“How are soldiers’ lives presented in a selection of war poems”

ENGLISH UNIT 3A

Poetic terminology Enjambment When a line ‘runs on’ into the next one Simile Comparing two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’ Metaphor Comparing things by saying one IS another Alliteration Repeating the same letter Assonance Repeating the same vowel sound Onomatopoeia When words sound like the thing they are describing Repetition Repeating the same word/phrase/idea Allusion Referring to another literary work/writer Imagery Pictures that certain words create in our minds Rhythm A regular beat Rhyme Words having a similar sound Caesura A pause in a line of poetry, often indicated by a punctuation mark Ellipsis When part of a line is missing (sometimes indicated by three dots) Personification When something is given human characteristics Stanza A verse of poetry

Band 3: 7-9 Band 2: 4-6

Band 5: 13-15 Band 4: 10-12

Skills

Using PEE. Using phrases like ‘this

shows’, ‘this suggests’ and ‘this implies’ to explain

your points and evidence

Considering the writer’s purpose(s)

Considering context

Using poetic terminology like: simile, metaphor, personification,

enjambment, rhyme Evaluating effects on the readers by using phrases like: ‘this is effective because’

and ‘this is important because’

Thinking about

structure as well as

language

The Falling LeavesMARGARET POSTGATE COLE

‘The Falling Leaves’: Context

World War One (1914–18) is sometimes called the Great War – ‘great’ here meaning ‘immense’ or ‘huge’, because it was unlike previous wars. Firstly, it involved everyone, not just the army and navy. Secondly, and probably most devastatingly, it involved the first modern weapons (machine guns, bombs and gas) at a time when soldiers were still involved in hand-to-hand combat. The horror of the trenches is hard for us to grasp fully. However, many of the young soldiers who had signed up believing they were on an heroic mission to defend their families, country and way of life felt betrayed by those who had persuaded them to enlist. The reality of war was shown in their poetry and later – for those who survived – in their novels.

Battle of The Somme

Battle of the Bulge WW2

The Falling LeavesNovember 1915 Today, as I rode by, AI saw the brown leaves dropping from their tree BIn a still afternoon, CWhen no wind whirled them whistling to the sky, ABut thickly, silently, BThey fell, like snowflakes wiping out the noon; C And wandered slowly thence DFor thinking of a gallant multitude EWhich now all withering lay, FSlain by no wind of age or pestilence, DBut in their beauty strewed ELike snowflakes falling on the Flemish clay. F

MARGARET POSTGATE COLE

The Falling LeavesNovember 1915 Today, as I rode by, spectator speakingI saw the brown leaves dropping from their treeIn a still afternoon, quiet, still, peaceful, AutumnalWhen no wind whirled them whistling to the sky, alliteration. Not windy But thickly, silently,They fell, like snowflakes wiping out the noon; simile= slow. Loads of leavesAnd wandered slowly thence spectator is not walking slowly. Taking it inFor thinking of a gallant multitude thinks about brave group of soldiersWhich now all withering lay, soldiers dead and dying on the groundSlain by no wind of age or pestilence, soldiers NOT dead through natural causesBut in their beauty strewed cut down in their prime. Bodies scatteredLike snowflakes falling on the Flemish clay. Lots of soldiers falling. Belgium- loads of battles in WW1

MARGARET POSTGATE COLE

Questions How does Cole use the extended metaphor of falling leaves?

What do the verbs ‘strewed’ and ‘withering’ show us about the battlefields?

Why does Cole use the simile ‘like snowflakes falling’ to describe the fallen soldiers?

What does her description of the ‘gallant multitude’ show about her feelings towards the soldiers?

What words/phrases show that the soldiers died too young?

The Charge of the Light Brigade

The Charge of the Light Brigade: Context

First published in 1855, the poem tells the story of the failed charge of the British cavalry in the Battle of Balaclava in October 1854.

Britain was fighting with France, Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire against Russian forces in the Crimean War, which was about control of the Dardanelles, a narrow sea straight in Turkey. If the Russians had power over the Dardanelles, British sea routes (and trade) would have been threatened.

Although it is unclear who was actually responsible, a cavalry group, the Light Brigade (led disastrously by Lord Cardigan who miraculously survived), was ordered to attack a very strongly defended Russian position.

The 670 men were sent to fight 5500 Russians and only 195 men and horses managed to return

About the charge

BBC NEWS | Magazine | Why the Charge of the Light Brigade still matters

THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE- In Color - YouTube

Questions on the Poem

Choose 3 interesting verbs Tennyson has used. How do they help to create atmosphere in the poem

What is the effect of the alliteration in line 44? Where else is alliteration used in the poem? What effect does it have?

How does the poet use the personifying metaphors ‘mouth of hell’ and ‘jaws of death’?

What must this experience have been like for the soldiers? Use your own ideas and include quotes to support your points.

