Sample Answer for 2022, Sec B Q7: Sassoon, Owen, Angelou

Essay Plan

Introduction:

• Poems can offer both hope and hopelessness.
• Poets express their thoughts and feelings, which makes readers feel a range of emotions.
• Depending on the poem, readers may experience hope, hopelessness, or both.

Body Paragraph 1: Base Details – No Hope

• Idea: Poems often highlight cruelty and injustice, as in Base Details.
• Language: Juxtaposition in "Youth stone dead" contrasts the vitality of youth with lifeless stone, showing the senseless loss of young lives.
• Explain: This image shows the indifference of officers and leaves readers feeling hopeless about the cruelty of war.

Body Paragraph 2: Dulce et Decorum Est – No Hope

• Idea: Some poems dwell on tragedy and sadness, like Dulce et Decorum Est.
• Language: Simile: "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks" compares soldiers to beggars, showing their exhaustion.
• Explain: This vivid image highlights the physical and mental suffering of soldiers, creating a sense of hopelessness about war.

Body Paragraph 3: Still I Rise – Hope

• Idea: Other poems, like Still I Rise, show the strength of human resilience.
• Language: Anaphora: The repeated phrase "I rise" emphasises resilience and determination.
• Explain: The repetition creates a strong, rhythmic structure, sending a message of empowerment and hope.

Conclusion:

• Poets can offer both hope and hopelessness, depending on the poem.
• While Base Details and Dulce et Decorum Est focus on the cruelty and tragedy of war, Still I Rise offers a message of hope and strength.
• Through their language, poets evoke emotions that make readers feel either sadness or hope.

Sample Answer:

Poems can stimulate both hope and hopelessness. Poets use their work to express feelings, thoughts, and opinions. Therefore, poems may evoke feelings of hope or hopelessness in the reader. In some poems, poets show the cruelty and sadness of life, while in others, they show the strength of human resilience. In poems like Base Details and Dulce et Decorum Est, there is little hope, while in Still I Rise, the poet gives readers a message of hope and strength.

In Base Details by Siegfried Sassoon, there is no hope for the young soldiers who die in war. Sassoon focuses on the cruelty of war and the indifference of the officers who send young men to die while they live in comfort. The line "Youth stone dead" is an example of juxtaposition. It compares the youth of the soldiers to cold, lifeless stone. This contrast highlights the tragedy of young lives lost and how the officers don't care. The poem leaves readers with a sense of injustice and hopelessness because the war takes everything from the soldiers and leaves nothing behind.

Similarly, Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen also offers no hope. This poem describes the horrors of war and how it destroys the soldiers both physically and mentally. Owen uses a simile to compare the soldiers to beggars: "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks." This simile shows how broken and exhausted the soldiers are, making them seem much older than they are. The vivid description helps readers understand the pain and suffering they endure. The poem focuses on the sadness and tragedy of war, leaving no room for hope.

Conversely, Maya Angelou's Still I Rise gives readers a message of hope and strength. Angelou writes about rising above oppression and hardship, showing how people can overcome difficulties. She uses anaphora, repeating the phrase "I rise" throughout the poem to emphasise the speaker's resilience and determination. This repetition creates a strong rhythm and sends a powerful message of hope. Even when others try to bring the speaker down, she continues to rise, showing that no matter how hard life gets, there is always a way to fight back.

Ultimately, poets can offer readers feelings of both hope and hopelessness. While Base Details and Dulce et Decorum Est focus on the cruelty and sadness of war, Still I Rise shows the strength of human resilience and offers hope. Through the use of powerful language and imagery, poets help us feel the emotions they are expressing, whether it's sadness or hope.