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.

Tissue & The Emigrée

Tissue by Imtiaz Dharker questions what really holds power in our world. As a Pakistani poet who moved to Glasgow and now lives between Britain and India, Dharker writes about cultural identity and displacement. The poem connects to Becker's Death Denial theory—the idea that humans build monuments to prove we existed and deny our mortality.

The Emigrée by Carol Rumens deliberately keeps the speaker's original country unnamed, making it represent any refugee's experience. Written in 1993 after many 1980s conflicts created waves of displacement, it captures the universal feelings of loss and nostalgia that come with forced migration.

Remember: Both poems explore how conflict creates lasting separation—from homeland, identity, and belonging.

Checking Out Me History & Kamikaze

John Agard's Checking Out Me History challenges the education system that ignores Caribbean and African contributions to history. Born in Guyana, Agard moved to Britain in 1977 and faced serious racism. Writing this poem in 2007 gave him perspective on how the curriculum system marginalises non-European stories.

Kamikaze by Beatrice Garland examines the Japanese suicide pilots of WWII, exploring how propaganda convinced young men that dying for their country brought honour. The poem reveals the cultural pressures around honour and shame in Japanese society, whilst questioning whether any cause justifies such sacrifice.

These final poems show how conflict extends beyond physical violence into cultural erasure and psychological manipulation.