These key Power and Conflict poems explore how individuals struggle... Show more
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Amber Ewers
16/12/2025
English Literature
Power and Conflict Key Poems Context, Quotes, Form, Links/Comparisons + Answer Structure
66
•
16 Dec 2025
•
Power and Conflict Poems: Quotes, Context, Links, Forms
A
Amber Ewers
@mberwers_wlnfdrntqnr
1 / 10
Exposure
Wilfred Owen wrote this brutal poem whilst stuck in the trenches during 1917, capturing the horrifying reality of WWI rather than the patriotic propaganda back home. He wanted to show how nature itself became the enemy - more deadly than any human opponent.
The poem's most striking image is "Dawn massing in the East her melancholy army" - dawn, usually symbolising hope and new beginnings, becomes a threatening military force. Owen flips our expectations completely, showing nature as aggressive rather than nurturing.
"We turn back to our dying" reveals how soldiers have accepted their fate. They're not dying heroically in battle, but slowly freezing to death whilst waiting endlessly. Their sacrifice feels meaningless when faced with such brutal conditions.
Key Insight: Owen uses para-rhyme to create unease - just like the soldiers' constant anxiety waiting for something to happen.
Checking Out Me History
John Agard grew up in British Guyana, where colonial education taught him about white British heroes whilst completely ignoring black historical figures. This poem is his angry, defiant response to that cultural erasure.
"Dem tell me bout Dick Whittington and his cat / But Toussaint L'Ouverture no dem never tell me bout dat" - Agard deliberately writes in his Caribbean dialect rather than "proper" English. This isn't poor grammar - it's a powerful act of rebellion against the system that tried to silence his voice.
The poem celebrates figures like Mary Seacole and Toussaint L'Ouverture, describing them with imagery of light and stars. These heroes become "healing stars" that guide him out of colonial ignorance towards his true identity.
Key Insight: Agard uses free verse mixed with traditional rhyming patterns - breaking free from European poetic rules whilst still acknowledging their influence.
Ozymandias
Percy Shelley was anti-monarchy and believed nature was far more powerful than any human ruler. This poem absolutely destroys the idea that political power lasts forever - it's basically the ultimate "you're not that important" message.
"Half sunk, a shattered visage lies" - the once-mighty king's face is now broken rubble in the desert. The irony is brutal - Ozymandias was probably obsessed with his appearance and power, but time has made a mockery of both.
"Lone and level sands stretch far away" uses alliteration to emphasise how vast and eternal nature is compared to human achievements. The desert has completely swallowed up his empire - nothing remains except broken stone.
Key Insight: Shelley chose the sonnet form (usually for love poems) to mock Ozymandias's self-love and show how little love his people actually had for their tyrant.
London
William Blake walked through London and saw systematic oppression everywhere - from the government to the church to wealthy landowners. This poem is his furious response to how institutions crush ordinary people's spirits.
"Mind-forged manacles" is the poem's most powerful image - people are so oppressed they've created mental chains that imprison them. The authorities don't even need physical force anymore because people believe they're powerless.
"In every infant's cry of fear" shows how this corruption affects even babies - innocence gets destroyed before children have any chance. The anaphora (repetition of "in every") hammers home how inescapable this oppression feels.
Key Insight: Blake uses iambic tetrameter - a rigid, repetitive rhythm that mirrors the oppressive control, but occasionally breaks it to suggest hope for escape.
Kamikaze
Beatrice Garland explores the impossible choice faced by Japanese pilots in WWII - die for your country or face social death through shame and rejection. The poem questions whether patriotism can go too far.
The poem is told through "her father" - this intimate, personal language makes us see the human being beneath the soldier. Garland strips away the military propaganda to reveal a man torn between duty and family.
"Kamikaze" as the title creates powerful juxtaposition - the military expects him to be a suicide bomber, but the daughter sees him as simply "her father". His identity becomes split between what society demands and who he really is.
After turning back from his mission, he faces a different kind of death - social isolation. His family can barely acknowledge him, showing how patriotic pressure destroys personal relationships.
Key Insight: The poem's free verse reflects the pilot's internal conflict - no rigid structure because his world has been completely disrupted by an impossible choice.
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Most popular content: Literary Motifs
Most popular content in English Literature
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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.
