Eduqas poetry anthology theme: DEATH AND LOSS

Compare the presentation of death and loss in "To Autumn" and "As Imperceptibly As Grief"

Title: Language: language of excess - harvest just beyond perfection, too much - symbolises the start of death/ times of the day, and changing seasons are associated with different aspects/stages of grief Imagery: "stubble-plains" "small gnats mourn" "the red-breast" symbolises start of winter, which hints at death and decay but also shows that with the loss of autumn come new things/ Natural light imagery which shows that the outcome is going to be positive overall Structure: can be seen as passage of time, from early autumn and morning to late autumn and evening/ As the grief is gone, it seems like the speaker misses it, and yet acknowledges that the end is ultimately positive Form: Ode, in praise of autumn, which makes its loss more sorrowful/ rhythm pattern match everyday speech - personal, thoughts Tone: Admiration, but also sadness/ Comforting

Compare the presentation of death and loss in "The Soldier" and "A Wife In London"

Title: different PoVs Language: Religious "blest " "eternal mind" - makes death seem less horrifying, comforting, heroic to die/ contrast between the wife's grief at the loss of her husband and his hopes and energy- which shows death in war as a loss of potential and future Imagery: Nature - suggests death is natural and dying for a cause like war is more meaningful/ "tawny vapour" - eerie "Fog hangs thicker" suggests her grief will be worsened and images of light lack warmth, which could represent the death of the husband or the wife's sadness Structure: The poem begins with the possibility of the soldier's death, but turn positive with thought of his country and heaven/ The delivery of his death is titled "The Tragedy" even though the speaker is detached Form: Sonnet, showing that his attitudes toward death are affected by his love of his country/ Detached tone present death as an inevitable fact of war Tone: Jingoistic/ Detached

Compare the presentation of death and loss in "Dulce et Decorum Est" and "Mametz Wood"

Title: prestigious /effect of war on place Language: "innocent tongues" "children"/"absent tongues" "wasted young" Imagery: "devils sick of sin"/" nesting machine guns" " broken birds egg of a skull" Structure: serious memories to ironic yet passionate appeal of ideas/there is no change of tone and moves forward chronologically - calmer Form: disjointed rhythm/ third person, detached, long sentences with enjambment Tone: descriptive to critical and passionate/mournful , calm, thoughtful