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H
heather
02/12/2025
English Literature
GCSE AQA English Literature Power and Conflict Poetry Notes
236
•
2 Dec 2025
•
AQA GCSE Power and Conflict Poetry Notes
H
heather
@heatherwu
1 / 4
Ozymandias
Ever wondered what happens to powerful people when they're gone? Shelley's poem about a fallen statue answers that question brilliantly. The poem describes a "colossal wreck" in the desert - an oxymoron that shows how even the mightiest achievements crumble over time.
The shattered statue reflects Ozymandias' broken power perfectly. His boastful inscription "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" becomes deeply ironic since absolutely nothing remains of his empire. Shelley uses plosive alliteration like "boundless and bare" to emphasise the emptiness surrounding the ruins.
The poem's structure as a sonnet cleverly mocks Ozymandias' massive ego. Its fragmented structure mirrors the king's crumbling authority, whilst the irregular rhyme scheme rebels against traditional forms - just like Shelley rebelled against authority itself.
Key Insight: This poem proves that nature and time are more powerful than any human ruler - no matter how mighty they think they are!
Kamikaze & Exposure
These poems show conflict's devastating impact on soldiers from completely different angles. In Kamikaze, a pilot faces an impossible choice between duty and survival, whilst Exposure reveals how waiting in trenches can destroy men without any actual fighting.
The kamikaze pilot remembers childhood competitions with his brothers, building cairns to see whose lasted longest. This innocent memory becomes a painful reminder of how competitive loyalty now threatens his life. Natural imagery like the "green-blue translucent sea" influences his decision to return home, making him an outcast.
Exposure presents nature as the real enemy through personification like "Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army." The soldiers become ghosts of themselves - "All their eyes are ice" shows how they've lost their humanity. The repeated line "but nothing happens" emphasises the torturous monotony.
Key Insight: Both poems prove that the psychological wounds of war often hurt more than physical ones, lasting long after battles end.
Remains
This brutally honest poem explores how guilt and trauma follow soldiers home from war. The speaker can't escape the memory of killing someone who was "possibly armed, possibly not" - that uncertainty haunts him constantly.
The blood imagery throughout shows his inner torment: "His blood shadow stays" and "his bloody life in my bloody hands." The present tense "I see" proves his suffering continues long after the war ended. He desperately tries to "flush him out" but can't cleanse these haunting memories.
The poem's two-part structure cleverly separates the wartime event from its aftermath. The phrase "End of story, except not really" uses caesura to show his false hope that leaving war would end his pain. The final couplet breaks the rhythm, representing his mental disintegration.
Key Insight: PTSD doesn't end when soldiers come home - the real battle often begins after the war is over.
London
Blake's angry walk through London exposes how corrupt institutions trap ordinary people in poverty and suffering. Every street reveals another example of how the powerful oppress the powerless.
The monarchy and church come under fierce attack. Blood "runs in blood down palace walls" whilst the "black'ning church" cares more about wealth than helping the poor. These institutions should protect people but instead exploit them shamelessly.
Blake uses trapped imagery brilliantly - the "chartered Thames" shows government control extends even to natural rivers. "Mind-forged manacles" reveals how people become psychologically imprisoned by their circumstances, unable to escape poverty's cycle.
The poem's strict ABAB rhyme scheme reflects the controlled, oppressive society Blake criticises. As a dramatic monologue, it captures the speaker's personal fury at witnessing such widespread injustice.
Key Insight: Sometimes the biggest conflicts aren't between countries but between those in power and the people they're supposed to serve.
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Samantha Klich
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Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
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Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
AQA GCSE Power and Conflict Poetry Notes
H
heather
@heatherwu
These four powerful poems explore how conflict, power, and society shape human experiences in different ways. From ancient rulers to modern soldiers, each poem reveals the lasting impact of war, authority, and social injustice on individuals and communities.
Ozymandias
Ever wondered what happens to powerful people when they're gone? Shelley's poem about a fallen statue answers that question brilliantly. The poem describes a "colossal wreck" in the desert - an oxymoron that shows how even the mightiest achievements crumble over time.
The shattered statue reflects Ozymandias' broken power perfectly. His boastful inscription "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" becomes deeply ironic since absolutely nothing remains of his empire. Shelley uses plosive alliteration like "boundless and bare" to emphasise the emptiness surrounding the ruins.
The poem's structure as a sonnet cleverly mocks Ozymandias' massive ego. Its fragmented structure mirrors the king's crumbling authority, whilst the irregular rhyme scheme rebels against traditional forms - just like Shelley rebelled against authority itself.
Key Insight: This poem proves that nature and time are more powerful than any human ruler - no matter how mighty they think they are!
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Kamikaze & Exposure
These poems show conflict's devastating impact on soldiers from completely different angles. In Kamikaze, a pilot faces an impossible choice between duty and survival, whilst Exposure reveals how waiting in trenches can destroy men without any actual fighting.
The kamikaze pilot remembers childhood competitions with his brothers, building cairns to see whose lasted longest. This innocent memory becomes a painful reminder of how competitive loyalty now threatens his life. Natural imagery like the "green-blue translucent sea" influences his decision to return home, making him an outcast.
Exposure presents nature as the real enemy through personification like "Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army." The soldiers become ghosts of themselves - "All their eyes are ice" shows how they've lost their humanity. The repeated line "but nothing happens" emphasises the torturous monotony.
Key Insight: Both poems prove that the psychological wounds of war often hurt more than physical ones, lasting long after battles end.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Remains
This brutally honest poem explores how guilt and trauma follow soldiers home from war. The speaker can't escape the memory of killing someone who was "possibly armed, possibly not" - that uncertainty haunts him constantly.
The blood imagery throughout shows his inner torment: "His blood shadow stays" and "his bloody life in my bloody hands." The present tense "I see" proves his suffering continues long after the war ended. He desperately tries to "flush him out" but can't cleanse these haunting memories.
The poem's two-part structure cleverly separates the wartime event from its aftermath. The phrase "End of story, except not really" uses caesura to show his false hope that leaving war would end his pain. The final couplet breaks the rhythm, representing his mental disintegration.
Key Insight: PTSD doesn't end when soldiers come home - the real battle often begins after the war is over.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
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London
Blake's angry walk through London exposes how corrupt institutions trap ordinary people in poverty and suffering. Every street reveals another example of how the powerful oppress the powerless.
The monarchy and church come under fierce attack. Blood "runs in blood down palace walls" whilst the "black'ning church" cares more about wealth than helping the poor. These institutions should protect people but instead exploit them shamelessly.
Blake uses trapped imagery brilliantly - the "chartered Thames" shows government control extends even to natural rivers. "Mind-forged manacles" reveals how people become psychologically imprisoned by their circumstances, unable to escape poverty's cycle.
The poem's strict ABAB rhyme scheme reflects the controlled, oppressive society Blake criticises. As a dramatic monologue, it captures the speaker's personal fury at witnessing such widespread injustice.
Key Insight: Sometimes the biggest conflicts aren't between countries but between those in power and the people they're supposed to serve.
We thought you’d never ask...
What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
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Most popular content: Poetic Structure
Most popular content in English Literature
English - inspector calls quotes and analysis
Quotes from every main character
English Literature10
Most popular content
English - inspector calls quotes and analysis
Quotes from every main character
English Literature10
Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.
Students love us — and so will you.
4.9/5
App Store
4.8/5
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user