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In this sonnet, The Soldier, the first stanza talks about when the author dies, that small part of the world will forever have a part of England within it, in the line," That there's some corner of a foreign field that will forever be England ". It sounds like he is sorrowful, that many had to die for England's pride and ego as they colonised country after country, until someone fought back, starting a war that killed millions of innocent soldiers. However, the repetition done in the two lines above give a bit more tension to the poem, as it breaks up the long sentence, stopping it from flowing smoothly. The rhyming pattern of the poem goes almost unnoticed when it's read through for the first time, as it doesn't really add much for me. However, the second time, it adds a bit of subtlety to show how the author is feeling, calm and peaceful. In the second stanza, the author talks about how he was raised in England, and all that it means to him, as he says the line," A dust England bore, shaped,made aware" with the dust symbolising his remains. Finally, the last stanza talks about the time when he gets shot and goes to ," An English heaven" and "Gives somewhere back, the thoughts by England given". This talks about how the author is at last at peace with himself and fulfilled by his duty, therefore he can die without any anxiety or worry. He feels like he can finally let go of all the old memories as he doesn't need them anymore. I find that it is like how older characters in books pass down things that later come in use, as it saved them once and they felt like it would save others too. However, this poem talks about war through a calming and peaceful poem, which is quite an oxymoron compared to the bloody battlefield described by soldiers when they come back after having fought in it. This is also partly why war poetry is seen as such a conflicting art form and literary style.

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CommonLit | The Soldier by Rupert Brooke | CommonLit

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In this poem,Dreamers, the first stanza talks about how soldiers are citizens of death's grey land, implying that they are closer to death than their own country. The word "grey" shows how everything's lifeless and all the initial excitement they might've had for fighting for their country is now gone as the rose-tinted glasses have come off. "The great hour of destiny" might also refer to the time they stand at the front line, with destiny being all the lies they were told about war put into one experience. The second stanza shows how soldiers have no choice in whether they want to go to battle, as most of them are forced to, regardless. This can be seen in the quote "Soldiers are sworn to action;". This is also the stanza where he first explains how soldiers are dreamers; how they dream of clean beds, fire-lit homes and their wives while on the front line. Unlike Rupert Brooke, Sassoon keeps his lines flowing smoothly, instead of breaking it up, which completely conflicts the poem itself, that talks about the pitying soldiers of war. In the last stanza, Sassoon emphasises the idea of soldiers being dreamers once more, when he talks about them dreaming of living their life normally once more. This is seen in lines 11,13 and 14, where he describes the life of a so-called normal person, and says that that is what soldiers are dreaming about.

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CommonLit | Dreamers by Siegfried Sassoon | CommonLit

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In this poem The Dug-out, Sassoon talks about a young soldier sleeping in an unusual way, that might seem almost uncanny to others. He describes how the soldier's "sullen, cold, Exhausted face" intrigues him through the use of a rhetorical question, however to the reader it might seem that he knows the answer and feels sorry for the soldier, through the use of the adjectives. The first two lines talks about the way this soldier is sleeping, with his legs together and one arm protecting his face. Perhaps he is sleeping this way because he is trying to keep himself warm, which we can infer from the word, "cold", but also has shell-shock, which is the reason he is cowering behind his arm, as a means of protection. Afterwards, Sassoon using the words guttering gold to give auditory imagery to the reader, to make them think of the soldier's teeth chattering and feel sympathy for them, but also to make them aware of the conditions of the trenches in World War One. These words also act as alliteration, putting more emphasis on the freezing temperatures that soldiers had to endure. In the next line, he says and you wonder why I shake you by the shoulder. This links back to when he talks about how it hurts his heart to watch him suffer like this, which is why he wakes him by the shoulder, to end his supposed prolonged suffering. The last two lines act as a conflicting idea to war, as he describes how the soldier is too young to die, yet he reminds him of the dead when he sleeps. This is conflicting, as most of the men who go to war and eventually die, are young men who have the physique to take the horrifying conditions. Yet, he talks about the unfairness of it all, which isn't usually thought about when sending men off to war. The long, flowing poem sets a sad and mournful tone, contrasting the bloody battlefield and yelling of war on the frontlines. This is why war poetry has such an odd way about itself.

