Year 10 - English
Comparing 'Poppies' and Duffy's 'War Photographer'
'Power and Conflict'
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'Power and Conflict' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in three groups, and they pause after each group to compare how those poems present common themes.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to successfully compare 'Poppies' and Duffy's 'War Photographer'.
Key Notes
- For your 'Power and Conflict' essay, you will be given one poem and you have to choose one to compare it with.
- 'Poppies' could compare well with 'Remains', 'Kamikaze' or Duffy's 'War Photographer'.
- 'Poppies' and 'Kamikaze' explore less-recognised perspectives of war and show that these are nonetheless painful.
- Duffy's 'War Photographer' and 'Poppies' explore powerful memories that are connected to their difficult experiences.
- 'Poppies' ends with a sombre but peaceful tone, Duffy's 'War Photographer' ends with a caustic and restless tone.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Caustic: sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way
- Asyndetic: a list separated by commas not conjunctions
- Complementary: combining to emphasise the qualities of one another
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The title of the poem 'Poppies' may cause the students to immediately link 'Poppies' with another WW1 poem e.g. 'Exposure'.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
For your 'Power and Conflict' essay, you will be given one poem and you have to choose one to compare it with. 'Poppies' could compare well with 'Remains', 'Kamikaze' or Duffy's 'War Photographer'.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'Caustic'
sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: The title of the poem 'Poppies' may cause the students to immediately link 'Poppies' with another WW1 poem e.g. 'Exposure'. Correction: It is better to look at comparing poems on the basis of themes and big ideas rather than the time periods in which they were based. 'Poppies' is not a WW1 poem but instead uses the symbol of a poppy in the title to explore grief and loss.
More Lessons In This Unit
- An introduction to themes in the Power and Conflict poetry anthology Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of power and conflict in Blake's 'London' Study Guide
- Analysing the concept of power in Shelley's 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Bayonet Charge' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Charge of the Light Brigade' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Exposure' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Extract from The Prelude' Study Guide
- Analysing the Poem 'Kamikaze' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'My Last Duchess' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Poppies' Study Guide
- Analysing the Poem 'Remains' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Storm on the Island' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'War Photographer' Study Guide
- Comparing 'Power and Conflict' war poems Study Guide
- Comparing conflict in war poems from the Power and Conflict anthology Study Guide
- Comparing Romantic poets' attitudes to nature Study Guide
- Comparing the presentation of power in 'My Last Duchess' and 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Developing interpretations of 'Remains' with Simon Armitage Study Guide
- Power and Conflict poetry: developing comparative essay writing skills Study Guide
- Understanding the connections between Romanticism and Shelley's 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Bayonet Charge' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Charge of the Light Brigade' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Exposure' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Extract from the Prelude' Study Guide
- Understanding the Poem 'Kamikaze' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'London' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'My Last Duchess' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Poppies' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Remains' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Storm on the Island' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'War Photographer' Study Guide
- Writing introductions and topic sentences for poetry comparison Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 10 English guide library.