Bayonet Charge

The lads’ neck nominations had got out of hand…

Tuesday 4th March

Over the top

BBC - History - World Wars: The Last Tommy Gallery

world-war-1-beginning.pdf

Definitions Threshing Furrows Clod Bewilderment Bayonet Statuary patriotic

Chunk of soil

statues

Love for your country

A sharp blade attached to the end of a rifle

confusion

Lines/ mini trenches in the soil

Separate grains from stalks

The soldier’s feelings1) exhaustion

2) confusion

3) shock

4) disillusioned/betrayed

5) helpless 5) ‘to get out of that blue crackling air

4) ‘etcetera’

3) ‘he almost stopped’

2) ‘bewilderment’

1) ‘lugged’ and ‘numb’

Charge of the light brigade

Falling LeavesBayonet Charge

Possible Points…Falling Leaves Bayonet Charge Charge of the Light

Brigade

Wasted lives Traumatic Cannon fodder

Dying too young Lives are wasted Victims of poor decisions

Anonymous, huge numbers died

Unprepared for what they had to face

Bravery and heroism

Questioning the reasons behind war

Outnumbered yet courageous

Poet’s Purpose You must offer ideas about the poet’s purpose (why they have included words, phrases, ideas etc). Try to offer inventive, original interpretations and consider alternative points of view

Use repetition of ‘cannon to left of them.. cannon..’

Developing Interpretations

This suggests…. This may also suggest…

This shows…However, it may also imply…

One interpretation is….Alternatively…

This reveals…also…furthermore….additionally…moreover

For each of these, consider at least two interpretations of the poet’s purpose

C/B grade:

Using powerful metaphors such as ‘valley of death’ and ‘mouth of hell’ in Charge of the Light Brigade

Using the simile ‘like snowflakes’ in ‘Falling Leaves’

The use of the adverb ‘suddenly’ as the opening of ‘Bayonet Charge’

A grade:

Enjambment in ‘Bayonet Charge’

Caesura in ‘Bayonet Charge’

Repetition in ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’

In ‘Falling Leaves’ there is a two part structure ABCABC DEFDEF

1) Point= Caesura in ‘Bayonet Charge’

Caesura= pause in a line (often with punctuation)

“statuary in mid-stride. Then the shot-slashed furrows”

Poet may be showing that the soldier has come to an absolute stop. The flow of the poem is halted, just like the soldier’s running. Alternatively the poet may be trying to convey the soldier’s fear- he is unable to move until he is snapped out of it.

Answering the question (6-8 PEE points)

Poem 1: PEE 1

Poem 1: PEE 2

Poem 1: PEE 3

Poem 2: PEE 1

Poem 2: PEE 2

Poem 3: PEE 1

Try to make a link between poem 1 and poem 2

Try to make a link between poem 3 and poem 1 and/or 2

Using PEE Point- (make a point) In ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ the poet presents soldiers’ lives as being wasted by the people in charge of them.

Evidence- (find a quote or evidence to back it up) In stanza 2, we hear that “someone has blunder’d’ and this is followed by the repetition of ‘Theirs not to…’.

Explain- (Explain: 1) why your evidence proves your point, 2) why the writer may have done this, 3) the effect on us as readers) 4) link to context

D PEE In ‘Falling Leaves’ the soldiers’ lives are cut short. For example it says ‘falling leaves’. This shows that the soldiers’ lives are a bit like leaves falling down to the ground/battlefield.

HOW COULD YOU MOVE THIS TO C GRADE PEE?

D PEE In ‘Bayonet Charge’ the soldiers’ lives are shown to be unprepared. I know this because of the quote ‘suddenly’. This quote shows that things happened very quickly for the soldier and so him and other soldiers probably weren’t prepared for fighting.

HOW COULD YOU MOVE THIS TO C GRADE PEE?

D PEE In ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ the soldiers’ lives are presented as being scary. They are riding into a ‘valley of death’ which must have pretty bad even if you were really brave.

HOW COULD YOU MOVE THIS TO C GRADE PEE?

A* PEE

“Blundered” suggests an insignificant, silly mistake but, in this war, such a ‘blunder’ cost hundreds of lives. You can sense the poet’s anger that so little consideration was put into such an important military decision because he contrasts this by suggesting there wasn’t a man ‘afeard’. By contrasting the heroism of the soldiers with the anonymous ‘he’ who gave the orders, the poet is presenting the soldiers in a far more respectful way. This is then followed by the repetition of ‘Theirs not..’ and ‘Theirs but to do and die’ which shows that soldiers had no right to question the ludicrous orders they were given. Through the repetition of ‘theirs..’ the poet effectively reinforces the position soldiers were put in during this conflict; they had no option but to carry out Cardigan’s orders despite the fact it would result in almost certain death.

Task: Produce a plan for your CA. You will need to include

Terminology

Line numbers/key quotes

Some of the ‘points’ you will make

analytical/evaluative phrases

Notes about context

Notes about writer’s purpose(s)

P1: COTLB. Lives= wasted. “charge for..” PP= show disastrous decisions. AngerP2: COTLB. Lives= brave. ‘hero’, ‘boldly’ ‘was there a man afeard’ PP= amazing courageP3: COTLB. Lives were uncertain. Enjambment, alliteration reflects fast paced battleP3: COTLB. Life of soldier= dangerous. Metaphor ‘mouth of hell’ETCETC

Metaphor, stanza, simile, alliteration, rhythm, enjambment,Narrator, caesura, rhymeETC

This shows, this suggests, this conveys, the poet’s purpose was, this is significant because.. ETC ETC

Crimean war, Lord Cardigan, 660 vs 5500, ETC ETC

Include:1. A range of points about soldiers’ lives2. Accurate terminology3. Small, embedded quotations4. Explanation of your quotations (using analytical)5. InterpretationS of poet’s purpose6. Language (similes, emotive lang, metaphors)7. Structure (e.g repetition, enjambment, rhythm, rhyme,

stanzas, pace, caesura)8. Form (poetic forms such as sonnets)9. Context10.Evaluation