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The Death of  Soldier:Wallace Stevens-22/9/2024

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The Death of  Soldier:Wallace Stevens-22/9/2024

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In this poem, The Death of a Soldier, Stevens talks about the death of a soldier like a leaf falling off a tree in autumn. In the first stanza, he talks about how life of a soldier if like a leaf during autumn; they are bound to die. This is seen in the quote," Life contracts and death is expected". Not only does the word contract sound conflicting when paired with death as when the lungs contract it means that a breath is being taken, but also it feels like something is being taken away/ fading away. Furthermore, the tone seems to be of acceptance that the death of a soldier is nothing more than what's expected of them, which contrasts wildly to the propaganda spread around, which glorifies soldiers and war. The second stanza talks about how after a soldier's death, he doesn't become somebody worthy enough to be mentioned for even three days. Not only does this reflect on how no one appears to care enough for the soldier to mourn him for even three days, but also that war is so devastating that there's no time to mourn someone for the appropriate amount of time. Furthermore, this is emphasised in the last line of the second stanza, where he imposes for his pomp, an important memorial/ceremony. The third stanza talks about how death is short, without time for memorial or to think about the death, just to keep moving, like the pace of the poem. It uses the metaphor of the wind stopping as a comparison to the breath of a death soldier, which is ironic as the breath of a soldier also stops, like how the wind stops, when he is dead. The fourth stanza talks about the rest of the world, the non-living objects, after the soldier is dead. It talks about how they move on as well, just like everyone else has. It gives the reader the feeling that not even the clouds care enough about the soldier to even stop and glance at him, even though they're inanimate things. This gives the feeling of loneliness a dead soldier faces, which can also be said a s the life of a dead soldier, to be ironic.

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CommonLit | The Death of a Soldier by Wallace Stevens | CommonLit

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To Any Dead Officer:Siegfried Sassoon:28/9/2024

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To Any Dead Officer:Siegfried Sassoon:28/9/2024

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In this poem, To Any Dead Officer, by Siegfried Sassoon, he talks about all the soldiers who died during the war, young and old. He uses satirical comments to show his true intent behind the poem, how war was futile and how their deaths were completely unnecessary, asking them how heaven is before saying that they never got the life they wished for. His first line has a sarcastic tone, where he uses the word "well," to symbolise how this is just a normal conversation between two people catching up and to force those who've glorified the dead to stand up to him and say how the worshipped their country more than the lives of those who've died. He puts emphasis on how the soldiers who romanticised war and death are in supposed heaven right now, and how their ideals and beliefs are shattered. The third line challenges those who believed that the afterlife would have something good for them if they fought for their country and died, which has now been proven false. Afterwards, he expresses sorrow and bitterness towards the deaths of his comrades, as he has made good memories with them, and they were the ones who made him stay sane throughout the fighting and bloodiness, as seen in the quote," I hear you make some cheery old remark". However, the last four lines are the ones where he hits hard with his poem, as he talks purely about how their death was all a waste, and it amounted to nothing. This is shown in the line," That's all washed out now. You're beyond the wire". This is saying that they're memories of their families and dreams of life going back to normal has been washed out as they passed away, due to a completely useless war that solved absolutely nothing and caused millions to die. The wire might refer to the barbed wire soldiers were often thrown over after they had died or to kill them. "A hopeless dud-attack" emphasises his point more; how the attack was never going to work and it was pointless yet it killed people; friends, family, soldiers, etc. "No earthly chance" refers to how while there might not be any hope for them on Earth anymore, there might be some in an alien world. This is meant to irony, as aliens were believed to be completely fictional and made-up. "finished with machine-gun fire" refers to the futility and loss of war due to nuclear weapons, that so many soldiers suffered from, not just physically but also mentally. It also refers to how the lives of a man was done through the use of a man-made object, something so lifeless it shouldn't be trusted with the amount of power it holds in one shot.

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I saw Anne Frank die: Holocaust survivor Irma Menkel:20/11/2024

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I saw Anne Frank die: Holocaust survivor Irma Menkel:20/11/2024

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1. Most people died from starvation and disease which was blamed upon the Nazis. The disease they encountered was typhus, and the Nazis would give them only one roll of bread, some soup and one cup of black coffee a day, so many died of either malnutrition or starvation

2. They would tear up their piece of bread and roll it up to try and ration it out, because there wasn’t enough food or water for the day. They were only given one bread roll, one soup, one glass of water and one cup of black coffee for eight days.