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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
Power and Conflict Poems: Quotes, Context, Links, Forms
A
Amber Ewers
@mberwers_wlnfdrntqnr
These key Power and Conflict poems explore how individuals struggle against overwhelming forces - whether it's soldiers facing nature's brutality in war, people fighting against oppressive systems, or the inevitable march of time destroying human achievements. Each poem reveals different... Show more
Exposure
Wilfred Owen wrote this brutal poem whilst stuck in the trenches during 1917, capturing the horrifying reality of WWI rather than the patriotic propaganda back home. He wanted to show how nature itself became the enemy - more deadly than any human opponent.
The poem's most striking image is "Dawn massing in the East her melancholy army" - dawn, usually symbolising hope and new beginnings, becomes a threatening military force. Owen flips our expectations completely, showing nature as aggressive rather than nurturing.
"We turn back to our dying" reveals how soldiers have accepted their fate. They're not dying heroically in battle, but slowly freezing to death whilst waiting endlessly. Their sacrifice feels meaningless when faced with such brutal conditions.
Key Insight: Owen uses para-rhyme to create unease - just like the soldiers' constant anxiety waiting for something to happen.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
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Improve your grades
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Checking Out Me History
John Agard grew up in British Guyana, where colonial education taught him about white British heroes whilst completely ignoring black historical figures. This poem is his angry, defiant response to that cultural erasure.
"Dem tell me bout Dick Whittington and his cat / But Toussaint L'Ouverture no dem never tell me bout dat" - Agard deliberately writes in his Caribbean dialect rather than "proper" English. This isn't poor grammar - it's a powerful act of rebellion against the system that tried to silence his voice.
The poem celebrates figures like Mary Seacole and Toussaint L'Ouverture, describing them with imagery of light and stars. These heroes become "healing stars" that guide him out of colonial ignorance towards his true identity.
Key Insight: Agard uses free verse mixed with traditional rhyming patterns - breaking free from European poetic rules whilst still acknowledging their influence.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
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Ozymandias
Percy Shelley was anti-monarchy and believed nature was far more powerful than any human ruler. This poem absolutely destroys the idea that political power lasts forever - it's basically the ultimate "you're not that important" message.
"Half sunk, a shattered visage lies" - the once-mighty king's face is now broken rubble in the desert. The irony is brutal - Ozymandias was probably obsessed with his appearance and power, but time has made a mockery of both.
"Lone and level sands stretch far away" uses alliteration to emphasise how vast and eternal nature is compared to human achievements. The desert has completely swallowed up his empire - nothing remains except broken stone.
Key Insight: Shelley chose the sonnet form (usually for love poems) to mock Ozymandias's self-love and show how little love his people actually had for their tyrant.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
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London
William Blake walked through London and saw systematic oppression everywhere - from the government to the church to wealthy landowners. This poem is his furious response to how institutions crush ordinary people's spirits.
"Mind-forged manacles" is the poem's most powerful image - people are so oppressed they've created mental chains that imprison them. The authorities don't even need physical force anymore because people believe they're powerless.
"In every infant's cry of fear" shows how this corruption affects even babies - innocence gets destroyed before children have any chance. The anaphora (repetition of "in every") hammers home how inescapable this oppression feels.
Key Insight: Blake uses iambic tetrameter - a rigid, repetitive rhythm that mirrors the oppressive control, but occasionally breaks it to suggest hope for escape.
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Kamikaze
Beatrice Garland explores the impossible choice faced by Japanese pilots in WWII - die for your country or face social death through shame and rejection. The poem questions whether patriotism can go too far.
The poem is told through "her father" - this intimate, personal language makes us see the human being beneath the soldier. Garland strips away the military propaganda to reveal a man torn between duty and family.
"Kamikaze" as the title creates powerful juxtaposition - the military expects him to be a suicide bomber, but the daughter sees him as simply "her father". His identity becomes split between what society demands and who he really is.
After turning back from his mission, he faces a different kind of death - social isolation. His family can barely acknowledge him, showing how patriotic pressure destroys personal relationships.
Key Insight: The poem's free verse reflects the pilot's internal conflict - no rigid structure because his world has been completely disrupted by an impossible choice.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
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Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
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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?
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Most popular content: Literary Motifs
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