Power and Conflict: Practice Questions

In Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem Ozymandias, which specific detail most effectively conveys the theme that nature and time are more powerful than any human ruler?

In Beatrice Garland’s Kamikaze, what is the significance of the pilot's family treating him "as though he no longer existed" upon his return?

In John Agard's Checking Out Me History, how does the deliberate use of Caribbean Creole and the total lack of traditional punctuation contribute to the poem's message of power?

In Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem The Charge of the Light Brigade from the Power and Conflict cluster, how many soldiers are famously described as riding into the 'Valley of Death'?

In Simon Armitage’s poem Remains, how does the use of colloquial language like "legs it" and "mates" contribute to the poem's impact?

Which poem in the Power and Conflict cluster uses the metaphor of a "collapsing" city to explore the memory of a lost homeland?

How does Percy Bysshe Shelley use the sonnet form in the poem Ozymandias to reflect the transience of human power?

In the poem War Photographer from the Power and Conflict cluster, how does Carol Ann Duffy present the speaker's feelings about his work?

Write about:
a) The contrast between the 'rural England' and the war zones he visits.
b) How the photographer's work affects his mental state.

Compare how the poets of London and Checking Out Me History use language to explore the theme of control and identity.

a) How does William Blake describe the physical and mental restrictions imposed on the city's inhabitants?
b) How does John Agard use non-standard English and historical references to reclaim his personal identity from a restrictive education system?