3. The coincidence it is referring to is that one of the officers knew her uncle, and studied with him at one point, so the commandment would always ask her how she is doing and she was able to talk about some of her fears and hopes with him. However, she slightly implies that she is also talking about the coincidence of her becoming the leader of the barracks, as it led to her being able to meet up and talk with her uncle’s acquaintance.

4. This text might have been written to give an outsider’s view on the infamous book Diary of Anne Frank , and also to show how the leader of the barracks was selected, and if their lives were any different from those who worked there. It also gives us a better idea of the things given to younger kids, that are then taken away as they get older, purely due to their age, which doesn’t just apply to the Holocaust. The audience might be historians, or schoolchildren trying to learn more about the Holocaust. This is because this is a first-hand witness statement, which historians consider valuable and reliable.

5. This might happen to a person in Bergen-Belson as everyday they are forced to work long hours with little to no food or water, which takes such a toll on their bodies that they just feel numb after a certain point. This might also be because they were constantly objectified and dehumanised, so they didn’t view themselves as humans anymore, and therefore couldn’t feel anything.

6. The author creates sympathy in this passage by asking rhetorical questions like “how could I give it to her” which shows the reader the horrible conditions of the concentration camps, and causes them to sympathise with the witness. It also gives us an insight on how there was too much work for too little food. They also use words like “so little” which emphasises their current points, and give the reader another thing to compare to, as most of them would be able to have almost triple of what the Jews had. By giving the reader a comparison they understand, they’re allowing them to further sympathise with the victims of the Holocaust.

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Tsar Nicholas II links most to Mr Jones, who is the owner of the farm, and rules over the animals as a tyrant dictator, with no real regard for their safety, like how the Tsar refused workers rights, even when their lives were at risk. Mr Jones also objectifies the animals , and profits off their labour, stealing foals and milk from the cows and horses. Not only does this relate to how the Tsar objectified the proletariats by paying them low wages for their labour, but also how workers never saw themselves in the object, and that it was always stolen from them.

The donkey represents the detached cynical people, who only opened up to certain people. This can be seen in the quote “cynical remark”, clearly showing us how he sees events not as controversial, but simply as facts, as the word remark is a casual reference, often used in informal conversations, and when paired with the word cynical shows us how his character is unlikely to be persuaded easily, and takes pride in being able to do so. Furthermore, this relates to the book, as he is less likely to be convinced by opposing arguments against what he thinks is right, which can go two ways, leaving him to be a more noticeable to the readers.

Old major represents Lenin/Marx, as he gives his speech to convince the animals of the horrors of the world being derived from man, like how Marx believed that the rich were stealing and profiting from the workers. Like Lenin, he appeals to his audience by using rhetoric that plays along to their wants, like enough rations , all the land to roam free and getting rid of the tyrannical ruler, which can be compared to Lenin’s slogan “Peace, Land and Bread”, in which he promised the peasants enough food, ownership of land and taking them out of the war.

The rich White Russians are represented by Millie, a pretty pig who Mr Jones adores and spoils. Not only does this show us how Mollie gets more food than the other animals, like the rich, but it also connects pretty privilege in the book with money privilege in history. For example, the rich were treated to much better housing , food and clothes because of their money, like how Mollie was treated to better and more food because she was pretty and fair. Furthermore, this also emphasises Mr Jones embodying Tsar Nicholas II, as he also favoured the rich and was more willing and welcoming towards them. However, she was also going to be slaughtered one day, once she stopped being pretty, highlighting how once the rich had no more money, they were discarded and left to fend for themselves, likely when they were in their older years.

