Theme, message and intent in 'Power and Conflict' | Starter Quiz | Oak National Academy

Starting with the first, put the 'Power and Conflict' poems in order of when they were published.

• 'Bayonet Charge'

• 'Kamikaze'

• 'Ozymandias'

• 'Exposure'

Answer explanation

Considering when different poems were published can provide useful context to get you thinking about a writer's intention.

Match the poem to the most appropriate theme shown.

• 'Poppies'

• Identity

• 'Checking Out Me History'

• Grief

• 'Remains'

• Power of nature

• 'Ozymandias'

• Trauma

Answer explanation

Thinking about the most apt theme in a poem can help you to make better comparisons across the anthology.

Which theme does not apply to 'Extract from the Prelude'?

• Grief

• Power of nature

• Pride

Answer explanation

As a Romantic poet, Wordsworth may have wanted to warn against the pride of mankind and foster a reverence of nature.

In 'My Last Duchess', Browning uses dramatic monologue to expose the Duke's flaws, perhaps to...

• praise the patriarchal systems in the Victorian era

• criticise the patriarchal systems in the Victorian era

• celebrate the institutional power of the elite classes in the Victorian era

Answer explanation

Ironically, the Duchess is revealed to have more power than the Duke in this poem, subverting the traditional gender expectations of the Victorian era.

Which poems from the 'Power and Conflict' anthology show the ephemeral and/or limited power of mankind?

• 'Poppies', 'Checking Out Me History' and 'Bayonet Charge'

• 'Exposure', 'Kamikaze' and 'London'

• 'Ozymandias', 'My Last Duchess' and 'Extract from the Prelude'

Answer explanation

These three poems would make for a good comparison on the theme of human power.

Which poem from the 'Power and Conflict' anthology is the odd one out in terms of message and intent?

• 'Exposure'

• 'Bayonet Charge'

• 'Checking Out Me History'

Answer explanation

Both 'Exposure' and 'Bayonet Charge' expose the horrors and futility of WW1, although they are written from different perspectives.