placing two or more things side by side, contrasting them for emphasis or effect

a style of poetry that does not follow a specific rhyme scheme, meter, or other traditional poetic conventions

a pleasing combination of elements (e.g. sounds, colours) which result in a sense of unity or balance

the shared customs, beliefs, practices and social institutions of a particular group of people or society

use of chemical substances (such as napalm or Agent Orange) to injure or kill enemy forces or civilians

Analysing the poem ‘What Were They Like?’ by Denise Levertov

English

In 'Edexcel Conflict Poetry', pupils compared the language, form and structure of a variety of poems connected by the themes of power and conflict. In 'Edexcel Conflict Poetry continued', pupils work on making more nuanced comparisons between poems.

In 'A World at War: Poetry', pupils explore how poets present the atrocities of World War One through their poetry. In 'Edexcel Conflict Poetry', pupils analyse how a variety of different wars have been presented through poetry.

Poetry anthology: first study

Depiction of war, threats of war, death or the aftermath of war.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

a piece of music, based on a historical piece of art 

two contrasting elements found near or next to each other

a pleasing combination of elements which result in a sense of unity or balance

to imply that war has changed symbols of joy to symbols of sadness and grief

her poem has a repeated chorus which emphasises her overall message

to suggest that history continually repeats itself

to imply that history is figurative and can always be rewritten

Why does Levertov frequently use repetition and symbolism in her 'answers' to each 'question' in the second stanza of 'What Were They Like?'

She could be linking to harsh weather conditions in Vietnam.

She could be referring to the forest fires that regularly occur in Vietnam.

She may be referencing the napalm firestorms which injured and killed millions.

She may be linking to the flamethrowers used by anti-communist forces.

In 'What Were They Like?', Levertov uses references to heat damage, describing things as "burned" and "charred". How could this link to the wider context of the poem?

a situation where two ideas or actions are in conflict with each other

a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses for emphasis

a style of poetry that does not follow a specific rhyme scheme or rhythm

It uses repetition to show how little is remembered of Vietnamese culture.

It shifts to the present tense to imply that the grief is still ongoing.

It uses a rhetorical question to emphasise how unnecessary the war was.

It shifts to the past tense to reflect on everything that was lost in the war.

How does the final line of 'What Were They Like?' convey a continued sense of grief and loss?

Which of these quotations from 'What Were They Like?' conveys a sense of hope that remnants of Vietnamese culture have remained?

comparing two unlike things using 'like' or 'as' to create a vivid image 

 a word/phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences

placing two or more things side by side to emphasise their differences 

a word that imitates or suggests the sound it represents

Select the verbs below which are in the present tense.

a poem with a strict rhyming and rhythmic pattern

a poem with a strict rhyming pattern but no set rhythm

a poem with a strict rhythmic pattern but no rhyme scheme

a poem with no rhyming or rhythmic pattern

How many speakers does the poem 'What Were They Like?' have?

a photographer who was sent to photograph the Vietnam War.

a sociologist who was passionate about the stories people tell about themselves.

a frontline soldier during WWI who wrote about her own experiences of war.

an active and passionate campaigner against the Vietnam War.

Complete this sentence: 'The poet of 'What Were They Like?', Denise Levertov, was ...

Which of the following quotations from 'What Were They Like?' is repeated multiple times throughout the poem?

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Adult supervision recommended

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Analysing the poem ‘What Were They Like?’ by Denise Levertov

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.