Finally, the rest of the animals represented the proletariats, in which they were forced to work for meager rations and a tiny shelter, like how the proletariats got practically no money from working all day and night. This is also emphasised when old major appeals to them, like with Lenin and the workers, rallying them up and readying them to ‘strike’ against Mr Jones. They also blindly follow their leader, ignoring his controlling rules, determined even when their own morals are being violated, because they can only think about what’s happened to them rather than what’s going to happen to others. The author has done this to warn the readers to not always follow somebody blindly, just because of a few promises that might not be kept, highlighting the animals foolishness, playing into the allegory of animal farm

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Squealer uses rhetorical devices in his speech to influence other animals mainly through the use of pathos. This can be seen in the rhetorical question, “You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege?"You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege?". Not only does the word "imagine" banish the idea that the pigs would be doing this for themselves, but it also implies that such a thing would only happen in a dream or a fantasy, further emphasising the point that the pigs are only doing their job for the farm. Furthermore, the words"You do not" are commanding words, in contrast to the message Squealer is trying to get across, that all animals are equal and without a leader. This might imply to the reader that Squealer is trying to manipulate the animals through the use of pathos, as he uses clear commanding words in a rhythmic and soothing tone, while pairing them with the words "I hope" to guilt the animals into questioning him. Additionally, the words "selfishness and privilege" could possibly allude to human traits, further convincing the animals that the pigs would never stoop so low. Orwell might've shown Squealer like this because he wanted people to make connections to the world he lived in by the use of a story, where Squealer represents the propaganda. This is because during his time period, the Russian Revolution, many people were influenced easily and swiftly by the propaganda spread by Stalin and Trotsky, which he found to be false and untrue. Orwell uses this tale about animals to warn people about the dangers of believing without thought, and to be uneducated while those in power are, in hopes to snap people out of a trance.

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The humans marched into the farm with sticks, except for Mr. Jones who held a gun.

Pigeons get released and start pecking and muting on human's head, while the geese come and bite their calves, as a distraction

Muriel, Benjamin, sheep and snowball all start charging towards the humans, prodding and butting them, until snowball gave sound for retreat, confusing the humans.

Humans rushed after them in a prideful and inflated state, only to be met with the three horses, the three cows, and the rest of the pigs, who were there for ambush and charged at them.

Jones saw snowball running at him and tried to shoot him, grazing snowball slightly, and killing a sheep.

Snowball threw himself at Jones and knocked him down.

Boxer kicked a boy with his iron hooves-which stunned him-, scaring the humans so much they fled.

Propaganda magazine article-

Comrades,

Yesterday was a fateful day for the residents of Animal Farm, who we give the utmost respect and condolences to, as the Battle of the Cowshed took place against bloodthirsty and power hungry mankind. This day will forever be remembered, as the day the citizens of animal farm emerged victorious in a harsh battle against their lifelong oppressors.

The battle was an intense struggle against the humans, where the animals launched attack after attack, bringing them down bit by bit, like a herd of elephants. A quote from Boxer says, " I could see them coming down one by one, looking down at the same species who forever trapped me in a cage."

The geese and the pigeons started off, proving to all, that the first fighters need not be the most experienced . As they courageously fought against their enemies, they were joined by the strong and resilient flock of sheep, Muriel , Benjamin and Snowball, commencing the second attack against the humans. The sheep reportedly boosted the morale using the genius slogan of "Four legs good, two legs bad", as they grappled and scrimmaged against the commanding humans.

The animals then retreated, waiting for the humans to follow them right back, ensuring complete success. The brainless humans fell into the carefully-thought out trap, as the animals were preparing themselves for the finale. The jumped out and heroically ambushed the humans out of their own farm. Witnesses at the farms revealed Snowball's amazing act of bravery announcing that "he himself dashed straight for Jones, even as he almost got hit by the bullet. He went on, bloody streaks on his back and charged right at him, triumphantly knocking him down to the ground." A direct quote from Snowball himself says" As i saw the hatred in his eyes, I remembered all the times he starved us, the way he used to beat us and sell us off for his own wealth. He was a monster. It suddenly became clear to me that Animal Farm must continue, even at the price of my life."

The Battle of the Cowshed has left the inhabitants of Animal Farm stronger than ever, who are now looking at more advanced methods of defense. This willful act of camaraderie has strengthened the bond in the animal community as we offer our condolences for the death of a soldier, caused by the uncontrollable violence of man. When asked about this, Comrade Napoleon somberly answered "We hope that all animals can come together, and defeat mankind together, even when it comes with a price."

