Power and Conflict poetry exam
This is the second part of my blog on the poetry anthology section of the English Literature exam (AQA). I will cover some examples I have written to show how you can easily progress from a grade 4 to a grade 9 response.
I have focused on the Power and Conflict anthology for now.
As previously stated, it is important to delve into the meanings behind the poetry, not just the superficial surface-level meanings.
For example, the POWER AND CONFLICT question for 2022 was: Compare how poets present ideas about conflict in ‘Bayonet Charge’ and in one other poem from ‘Power and Conflict’
Firstly, decide which poem you want to compare it to. ‘Remains’ and ‘Exposure’ and ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ all deal with ideas about conflict situations, so these are a good choice. ‘Kamikaze’ and ‘War Photographer’ deal with internal conflicts of beliefs and attitudes so these could also be used as a comparison. ‘London’ and ‘Storm on the Island’ deal with how conflict affects larger groups and individuals so would also be contenders. There are, of course, others that link with ‘Bayonet Charge’ too but choose the one you are more confident with.
Once you are confident with your choice of poem, make a short plan of key quotes/points you want to include.
A brief introduction is useful but not essential.
Let’s look at a paragraph from an example response:
In the ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ there is the use of repetition of ‘600’ to emphasise that although the soldiers were outnumbered, they still charged into enemy gunfire. They followed the orders of the government without question because they trusted the propaganda and felt patriotism toward their country. This is what also happens in ‘Bayonet Charge’- the character is running into enemy gunfire just hoping a bullet doesn't connect with him that ‘dazzled with rifle fire’. The positive adjective ‘dazzled’ juxtaposes the conflict and shows that it is making him feel shocked about where he is but can also suggest how much pressure he is being put under by the gunfire, showing that all the gunfire is causing so much confusion. ‘Dazzled’ has connotations of fame and happiness, leading the reader to contemplate how perplexed the soldier must be feeling. Maybe he thinks the war will earn him popularity and people will think better of him knowing that he has shown bravery and fought for his country.
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