Storm on the Island & Bayonet Charge
Storm on the Island by Seamus Heaney captures the tension building in Northern Ireland before The Troubles exploded into full violence in the 1960s. The title cleverly references Stormont, the main government building in Northern Ireland, giving the poem a sharp political edge about the conflict between Catholics and Protestants.
Bayonet Charge throws you straight into the brutal reality of warfare through Ted Hughes' vivid imagery. Hughes drew on his father's experiences fighting in Gallipoli during WWI, creating a poem that shows the terrifying chaos of battle. The "hot country" setting reflects the harsh conditions soldiers faced.
Key insight: Both poems use nature and violence to explore how conflict affects both nations and individuals caught in the crossfire.
Remains & Poppies
Remains by Simon Armitage reveals how war trauma follows soldiers home long after the fighting stops. Based on real testimonies from Guardsman Tromans after serving in Iraq, it's part of "The Not Dead" collection that emerged after 9/11. The poem shows that conflict doesn't end when you leave the battlefield.
Poppies shifts perspective entirely, imagining what Susan Owen (Wilfred Owen's mother) felt saying goodbye to her son. Jane Weir uses her background in textile work to fill the poem with fabric imagery—sewing, stitching, and domestic details that represent the mother's world whilst her child faces danger.
War Photographer
Carol Ann Duffy's War Photographer explores the moral complexity of documenting conflict for those safe at home. Written in the 1980s during global conflicts, it references Belfast, Beirut, and Phnom Penh—showing how violence spreads across continents. The photographer becomes a bridge between war zones and peaceful homes, struggling with the weight of what they've witnessed.