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Please turn on the comments on your Padlet so I can offer feedback.

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Task One-

1) The Great Purge, also known as The Great Terror, was a brutal political campaign led by Stalin to eliminate any potential dissenting members of the Communist party and anybody who he considered a threat. Approximately 750,000 people were killed during this, leading to complete fear and terror.

2) The Moscow trials started off with Stalin staging intense and cruel trials that wiped out any of his political opponents. They were staged events, in which the traitor would be called up and told to confess their crimes, even though they hadn't done anything. Scientists later found out that these people were confessing due to the torture they went through.

3)Stalin's purges affected high-ranking military members, as many of them were accused and tortured until they confessed. As for the Red Army, 30,000 of them were killed, which might indicate that there were also some higher-ranking military figures amongst them. It is estimated that 81-103 generals and admirals were killed during this time period. The killing of military members also started before the killing of civilians and innocents, further implying that military members were seen as threats that needed to be eliminated as soon as possible.

4) Stalin's purges also affected normal people, as many were killed due to his paranoia and his thirst for power. There was also a new decree launched, where it said that family members could also be held guilty for their families crimes.

5) Stalin was an oppressive, dictatorial ruler, which can be seen through the great purge. He uses his power to push others down, and kills any contenders that the people might follow instead. He used his status as leverage to the people.

Challenge-

Stalin might've used show trials for many reasons, yet I think the biggest would be because he needed a form of intimidation the public.This is because by publicly broadcasting the killing of a person as a punishment, it scares others enough that they will not speak up about his overly strict rules. It also serves as a warning for people, as they could meet the same fate if they do not give complete obedience to Stalin.

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1. I think statement C "Because he’s a ‘self-made man’, he reckons he’s shown everyone how they can do it – he hasn’t time for weaklings. He’s made ‘progress’ and that’s what he believes in." and F "The atmosphere of gaiety is forced. It’s not good that Gerald’s parents haven’t come."are most responsible for the unease in the room. For statement C, I think this because Sheila and her mother are constantly trying to bring him away from the subject, as seen in the quote "I don't think you should talk about business on an occasion like this" said by Sheila's mother. From this quote, the reader can sense that there is tension between the Crofts and the Birlings in terms of business, with Mr Birling obviously regarding himself as the higher of the two. He also refers to himself as a "practical man of business" which causes Eric to attempt to disagree with him, just to be shut down again. This might imply that Mr Birling and Eric aren't on very good relations, with Mr Birling being the more superior of the two. As for statement F, this causes unrest in the play as Mr Birling tries to awkwardly manoeuvre around the fact that Gerald's parents aren't there. This is seen in the quote ," As I told you, they sent me a very nice cable- couldn't be nicer". His tone suggests that he's trying to cover up any lingering feelings of detachment and annoyance towards them. Another quote that shows Mr Birling not being fond of the Crofts are " I have an idea that your mother -Lady Croft- while she doesn't object to my girl, feels you might have done better socially".This shows that Mr Birling isn't happy that Lady Croft said that about his daughter, especially behind his back.

2. Gerald and Mr Birling don't have many connections to each other other than being in-laws, however the Croft and Birling companies have been rivals for years, and are only now joining together to increase efficiency and profit, through marriage. Mr Birling also has some quite strong opinions about class in terms of workers and employers, as he feels like the labourers are below him, and that "We employers" are one group. However, he mentions that Crofts is older and bigger than Birlings, suggesting that the Crofts are old money, while the Birlings have gained it over the years. Gerald seems to only want to marry into the Birling family for the deal his family will get, and partially due to his love for Sheila, although that seems to be very weak. This can be seen in the quote"never came near me". He might also want to marry into the family to not only improve his relationship with them due to business, but to also boost his class rank, as he isn't the one with the money.

3. Speech 1- Thank you for marrying her

Speech 2- Business Reassurance

Speech 3-Worries about war are fruitless

Speech 4-The way to a perfect world

Speech 5-A man's responsibility

Reflect

1.Egoistic

2.Caring(about his daughter)

3.Logical

4.Stoic

5.Serious

6.Traditional

7.Double-faced

8. Unsettling

9.Oblivious

10.Exasperated