“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
Considering the
writer’s purpose(s)
Using poetic
terminology like:
simile, metaphor,
personification,
enjambment,
rhyme
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
Considering context
Evaluating effects
on the readers by
using phrases like:
‘this is effective
because’ and ‘this is
important because’
The Falling Leaves
MARGARET 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 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
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
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.
Tuesday 4th March
Bayonet Charge
The lads’ neck nominations
had got out of hand…
Over the top
BBC - History - World Wars: The Last Tommy Gallery
world-war-1-beginning.pdf
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
The soldier’s feelings
1) exhaustion
1) ‘lugged’ and ‘numb’
2) confusion
2) ‘bewilderment’
3) shock
3) ‘he almost stopped’
4) disillusioned/betrayed
4) ‘etcetera’
5) helpless
5) ‘to get out of that blue crackling air
Charge of the light
brigade
Falling Leaves
Bayonet 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
Try to make a link
between poem 1 and
poem 2
Poem 2: PEE 1
Poem 2: PEE 2
Poem 3: PEE 1
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
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’
ETC
ETC
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
Terminology
Line numbers/key
quotes
Some of the ‘points’
you will make
analytical/evaluative
phrases
Notes about context
Notes about writer’s
purpose(s)
Include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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)
8. Form (poetic forms such as sonnets)
9. Context
10. Evaluation