic pentameter is used throughout to keep a controlled rhythm which mirrors
ozymandias’ idea of control and his egotistical nature. Arguably used to contrast constant
control over long periods of time by systems made by man yet man cannot keep power after
he dies which is shown by the content of the poem.
,London
Written by William Blake, a visionary who wrote about his lived experience. He was critical of
logic and reasoning. He wrote during the age of enlightenment talking about the negative
impact of industrialising everything. He had a collection of poems- it was songs of
innocence and experience. Innocence celebrates love, childhood and nature whilst
experience is about the dangerous reality of modern life that poor children experience rather
than the innocence that they should get to savour.
Inspired by simply walking the streets of London before the industrial revolution. This was
when London was emerging as a powerful city and Britain as a powerful country. At this time
London was ripped apart by extreme poverty and extreme wealth. Industrialisation enabled
people to move up the social ladder. London was built on the backs of the poor and the
children- who were forced to do horrible jobs that were dangerous and only benefitted
capitalists. The poor were constantly exploited, children pushed into labour and prostituion
and left to live in poverty.
Essentially the poem depicts the dark side of eighteenth century london. Whilst the city was
a growing metropolis, only the rich were prospering and the poor were left in dangerous
conditions. Sexual diseases spread like wildfire, people died from plagues and the institution
of marriage became shambolic. In the poem he talks about what it's like to live in poverty
and uses the poem as a sort of warning. ‘Mind-forged manacles’ suggested that the people
of London are in a mind prison and the only way to break free is to use your imagination.
The poem uses the line ‘runs in blood down palace walls’ which is a reference to a
revolution- more specifically the french revolution. This was a major political event in Blake's
life and he was a supporter of the rebellion as he wrote a lot of work on the rebelling against
oppressive institutions such as the monarchy. The French monarchy wasn't treating their
people right and as a result the public overthrew the monarchy.
There's regular rhyme in this and also iambic tetrameter to show how members of society
have little power. The simple rhythm also just reflects its place in Blake's collection of songs.
The control the institutions hold is reflected by the four quatrain stanzas that make up the
poem. The first two stanzas look at who is suffering and the third stanza looks at why they're
sufferin referencing the industrial revolution, the church and the monarchy. The last stanza
goes back to look at the ones who are suffering therefore showing the cyclical structure
showing the never ending suffering of the people of society.
Extract from, The Prelude
Written by William Wordsworth and is an extract from the first of fourteen books that make
up Wordsworth's poem ‘The Prelude’. He was a romantic poet and like other poems from
romantic poets this extract explores the connection between nature and human emotion and
the way human identity is shaped by experience. The whole poem is an autobiographical
piece based on Wordsworth’s real experience. It's a revelation or an epiphany which
Wordsworth called ‘spots of time’.
The poem shows that humanity is a part of nature and sometimes we can be made to feel
overwhelmed by our insignificance in the natural world. Also explores the idea that humans
have the misplaced belief that they can conquer or are above nature. However, it really
, shows that humans are powerless in relation to nature and they must realise the limit of their
power.
The poem depicts Wordsworth’s own spiritual and poetic development. In the extract, he
recounts an episode from his childhood, when he stole a small boat and rowed into the
middle of a lake at night. He doesn't travel very far when he becomes fearful of the
mountains that surround him.
Detailed description and imagery is used throughout to give the reader a clear picture of
what is going on. Personification is used to convey nature's beauty and its power. Similes
are used to compare objects to living things such as the boat and the swan which could be
used to force the reader to consider what is better.
The poem is written in blank verse since it has no rhyme and iambic pentameter. It's in the
first person so that the reader can emphasise this personal experience. Enjambment is used
throughout which reflects the natural flow of memory. This is further shown by the fact that
it's all in one stanza which shows a stream of consciousness.
My Last Duchess
Written by Robert Browning. Based on the Duke Alfonso II who ruled northern italy- which
was called Ferarra- between 1554 to 1597. The poem is about the Duke's first wife who died
in 1561 when she was only 17. Her death was under suspicious circumstances and it is
suspected that she was poisoned .
The poem shows an emissary who was sent to see the Duke from the Count of Tyne. The
Count was the father of the Duke's next wife. The Duke shows the emissary a portrait of his
late wife as he makes remarks on her character suggesting that she was unfaithful to him.
He hints that it might've been the reason he killed her. The duke makes himself out to be a
selfish, arrogant and insensitive person.
Poet explores male dominance and power, control, jealousy and hubris from the Duke. This
makes the reader feel sympathy for the Duchess rather than the Duke since he's very
possessive and egotistical. The Duke saw her as dispensable as he just ‘gave commands’
and his problem was fixed and he looked for another wife. He believes that his gift of a
‘nine-hundred-years-old name’ (which symbolises his power he inherited) was enough to get
her to do what he wants. After all this he's still arrogant and has too much self importance
even when one day he'll lose his power since it does not last forever.
The poem is a dramatic monologue as it addresses a silent listener. It is written with rhyming
couplets to show the desire for control and is in first person to reflect the Duke’s narcissism.
The poem uses enjambment throughout as the Duke goes on and on having control over the
listener. This power the Duke holds is what he used to get rid of the Duchess. The whole
monologue seems very much rehearsed as it rhymes and is a constant stream of
consciousness but the Duke slips in little thoughts as he masterfully manipulates the facts
after he's skillfully prepared the whole thing beforehand.
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