The Anthology - Quote Analysis, context and terms

The Soldier: "If i should die,"

The optimistic tone in this opening to the poem gives a straight up view to how the poet Rupert Brooke thinks about the upcoming war. Bearing in mind that the poem was written before the war in 1914, Brooke actually didn't have any idea what war was going to be like so he talks about the positives of what might happen. The quote "If i should die" is written in the future tense and Brooke saying that death isnt necessarily going to happen. Thats shown in "if i should" as it's being hopeful towards it being unlikely, also its being said to give the impression to the reader that it isnt a straight road to death and that its more good than bad for them to join the war efforts. Its been written in first person so it gives the reader a more personal feel to what is being said and puts the position in the poem on them.

mametz wood: "broken birds egg of a skull" Metaphor

This line from the first stanza gives us an idea of the effects war has and how it can mentally and physically scare you for life. The word 'broken' suggests that the soldiers have nothing left feeling empty and brittle linking to the birds egg of a skull metaphorically this suggests that their skulls are fragile and weak like the shell of a birds egg.linking to context the poem is based on the battle of the some- one of the bloodiest battles recorded, with 4000 soldiers risking their lifes, it is definatley not a propaganda poem.

Death of a Naturalist: "Poised like mud grenades" Simile

This simile shows how as Heaney grows older the harmless frogs and tadpoles he had seen before are suddenly fierce and seem dangerous, it also has connotations of war and violence that my strike fear into Heaney. This may also show the contrast of a young innocent mind to the grown-up understanding of Heaney's well educated, adult mind.

Death of a naturalist: "Flax had rotted there" Imagery and verb

this line in the poem is in the first stanza that is all about the innocence of a child but the word "rotted" may have connotations to death, this is a complete contrast from what the first stanza is showing us and may for shadow what is to come for the poet or the rest of the poem, this can show how the child doesn't understand the concept of death and finds it like a fun and fascinating object .

Death of a naturalist: "Right down the dam gross bellied frogs were cocked"

This quote is in the second stanza of the poem and shows us how in his older age his viewpoint on nature has changed as a whole. This is because words like 'gross' are used for effects to describe the ugly and horrible side of the nature that the narrator has stumbled across.

Dulce et Decorum Est: " an ecstasy of fumbling" oxymoron and metaphor

the use of juxtaposition in this poem is extremely effective because of the sensory imagery the reader feels. if we explore the connotations in on the word 'ecstasy' it symbolizes the 'drug like' effect war has on the soldiers, this tells us that war is almost like a drug to them which is causing them to be in panic and shock. linking the whole quote together an ecstasy of fumbling suggests that the soldiers are clumsy and frantcally because of the ecstasy like war.

A Wife in London: 'Tis the morrow; the fog hangs thicker'

'Tis the morrow; the fog hangs thicker', 'Tis the morrow;' emphasizes the resulting mood of the next day, more desolate and gloomy. The metaphor 'hangs thicker' implies the fog is now covering everything, this represents how people are feeling, consumed with confusion and grief. 'Hangs' suggests that the fog is heavy like a weight, making her feel she's drowning in despair and that there's no way out. 'Thicker' suggests suffocation as the fog closes in making her claustrophobic and vulnerable in her grief.

The manhunt "the frozen river than ran through his face"

Armitage used this metaphor to create a sad effect towards the reader, 'the frozen river' implies how emotionally affected Eddie Beddoes was by the incident on a peacekeeping mission. The word 'river' gives an image of a large amount of water which could mean that Eddie had a lot of tears.

The Soldier "There shall be In that rich earth a richer dust concealed" Future tense, metaphor

Brooke hadn't yet seen the war when writing The Soldier, therefore his poem is rather biased to the goods of war resulting in it being used as propaganda to try get get the men of the time to join up as its a good thing to do and that there isn't much bad to come from it unless the low chance of death. "there shall be in that richer earth a richer dust concealed" may be used to talk about possibly the ashes of the soldiers if they were to fall in battle. Its also being said in the future tense allowing the reader to know what is to happen if hes to die and how he will be thought about by others and how hes better than others due to his actions, along with a certain tone that could come across in that also giving the effect of reassurance in the reader. "a richer dust concealed" could imply that Brooke's saying the bodies and ashes/dust of the bodies will be covered over and held securely. in addition "a richer dust" is possibly suggesting that due to the soldiers doing what they have doing for their country they are stronger and more pure in who they are so will be remembered and put down as being higher than the rich ground of others. Some imagery could also be built by that as it gives the image of maybe gold dust being buried and held tight.ly by the ground.

The soldier "a body of England"

Brookes is personifying England as a lady suggesting that all the soldiers are fighting for there lady England. This is propaganda once again because we know that this is not the right reasons to fight for and England is not going to show efection because you fought for her.

