Learning Objective: To practise writing about the poem ‘Base Details’
using insightful and perceptive comments
KW: theme, connections
MUST: Be able to use an extended PEEEE style to analyse how the
poet presents conflict (C)
SHOULD: Be able to use relevant and pertinent quotes within
explanations (B)
COULD: Make relevant connections between techniques used
and their literary effects
Task: Explore the ways poets present their ideas about conflict. You should
refer to the poem below and two poems from the Clashes and Collisions
collection.
(24)
Base Details
If I were fierce, and bald, and short of breath
I’d live with scarlet Majors at the Base,
And speed glum heroes up the line to death.
You’d see me with my puffy petulant face,
Guzzling and gulping in the best hotel
Reading the Roll of Honour. “Poor young chap,”
I’d say – “I used to know his father well;
Yes, we’ve lost heavily in this last scrap.”
And when the war is done and youth stone dead,
I’d toddle safely home and die – in bed
Siegfried Sassoon
Sounds like a
little scuffle
fight
scrap
Waste material
Makes it seem
as if the men are
worthless
Unfit
face
Poet disgusted
by them
scarlet
uniform
Symbolises
blood and
hatred
Can’t see blood
stains on scarlet
Pick two phrases to analyse in the same
way. You can add more ‘branches’ if you
need to.
Pick two phrases to analyse in the same
way. You can add more ‘branches’ if you
need to.
fight
scrap
Waste
material
Sounds like a
little scuffle
Makes it seem
as if the men
are worthless
The word ‘scrap’ could have two
meanings. Firstly, the poet could be
using it to show that the ‘Scarlet
Major’ views it as a minor scuffle,
nothing serious or too important.
Secondly, it could suggest that he
views the soldiers as waste material,
scrap that is worthless. Therefore,
the ‘heavy losses’ in this conflict do
not really matter much to him.
Furthermore, it seems as if by using
such a derogatory term for the war,
he is also demeaning the status of
the men fighting – and dying – as a
result of it.
Read your paragraph to your
partner.
1. What worked well?
2. Which parts were the best?
3. How could it be improved
further?
4. What mark would you award
it using the mark scheme?
You need to be able to explore the following areas in relation to
the theme of CONFLICT:
Poet’s message and feelings
Structure
Language (Poetic devices and tone)
Your response to the poem and its theme
Poet’s
message
and
feelings
Structure
Language
(Poetic
devices
and tone)
Your
response
to the
poem
and its
theme
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