1

THEME: CONFLICTS

1. WILFRED OWEN: DULCE ET DECORUM EST

Biography:

Refer to Dictionary of Literature

Themes:

Overall conflicts between humans

Conflicts manifested through war

Killing – without mercy

Cruelty of Mankind

Is WAR the solution?

Are there any other means to settle differences?

Language:

Stanza 1

stark reality of wars

exhausted soldiers bent double old beggars knock-kneed

burdened by war,

lines- a lot of redundancy repeating emphasising stark reality - bent double under sacks of coal in

order to reinforce the image of extremely tired, exhausted soldiers.

Stanza 2

Sense of urgency, panic, helplessness as conveyed by fumbling, yelling stumbling, floundering

and ultimately drowning and under the toxic imagery green sea image of drowning man

Like being swallowed by a death mist, drowning in poisonous gas

Sudden urgency - there was Gas - more like saying that while they were walking, suddenly there

is gas in the dark and something exploded

End of first stanza - it was dark, shell every where yet can’t be bothered and suddenly one

exploded before them

Image of fumbling, lost, don’t know what to do

Floundering, a sense of helplessness like fish out water gasping for air

Stanza 3

Only 2 lines

Dreamlike quality as if unreal yet it is real - stark!

To see a person really dying raw image of dying person and he brings it back to the present in the

last 4 lines

1st & 2

nd stanza in the past tense but in 3

rd stanza, present tense - it is real. He still has nightmares

about it. Cannot get out of the situation. He plunges at me.. grammar – ing (pr cont tense) as if

real, still happening, can still feel it haunting him, he is drowning in his past, the horror of his

experience is still haunting . it is a recurring nightmare, helplessness; tenses show it - pr cont

tense

green sea very deep end of the sea you just cannot go anywhere or escape

2

Stanza 4

Raw image of a dying man, white eyes, hanging face never in your wildest imagination can you

see or feel it unless you have seen one experienced it so you call this ‘dying for your country’?

Reaction of the soldier dying in such excruciating circumstances likens it to cancer incurable

source innocent tongues did not go with the real idea of war young & naïve. Bringing us back to

the present reality. Think doing an honourable deed dying for the country think that going to war

for the country is n honourable act. Is it so?

Is it indeed honourable to die for the country and in excruciating depressing circumstances ? The

old lie – if u knew how extreme the circumstances wer u wouldn’t say it is patriotic to die for

one’s country.

Tone – to say/tell u the horrors of war. The glorified version of going to war

The reality of war is not what u think but it is far worse than u could ever imagine. So tone

begins with n depressing one and it move to panic and finally end in reflection panic and u come

to a situation where u cannot escape helplessness – negative reflective tone

Point of View – persona’s personal experience. How does it contribute to the whole poem – again it reinforces

the stark reality of the war

Figures of Speech

Similes – bent double like old beggars under sacks, bitter as a cud of vile

Metaphors – stanza 2 - whole thing a clear metaphor of a drowning man

Comparisons – comparison in terms of time

Flashback from the present but it cannot be divorced from the past

Imagery – colour - bloodshot eyes, green sea, white eyes

- sense of sight

No personification - Merely describing with a lot of similes

Suggested Activities

Scrap book on war, suffering soldiers

Talk ab hist of WW1 / wars

Film clips or pics of soldiers during WW1.

Internet reseach / project work

Questions to ponder

A.1. Ll 1&2 what image is conveyed from these lines

2. St 2 L l 3-6 what has happened to

a) the soldiers

b) one man in particular

B. Describe how the persona show the stark reality of war

C. From the persona’s point of view why is it not honourable to die for one’s country?

Can differences between / within countries be settled through wars?

3

2. THOMAS HARDY :The Man He Killed

Biography:

Refer to Dict of Lit

Themes;

In war you don’t know who your friend or enemy is

Senselessness of war

War severs/dissolves friendship

Message

Even in times of war ur friend could be ur enemy

Language Monosyllabic words– very strong words to express how he kills so easily pressing idea of

negativity foe not enemy

That give u the stress points

no staccato stress, stress

so the line between friendships is merely a thin line that can be dissolved with war.

Hardy employs the 4-lines trad style alternate rhymes

Poems short following poetic style showing u the frivolousness of killing people choice of words

and the monosyllabic words is musical no big deal to kill the life of another human

The carelessness of human life

No value, respect for human life

Just so my foe

Shoot first then look for reason for shooting

St 3

The simplicity of the language and words used , the actions , the reasons given foe killing his

foe , the monosyllabic words used bring upon us rthe starkness and horror of war as if its alright

to kill because it’s WAR

Quaint curious war all in one line in relation to war make us wonder where humanity has gone to

Lack of humanity

Lack of compassion for the death of another fellow human

Stanza 1- friendly

Nipperkin – drinking buddies

Stanza 2 – war, foe

Since they were both in the army infantry, shot

Stanza 3

Justifying his action ‘because’ killed him

Stanza 4

Joined as soldiers because no work, no animal to trap as hunter

4

Stanza 5

War is strange u kill where u could have been good drinking buddies or even share to buy drinks

Tone:

Casual

Matter-of-fact

No feeling of remorse today u r friend, tomorrow foe

Scary when man comes to such a sitn

Frivolous St 5 killing , casual so starkness of war treated casually and matter of factly

Scary because your friend could be ur enemy next

Point of View;

Persona’s point of view

Suggested Activities:

Give examples of how human life is seen as valueless

Discussion of why people turn against each other

Questions to Ponder:

S1 – What would have happened if the two men had met in an inn?

S2 – Describe the circumstances under which the two men actually meet.

S3 – What reason does the speaker give for shooting?

S4 – In what ways does the speaker compare the dead man to himself?

