Poetry Lecture Notes

"Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley

• Narrator meets a traveler in a desert.
• Traveler describes a statue: two large legs without a body and a shattered head with an arrogant expression.
• Inscription: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings..."
• Irony: Once an impressive empire, now ruins in a lonely desert.

"London" by William Blake

• Narrator walks through London (1794).
• Observes sadness and oppression in the streets near the Thames.
• Critique of those in power (church, monarchy, government).
• From "Songs of Experience" collection, highlighting a corrupted world.

"Extract from the Prelude" by William Wordsworth

• Autobiographical poem set in the Lake District.
• Describes a childhood event: stealing a boat and rowing on Zwarter Lake.
• Initially feels powerful, then terrified by a looming mountain.
• Haunted by the memory of the event for days.

"My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning

• Duke of Ferrara describes a painting of his late wife to a guest.
• Duchess was easily pleased, angering the Duke.
• Duke hints at having her killed.
• Reveals his desire to control and his current pursuit of a Count's daughter.

"The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred Lord Tennyson

• Describes the Battle of Balaclava (1854).
• Miscommunication leads to a doomed charge at enemy artillery.
• Light Brigade faces heavy gunfire, many are killed or injured.
• Honors the bravery of soldiers while critiquing leadership.

"Exposure" by Wilfred Owen

• World War I trench warfare experience.
• Soldiers suffer in freezing conditions, awaiting action that never comes.
• Questions the purpose of their suffering.
• Belief in war as a means to protect future generations.

"Storm on the Island" by Seamus Heaney

• Set in the Aran Islands, Ireland.
• Islanders prepare for a storm with strong-built houses.
• No trees or crops to worry about losing.
• Confidence fades as the storm intensifies.

"Bayonet Charge" by Ted Hughes

• Imagined account of a WWI soldier's charge.
• Soldier's initial patriotism turns to panic and existential questioning.
• Describes the chaos and futility of war.

"Remains" by Simon Armitage

• Based on a true story from the Iraq War.
• Soldiers kill a looter; one soldier is haunted by the event.
• Experiences PTSD, turns to substance abuse.

"Poppies" by Jane Weir

• Mother's monologue about her son, presumably a soldier.
• Remembrance Day triggers memories and emotions.
• Ambiguity about the son's fate but conveys the impact of war on family.

"War Photographer" by Carol Ann Duffy

• Photographer's dilemma of documenting war and the contrast with home.
• Reflects on the fleeting impact of war images on the public.

"Tissue" by Imtiaz Dharker

• Explores the power and fragility of paper.
• Paper in religion, history, and commerce, yet ultimately fragile.
• Metaphor for human life.

"The Emigree" by Carol Rumens

• Narrator reminisces about a beloved country left behind.
• Despite current turmoil, memories remain positive.
• Feels disconnected without a passport but holds onto memories.

"Checking Out Me History" by John Agard

• Critique of eurocentric education excluding non-European history.
• Narrator seeks to reclaim his Caribbean heritage and identity.

"Kamikaze" by Beatrice Garland

• A mother recounts her father's aborted kamikaze mission.
• Father turns back, shamed and ostracized by his family and community.
• Inner conflict between duty and the desire to live.