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Aqa poetry unseen potential answers

Title- Arms links to military and weapons eg. Arms race
Summary: war is depicted in negative light when he joins war he is changed and exhilarated/ pacifism
Opening stanza
"How cold steel" physical temp but the weapons are a extended metaphor for soldiers in war the word old links to the apathy of their vicious actions war
"Keen with hunger of blood" weapons are personified the word hunger portrays soldiers as animalistic and There is a sinister tone the boy once in war changes and could be exhilarated by Murder ( demonic imagery at end), the word blood links to danger
"Like a madmans flash" is a simile and links to the crazy action of killing
"Blue" links to cold could refer to death
"Stroke" is soft he is getting used to war being brainwashed
Alliteration to present weapons "blind blunt bullet heads"
I accidentally read it as nuzzle so said links to innocence of young boy and juxtaposes violence the bullets will be in their early cause dead "Muzzle"

some of my answer not whole thing soz

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1

Fluffpuffle

"steel" = manmade and unnatural = war is manmade and it's unnatural for the boy to go to war
"hunger" = war is inevitable as we get hungry when we don't eat

That's what I wrote anyway so hopefully that's not wrong :biggrin:

Reply 2

jazz_xox_

Cold steel reflects no emotion

Extended metaphor of hunger

'Boy' shows innocence which is contrasted with violence

Reply 3

jjewinter

Loads of references to animals - suggesting the weapons turn innocent boy into a 'cold' blooded killer. -'hunger of blood' 'famishing for flesh'

The lines were paired up and all ended the same, for example 1st and 2nd 'blade' and 'blood', this makes it sound satisfying and refers to how the beauty of the weapons disguises it horrific uses.