Interpretation:

Explain the irony of line 17 and of the poem in general

What is your attitude towards war from your reading of the poem?

A. Why did the persona shoot the other person in S3

5m

B. Explain the irony in the relationship between the persona and the person he met 8m

C. Do you agree with the persona that there is a thin line between friend and foe. 12m

D. Why do you think the persona says that war is quaint and curious 12m

5

3. CECIL RAJENDRA: Death of a Rainforest

Biography

Themes:

Man’s disregard of nature in favour of money

The whole poem is a process which leads to the destruction of the enviroment

Language:

A lot of repetition. But ‘no words will come’ repeated three times

No action, No one’s doing anything ab it or speaking of them

All in pr cont tense still on-going

Later past tense – all gone see the stark reality of the process

Metaphorically no words will come means no action.

Tone:

Sense of helplessness, speechless, hopelessness

Hopelessness – everything gone foe money

‘widowed wind howling’ m- nothing to block it

Nature is already complaining but Man not saying or doing anything, no action,

Personification in last stanza

S3 a lot of words on noise

S2 line see a process but in the end, no one does anything.

Environment gone , desecrated

End – tone of anger being personified in frustration

Suggested Activities

Pre-reading:

Remind students about The Dead Crow

Watch a documentary or movie about saving the rainforests

Post-reading

Project _ go around and take pictures about the destruction of the environment / rainforests

Questions to Ponder

1. In S4, why are there no words to describe what is happening?

2. What is Man’s attitude towards Nature?

3. Progress comes with a price.

Based on the poem, what does the poet reveal in this poem?

6

4. STANLEY KUNITZ: The War Against the Trees

Biography

Themes

War against the trees –the result is permanent destruction

Battle small; war bigger scale

Decisiveness

Language

Use of narrative mode to show the war against nature with specific reference to the destruction of

trees

Metaphors

It took centuries to grow but just a short while to destroy them

Bulldozers working full time drunk with gasoline

Magnanimous picture of tree giants being felled by modernisation

‘the green world turned its death-foxed page’ - confusing why this green world should give way

to its destruction

LI 25 the destruction is so great that it is difficult to accept it.

Roots torn from the earth look ugly like a gorgon head, ugly because of the damage done to the

earth

In the rear-view (30) see everything gone and past. Hyphenation of words frequent compound

words but oxymoron forsythia-forays, hydrangea-raids capturing the moment at that time

‘death-foxed’ centuries of beautiful trees suddenly outwitted, shocked by this destruction.

Stresses the idea of devastation

No remorse from the man who sold his land

Tone

Narrative

Matter-of-fact reconcile oneself to the situation of destruction to the natural environment

Point of View

Persona’s first person

Suggested Activities

Pre-reading:

Remind students about The Dead Crow

Watch a documentary or movie about saving the rainforests

Post-reading

Project _ go around and take pictures about the destruction of the environment / rainforests

7

Questions to Ponder

1. L1-4

Why did the man find the situation amusing?

2. How is the sense of decisiveness conveyed in the poem?

3. Destruction comes stealthily.

With reference to this poem, discuss whether you agree with it.

8

5. OMAR MOHD NOOR: A Quarrel Betwee Day And Night

Biography

Themes

Conflict over the allocation of time

A metaphorical conflict of night and day

Constant struggle between - good vs evil

Enjoyment vs work

Language

S1 - We seem to be losing focus in our priorities

S3 - Night time activities more seductive, dominating are more seductive

What is attractive? the stars, moon and all city lights

Tone

Disappointment that the attractions of night have overwhelmed those of the day

Metaphorical idea using quarrel bet nt and day, but about humans losing priorities in life.

Since nt activities too long, therefore the next day is all upset and we are not able to perform as

well. Loss of focus on one’s duty, withdrawal symptoms of longing for something or having too

much of a good thing. Losing track of time and priorities

Point of View

Persona’s

Suggested Activities

1. Word-association

eg: night – what activities, etc

day - ‘’

Questions to Ponder

9

6. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Crabbed Age and Youth Cannot Live Together

Biography

Meaning:

Crabbed age – period of time in life when one becomes more difficult, fussy, and less tolerant,

and incapable of too much activity or movement

L12 – he resigns himself to old age, though he doesn’t want to accept it. He knows there is no

point in fighting it

He is frustrated because he is still vibrant, amorous and passionate about love though he has aged

and physically isn’t as fit anymore

Themes:

Contradictions of life esp between age and youth

Difficulty of accepting age when you still feel young

Language

Rhyme – ababcdcdefef

Similes – like summer morn,etc

Metaphor – age’s breath is short

‘my love, my love is youth’ metaphor to describe that though he is physically old yet he

is capable of love and passion , young at heart

Personification – Youth is nimble, age is lame

Age is sweet shepherd (nature)

Punctuation – a lot of commas, so a lot of pauses indicating persona revelling in youth and finds

it difficult that when you age, life become a contrast

- exclamation mark – excited that his ability to love is still young and vibrant

Juxtaposition – he juxtaposes youth and age , brings out the contrast by using antonyms such as

summer – winter, nimble – lame, abhor - adore

Tone: Excitement vs frustration

Anger vs resignation

A mixed up personality – emotionally chaotic does not like nature’s way of incapacitating man

Suggested Activities

Weaker students antonyms

Construct sentences using antonyms, then same sentences to show irony

Write using conjunction s to join sentences

Word association

Age, youth, show pictures of youth age or older people leading ‘youthful’ lives

10

Questions to Ponder

1. L1-4

Based on these lines, why can’t age and youth live together?

2. How does the persona convey his frustration between youth and age in the poem?

3. In literature, we learn that Life is ironical.

How is this statement portrayed in the poem?