War Poems: Portrayal of Soldiers' Lives

1. “How are soldiers’ lives presented in a selection of war poems” English Unit 3a

2. 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

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

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

5. Considering the writer’s purpose(s) Thinking about structure as well as language Using PEE. Using phrases like ‘this shows’, ‘this suggests’ and ‘this implies’ to explain your points and evidence Skills Using poetic terminology like: simile, metaphor, personification, enjambment, rhyme Considering context Evaluating effects on the readers by using phrases like: ‘this is effective because’ and ‘this is important because’

6. The Falling Leaves Margaret Postgate Cole

7. ‘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

8. The Falling Leaves November 1915 Today, as I rode by, A I saw the brown leaves dropping from their tree B In a still afternoon, C When no wind whirled them whistling to the sky, A But thickly, silently, B They fell, like snowflakes wiping out the noon; C And wandered slowly thence D For thinking of a gallant multitude E Which now all withering lay, F Slain by no wind of age or pestilence, D But in their beauty strewed E Like snowflakes falling on the Flemish clay. F MARGARET POSTGATE COLE

9. The Falling Leaves November 1915 Today, as I rode by, spectator speaking I saw the brown leaves dropping from their tree In a still afternoon, quiet, still, peaceful, Autumnal When 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 leaves And wandered slowly thence spectator is not walking slowly. Taking it in For thinking of a gallant multitude thinks about brave group of soldiers Which now all withering lay, soldiers dead and dying on the ground Slain by no wind of age or pestilence, soldiers NOT dead through natural causes But in their beauty strewed cut down in their prime. Bodies scattered Like snowflakes falling on the Flemish clay. Lots of soldiers falling. Belgium- loads of battles in WW1 MARGARET POSTGATE COLE

10. 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?

11. The Charge of the Light Brigade

12. 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

13. About the charge • BBC NEWS | Magazine | Why the Charge of the Light Brigade still matters • THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE- In Color - YouTube

14. 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.

15. Bayonet Charge Tuesday 4th March The lads’ neck nominations had got out of hand…

17. Over the top • BBC - History - World Wars: The Last Tommy Gallery • world-war-1-beginning.pdf

19. Definitions confusion Chunk of soil • Threshing • Furrows • Clod • Bewilderment • Bayonet • Statuary • patriotic Lines/ mini trenches in the soil Love for your country Separate grains from stalks statues A sharp blade attached to the end of a rifle

20. The soldier’s feelings 1) ‘lugged’ and ‘numb’ 1) exhaustion 2) ‘bewilderment’ 2) confusion 3) shock 3) ‘he almost stopped’ 4) disillusioned/betrayed 4) ‘etcetera’ 5) helpless 5) ‘to get out of that blue crackling air

21. Charge of the light brigade Bayonet Charge Falling Leaves

22. Possible Points…

23. 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..’

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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.

27. Answering the question (6-8 PEE points) Poem 1: PEE 1 Poem 1: PEE 2 Try to make a link between poem 1 and poem 2 Poem 1: PEE 3 Poem 2: PEE 1 Try to make a link between poem 3 and poem 1 and/or 2 Poem 2: PEE 2 Poem 3: PEE 1

28. 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

29. 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?

30. 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?

31. 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?

32. 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.

33. 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. Anger P2: COTLB. Lives= brave. ‘hero’, ‘boldly’ ‘was there a man afeard’ PP= amazing courage P3: COTLB. Lives were uncertain. Enjambment, alliteration reflects fast paced battle P3: COTLB. Life of soldier= dangerous. Metaphor ‘mouth of hell’ ETCETC Metaphor, stanza, simile, alliteration, rhythm, enjambment, Narrator, caesura, rhyme ETC 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

34. Include: A range of points about soldiers’ lives Accurate terminology Small, embedded quotations Explanation of your quotations (using analytical) InterpretationS of poet’s purpose Language (similes, emotive lang, metaphors) Structure (e.g repetition, enjambment, rhythm, rhyme, stanzas, pace, caesura) Form (poetic forms such as sonnets) Context Evaluation