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Year 10
Edexcel

Comparing the hopelessness of war

I can compare how poets present different negative views of war.

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New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

Comparing the hopelessness of war

I can compare how poets present different negative views of war.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Although not all poems describe the same wars, most poets are critical of war.
  2. The poems explore the impact on soldiers, civilians and bystanders of war.
  3. Comparative conjunctions can be used to compare themes, language, structure or form.
  4. Superlatives can be used to evaluate the differences between attitudes.

Common misconception

'The Man He Killed', 'Exposure', 'War Photographer' and 'What Were They Like?' display a purely negative and critical attitude to war.

Thomas Hardy's 'The Man He Killed' certainly questions the dehumanising nature of war but arguably isn't quite as critical as other war poems since in the last stanza the speaker describes war and killing enemy soldiers as "quaint" and "curious".

Keywords

  • Critical - focused on identifying flaws or shortcomings

  • Cynical - a sceptical or mistrustful attitude

  • Comparative conjunctions - words which show the relationship between two or more elements/ideas

  • Evaluate - making a ‘value’ judgement about the quality of something (e.g. it is longer, better, more harrowing)

  • Superlatives - the highest degree of comparison, indicating the utmost quality, degree, or intensity

Encourage students to rank the poems throughout the lesson. Perhaps use an opinion line on the board and encourage students to vote on the four poems (for example, which has the most harrowing descriptions?).
Teacher tip

Equipment

Edexcel Poetry Anthology ('Conflict' cluster)

Content guidance

  • 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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a superlative?
saying that something is more ... or less ... than something else
a word which presents something in a positive light
Correct answer: highest degree of comparison indicating the utmost quality, degree, or intensity
listing the positives and negative aspects of something
Q2.
Which of the following are examples of conjunctions?
Correct answer: and
never
Correct answer: but
frequently
often
Q3.
Which of these poems was written by someone with firsthand experience of war?
Correct answer: 'Exposure' by Wilfred Owen
'The Man He Killed' by Thomas Hardy
'What Were They Like?' by Denise Levertov
'War Photographer' by Carole Satyamurti
Q4.
Which of these poems was written about the Vietnam War?
'Exposure' by Wilfred Owen
'The Man He Killed' by Thomas Hardy
Correct answer: 'What Were They Like?' by Denise Levertov
'War Photographer' by Carole Satyamurti
Q5.
Which of these poems isn't influenced by a specific war or historical event?
'Exposure' by Wilfred Owen
'The Man He Killed' by Thomas Hardy
'What Were They Like?' by Denise Levertov
Correct answer: 'War Photographer' by Carole Satyamurti
Q6.
How should you use wider context in your analytical response?
You shouldn't - there's no need to discuss context when analysing poetry.
You must include it in every paragraph.
You should only include it in your introduction and conclusion.
Correct answer: You should include it but only where it's relevant to your overall argument.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following sentences contains a superlative?
She was a little bit nervous about the exam.
They'd often wondered who was more adventurous.
Correct answer: It was the biggest mountain he'd ever climbed.
Whenever David walked his dog, he felt like it was always raining.
Q2.
'Julia's brother scoffed at every suggestion she made, convinced that nothing good could come out of their current situation'. Which of the words below best completes this sentence?
critical
Correct answer: cynical
apathetic
strict
Q3.
Which of these poems was influenced by the events of the Second Boer War?
'Exposure'
Correct answer: 'The Man He Killed'
'What Were They Like?'
'War Photographer'
Q4.
Which of these poets conveys the most hopeless and futile attitude to war?
Denise Levertov in 'What Were They Like?'
Correct answer: Wilfred Owen in 'Exposure'
Thomas Hardy 'The Man He Killed'
Carole Satyamurti in 'War Photographer'
Q5.
Which of the examples below contains a comparative conjunction?
'Exposure' portrays soldiers' suffering in the harsh conditions of war.
'The Man He Killed' questions morality in warfare.
Correct answer: Both poems explore human conflict amidst grim realities.
Since 'Exposure' evokes despair, we can argue that it is an emotive poem.
Q6.
Which of these poems focus on the effect of military conflict on civilians?
'The Man He Killed'
Correct answer: 'What Were They Like?'
'Exposure'
Correct answer: 'War Photographer'