The Soldier: "In hearts at peace, under an English heaven." Caesura, connotations and religious imagery

Caesura splits two relatable parts of the final line to add more feel and to give more depth of mean to what Brooke is implying. "In hearts at peace" may be suggesting that once the soldier's life span has ended and the time he has served his country has finished he will be at peace again and will resume a blissful lifestyle despite the possibility of death. It portrays the feeling of being remembered for what the soldiers will do and not how they've ended but how they are now at peace and in a pure state of rest with their memory being calm and safe in others love and memory. "under an English heaven" is placed after the part before by the poet to possibly give across the technique of juxtaposition as both are talking about death but are trying to put it across as that you wont be forgotten and will be always at one with peoples hearts and love along with being placed in their nation's heaven and having that honor for what they have done, allowing them to feel mass respect and care. "English heaven" has been specified to clearly state that its for just them and others like them, to give a feeling of power and authority maybe. Both put the feel on the reader which would have been the soldier, that no matter what happens only good is to come and that they will forever be great. To end the stanza and poem a straight full stop was used for end-stopping to possibly leave on the highest note, that they will be unique in a way and blessed for what they do for a particular spot in heaven.

Hawk Roosting: " my manners are tearing off heads " violent verb, first person, personal pronoun

Hughes uses imagery to show how strong and powerful the hawk is. It suggests that the hawk is one of the most powerful things in the forest and will hurt anything that it can. The word " tearing " is strong and creates a clear image of the hawk personality and how he has no mercy for his prey.

Hawk Roosting: " hooked head and hooked feet " repetition and nouns

Hughes uses repetition to exaggerate the hawks power and how violent the hawk can be. This effects the reader as they can see how serious the hawk is about his lifestyle this is reinforced by the hooke head and hooked feet.

The Soldier; sonnet form, the poem is an extended metaphor

In The Soldier the structure implies and enforces the idea that dying for your country is something all young men should aspire to. In the WW1 it was expected that all men would want to protect their country and Brookes creates a love poem to England to try to encourage men to do this. However, as Brookes was writing it before the war the true horror was unknown. Perhaps, using the sonnet form could be considered naïve and optimistic with the benefit of hindsight as no-one would come back from the war feeling as if dying for your country was the best death you could have.

A Wife in London: 'She sits in the tawny vapour' adjective, personal pronoun 'she', verb, adjective, noun phrase

In a Wife in London, Hardy uses the Great Fog of London in the first line 'She sits in the tawny vapour'. The 'tawny vapour' (the fog) is used as the theme of the poem for a feeling of drowning in despair as there is no longer an obvious way out. The colour 'tawny' is brown, this gives us a description of the fog being unusual, this makes the fog sound unique because white fog represents a pure, peaceful, fresh, normal day whereas tawny fog is the opposite - dismal, depressing and dark, this sets the mood of the poem and time in which it was set, the Boer War.

Red Breast whistles- To Autumn

In the last stanza, Keats uses a lexical set of triplets and one of these are red breast whistles, which could be implying that it is the end of autumn and winter is starting because you usually associate robins with winter and they are red breast. This could make the reader feel that Keats is showing that autumn is dying. Contextually this is linked to how Keats was suffering with tb at the time.

The Soldier: " A body of England's, breathing English air "

In this quote, on the seventh line, it talks about how the soldier that died fighting for England was part of England. It also could mean that the soldier was patriotic (or the writer) and that he only breathed English air during his lifetime so he wasn't used to the air of war and what it was like. repetition is used on the word England to try and make you think of the country more and what is was like.

The soldier "In that rich earth a richer dust concealed"

Is suggesting that what makes a plays apart of England's wealth are the people who fight for it the line the rich earth is saying that our country is the wealthiest and the best and we are stronger than everyone else. The line a richer dust concealed is reinforcing that idea the people who have fought when they die there wealth goes back into the earth or ground and make England stronger.

To autumn "Wind lives or dies" "soft dying day"

Keats poem To Autumn is split in to three sections about autumn,however in the last stanza the reader might feel like he is implying that he is about to die because he uses dim language and even use the word die twice. In the context of the poem, "soft dying day" and "wind lives or dies" both in which don't have anything to do with him but this language is embedded throughout the last stanza. This once again could give a hint at the reader about Keats' personal life.

To Autumn: "And sometimes like a gleaner" simile

Keats uses this simile to describe how he feels like a gleaner. A gleaner is someone that gathers scraps after the harvest. This can have an effect on the reader about does he want to live anymore, does he want to be that person that gathers the scraps or does he want to be more important. This links to the context because Keats has TB and so is in pain, the simile suggests that maybe he feels worthless like a gleaner.

To Autumn: "Hedge-crickets sing" Lexical set

Personification is used here to make the wildlife seem more human. As Keats has TB and so he knows that he will die he tries to create an effect of communication with the wildlife, as if he is God like. It also creates imagery as you can imagine these crickets buzzing in the bushes but to Keats they are singing and maybe trying to communicate with him before he dies.

"First Phase" "intimate days"- man hunt

Simon Armitage structures his poem in two line stanzas and rhyming couplets such as "first phase" and "initimate days" which gives the poem a rhythmic feel which could symbolise his heart beating and it also suggests a flow like the bullet travelling through his body. The short sentences are sharp and punctual to show how painful his experience was.

