New
New
Year 10
AQA

Analysing the Poem 'Kamikaze'

I can explore how Garland uses language and structure to explore the conflict between personal and national duty.

New
New
Year 10
AQA

Analysing the Poem 'Kamikaze'

I can explore how Garland uses language and structure to explore the conflict between personal and national duty.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The pilot’s national duty, reflected by the patriotic imagery and rigid stanzas, is to complete a sacrificial mission.
  2. The pilot chooses to abide by his personal duty to experience the beauty of life in the present moment.
  3. The use of perspective and pronouns reflects society’s attitudes to the pilot’s decision to turn back.
  4. Abundant natural imagery reflects the allure and power of nature.
  5. Nature is shown to have a more powerful grip on the pilot than the incantations of propaganda.

Common misconception

Students may not recognise the use of different perspectives in the poem to represent distance.

Explain to pupils that the dual narrative is a stylistic choice of Garland to show the mother telling the story to her own children as if she is not a part of it. She then slowly reveals the pilot is her own father.

Keywords

  • Incantations - a magic spell or charm

  • Patriotism - love or devotion to one’s country

  • Alluring - powerfully or mysteriously attractive or fascinating

In learning cycle 2, you may want to conduct a shared quote explosion in which you annotate a quote together with pupils on the board or using a visualiser before they do their own in the practice task.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to a copy of the AQA Power and Conflict Anthology for this lesson.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Whose perspective is the poem 'Kamikaze' told from?
the pilot
Correct answer: the pilot's daughter
the pilot's grandchild
the pilot's wife
Q2.
What is honour?
feeling shame
Correct answer: good character and reputation
being remembered
Q3.
What is the pilot's national duty in 'Kamikaze'?
Correct answer: to complete a sacrificial mission
to join the cavalry
to look after his children
Q4.
Which quote taken from Garland's 'Kamikaze' contains sibilance?
"little fishing boats strung out like bunting"
"arcing in swathes like a huge flag waved"
Correct answer: "shoals of fishes flashing silver"
Q5.
What is a quote explosion?
an essay plan
Correct answer: a carefully annotated quote
a page full of interesting quotes from a text
Q6.
What shows the importance of honour in 'Kamikaze'?
Correct answer: the pilot's family shun him when he does not complete his mission
the pilot completes the sacrificial mission although he doesn't want to
the majestic way in which the fish swim
the pilot deciding to turn back

6 Questions

Q1.
The quote “powerful incantations” from the poem 'Kamikaze' may allude to...
Japan as 'The Land of the Rising Sun'
Correct answer: propaganda and messages of patriotism
the pilot's family's pleas to return home safely
Q2.
In 'Kamikaze', which of these is revealed not to be part of the pilot's personal duty?
experiencing the beauty of nature
spending time with his family
Correct answer: being honoured in history books
Q3.
In 'Kamikaze', the quote “remembered how he and his brothers…built cairns” may depict how the pilot…
chose national duty over personal duty.
had internalised propaganda so that he did not question completing the mission.
Correct answer: perceived a duty to himself to prioritise family and relationships.
Q4.
The free verse and enjambment in 'Kamikaze' may reflect...
the national duty placed on the pilot that he felt was restrictive.
Correct answer: personal duty as the pilot chose to break free from expectations.
how the family shun the pilot on his return home.
Q5.
The most powerful presence in the poem 'Kamikaze' is revealed to be...
the patriotic values of the pilot
Correct answer: nature
the family's love for the pilot
Q6.
Which quote from 'Kamikaze' reflects nature's omnipotence?
Correct answer: “a tuna, the dark prince, muscular, dangerous.”
"the loose silver of whitebait"
"green-blue translucent sea"
"little fishing boats strung out like bunting"