Ozymandias, London, My Last Duchess, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Exposure and
storm on the Island summary in depth including historical contexts, quotations, structure
and key themes of each poem
Where and when were the poems produced/set and how does this literary/historical content link to the
poets’ presentation of the power/ conflict of…
Ozymandias: London: My last duchess: The charge of the light
Percy Byssche Shelley was a Written in 1994 by William Written by Robert Downing brigade:
romantic poet (revolutionary) Blake when London was the from perspective of the Duke Alfred Lord Tennyson was
trying to re– establish her own center of the world. During of Ferrara who is talking to an poet Laureate - national poet
reputation. When alive she the beginning of industrial emissary who will report back BUT he couldn’t express his
and her poems were ignored revolution. to his county about if this thoughts so he disguised them
because she exposed stuff duke is fit for the new duchess in this poem.
that the government didn’t Blake chose not to go to (he was not good enough).
want being said and known by school as he believed it closed 25th of October 1854 Battle of
the public. down your way of thinking Victorian era class, pride, Balaclava (Crimean war): the
(‘mind-forged manacles’ used revolution. first war in which the British
Written in 1819 after the end in the poem). had got involved in since
of the Napoleonic war which Downing didn’t fit in in Britain had won the battle of
ended in 1815. Thought to be He published ‘songs of London so moved to Italy and Waterloo which meant the
written about Egyptian innocence’ (book of poems) married Elizabeth Barrett end of Napoleonic war. Britain
Pharaoh; Ramesses II (statue) in 1989 during the French (who had an overprotective was the leader of the empire
The Egyptian Pharaohs revolution. father), they both knew over- and this poem was published
believed they were Gods in controlling patriarchs which 6 weeks after the battle.
mortal form and that their In 1994 he published ‘songs of probably influenced the
legacy would last forever. experience’ about simplicity, controlling nature in the Received as patriotic piece
personal growth/ learning poem. BUT is read ever since as a
which included ‘London’. disaster (soldiers are not the
heroes).
Exposure: Storm on the Island: Kamikaze:
Written in 1918 by Wilfred Written by Seamus Heaney Written by Beatrice Garland in
Owen during WWI which and published in 1966 2013. Imagining herself into
orally and verbally criticized the mind of the daughter of a
war. It is about hunkering down a kamikaze pilot (imagining
storm and the exposure to what he might have been
In 1917 came the education elements. Heaney enjoyed feeling on the way to
act, meaning soldiers could teasing his readers and complete his mission)
write back home and their playing with words. He is Irish
testimonies changed the way so might refer to Stormont: Kamikaze pilots were
we viewed war. seat of Northern Ireland Japanese suicide bombers/
government which links to terrorists (evokes strong
Written while Owen was ‘the troubles’. emotions for the reader and
hospitalized in military questions whether he was
hospital in Edinburgh with Set on west coast of Ireland right or wrong to leave his
shell shock (PTSD). with cliffs and Atlantic waves family because of his pride?)
hitting against windows
Gruesome, brutal parts of (inspiration taken from real
war, which broke the storms).
tradition of presenting war as
a form of patriotic glory.
, What are the key images/ words/ metaphors in the poems & key quotations
Ozymandias: London: My last duchess: The charge of the light
5 voices telling the story ‘chartered… street/ Thames’ ‘the curtain I have drawn for brigade:
‘half sunk, a shattered - nature cannot be mapped you’ - hiding her image, ‘half a league, half a league’
visage’ - unrecognizable = out and owned but man is possessive (jealousy); he is - not ready for the
has no purpose/ use trying. the only person who can challenges they are going to
anymore because no one ‘marks of weakness, marks look at her (painting offends face; rhythm of hooves
looked after it - painting a of woe’ - something that is him) galloping
Picasso painting; everything visible and stands out (like a ‘if they durst’ - if they dare, ‘into the valley of Death’ -
is fragmented, even the brand)/alliteration, he believes individuals are used in Lord’s prayer;
grammar has been repetition - emphasizes scared of his power and connotations of hell -
fragmented seriousness of the problem arrogance comparison
‘sneer cold command’ - ‘in every…’ anaphora/ shows ‘half-flush that dies along ‘Some one had blunder’d’ -
synaesthesia (blending of suffering her throat’ - sign of killing the moment we learn the
human sense to describe ‘mind-forged manacles’ - and power from the Duke, mistake had been made
object) chains and in prison and he doesn’t like the painter ‘Cannon to the right of
‘My name is Ozymandias, restricts freedom. Blames has painted her so well with them, cannon to the left of
king of kings’, superlative humanity for imprisoning it’s all the details them, cannon behind them’
and pinnacle figure; he is natural humanity ‘my gift of a nine-hundred- - repetition, running away as
placing himself above ‘chimney sweeper’s cry’ - years-old name’ - arrogance, it is behind them. Getting
anyone else children made to go up showing off family name, shot at from all sides – odds
‘Ye mighty and despair!’, there, child abuse, use of superior asides & are against them (massacre/
exclamation, shows strong & sense of hearing to enjambment, rising of his carnage)
authority, IRONIC (because emphasize the pain and anger, created sinister tone ‘all the world wonder’d’ -
no one is listening) biggest make the reader feel like (trying to hold back and not hyperbole, exaggeration and
ego/ looking down on them/ they are present in the poem explode in front of this rhythms with ‘six hundred
arrogance of power ‘plagues the marriage emissary) and blunder’d’ - was it worth
statue is a very potent hearses’ - Birth (marriage) vs ‘I choose never to stoop’ - so it? Do we honour them for
reminder of status (status is death (hearses) - how can arrogant; his severity vs her their bravery? Or do we
temporary, nothing in the children be born into this niceness honour following a stupid
grand scheme of time) - broken world —> power ‘I gave commands; then all command and therefore
statues became the focus of harms innocent. smiles stopped together’ - dying?
anger and were destroyed ‘plagues’ STD - misuse of he ordered someone to kill ‘Noble six hundred’ - feel
e.g. Vladimir Lenin about power, over commanding her. his jealousy gains full sorry for them? Imperative
communism in Ukraine control; use of semi-colon order. Sympathy for bravery
‘nothing besides remains’, finality of statements of soldiers. Do we regret the
CONTRAST between ‘Netpune, taming a sea charge?
Ozymandias power and horse’ - power that god is
nothing that remains taming nature like duke is
(traveler describing the taming his next duchess,
scene and zooming out metaphor
again) Title suggests there have
‘colossal wreck’ - metaphor been many duchesses and it
of his ego, juxtaposition won’t be his last - possessive
‘two vast and trunkless legs’ pronoun; doesn’t let anyone
- barely standing, ruined else speak
when no one looks after you
and cares no longer