If i should die the soldier

The quote "if I should die" is suggesting that there is no guarantee that if they go to war they are going to die and a good chance they won't. This is clearly propaganda and false as we now know that now the chances of death were much higher than the chance of survival.

The Prelude: "The leafless trees'

The quote in line 17 is towards the end of the poem where nature seems to take a darker and more dangerous approach. The fact that the trees are being described as 'leafless' has a haunting feeling as though all life has gone from the tree and it is left bare. This also creates an image in the readers mind of a creepy tree with twisting branches, creepy in the middle of the night. However the quote could also be shown in a different light as the fact that it is 'leafless' could just suggest autumn and moving on and changing, ready to bloom again in spring.

The Prelude: "The orange sky of evening died away"

This final line to the poem joins the idea of darkness in nature and beauty in nature together because the sky being described as 'orange' could be either warm, happy and beautiful or fiery angry and burning. Also the way the evening has 'died away' could either be peaceful ending ready to come again tomorrow, or the tragic angry end of something good. Overall the effect on the reader be depend on how to quote appears to you.

Full grown lambs -to autumn

This is again in the lexical set of triplets and gives the same feeling of Christmas, however this one could be implying about how Christians believe when Jesus was born, the Shepards and their sheep went to visit them. This could also give the feeling to the reader that Keats is on about how autumn is dying but another season is being born. This compares to the prelude because throughtout the prelude, Wordsworth is talking about that at six o'clock it is dark, how it's the "frosty season" and how the "twilight blaz'd" which represents the fire burning bright through the window.

Dulce Et Decorum Est: "In all my dreams, before my helpless sight" synaesthesia, first person, adjective, connotations

This line in the poem by Wilfred Owen shows how bad war really is and the lack of awareness of what was really happening on the front line from the people back at home, and how there was no escaping from it- because you would be shot for cowardice if you attempted running away from the trenches. Also, it is proven that little was known about what really happened because it was set in WW1. This meant that for most counties involved, it was their first all out war. Another thing this line tells you is that war is something that must be prevented no matter what, because there are horrible consequences for both the winning and losing sides, making this poem anti-propaganda. The two words "helpless sight" suggests that this war was always going to happen, and that there were many awful sights that were seen by the soldiers at the time, although they were helpless as they didn't have the power to put it right...

The Manhunt: "climb the broken rungs"

This metaphor implies that Eddie Beddoes wife, is struggling to get close to him after the horrific shooting he experienced in Bosnia. Using the noun 'rungs' to symbolise his ribs and the verb 'climb' implies this is a struggle and the adjective 'broken' shows that this journey is also treacherous for his wife. We know broken rungs on a ladder is dangerous and here we are being shown that being near Eddie in his current broken physical and emotional state is also difficult.

Death of a naturalist: "Daily it sweltered in the punishing sun."

This quote give the reader a tired and uncomfortable feeling. As it is a contrast from the inoccence of the first stanza with the pain and punishment that is rained down from the sun, this shows how the child is not effected by this punishment and continue to have fun even when the sun is there. It may also symbolises the punishments of growing up and how the child does not need to worry about anything, this could mean that it is and innocent quote as it hides how the child feels in the fear and responsibility of an adult.

Hawk Roosting: " No arguments assert my right "

This quote is in the fifth verse where the hawk tells the reader that killing is his right. The word " right " shows how the hawk views himself as the king off the forest and everything within his reign. Hughes makes it sound as if the hawk would not except any one to stand up to him or confront him , he sees himself at the top of the food chain. This links to context as the hawk was also seen as frightening and a figure of power in WW2 as it was used as a sign on the top of Nazi Germanys flag which intimidated people and that image of a hawk is still seen today.

A Wife in London: 'His hand whom the worm now knows' metaphor, past tense

This quote is the insulting reality of death. The line 'His hand whom the worm now knows' is implying that since being buried the worms have consumed his flesh and created the ghastly, gruesome image of a decaying hand.

The Prelude: "cottage windows through the twilight blaz'd"

This quote, in the 3rd line of the poem, creates a happy warm feeling. The word 'cottage' creates a homely feel as connotations of the word are home, love and safety. Additionally the word 'twilight' creates an image in the readers mind of beauty and calmness and peace in the dead of night.. It makes me think magical and beautiful and leaves the reader feeling calm.

To Autumn: "Where are the songs of spring?" rhetorical question and end-stopping

This rhetorical question is used too suggest that Keats is wanting spring and asking for the songs of spring. This links back to the context because he has TB and so is going through his final memories of his life and so he clearly wants to go back to spring or for spring o come sooner. This could create a sympathetic effect on the reader as he might not experience spring again. It is a rhetorical question because he doesn't want it answered as he would like to think that he can experience spring for one final time.

"The china plate of a shoulder blade" Mametz Wood

This shows how his shoulder blade is fragile like china. It could be as he is hurt and injured from the war, so he feels weak and feeble. The poem shows how Sheers feels about the war and the pain it causes. He talks a lot about the difficulties people face in simply trying to live their lives. Sheers wrote the poem after the war reflecting on how the soldiers may have felt and the injuries it caused them.