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AS topic 3 biology notes £6.25

Title: Flag (By: John Agard) poem analysis essay - English Literature Coursework / Grade: A*
Description: 1048 words / 6026 characters

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Flag
When poet John Agard titled his poem, he gave it a simple, monosyllabic word as a title – “flag”
...
At first the term “flag” provides no real sense of emotion
...
I thought of it because of my great-grandfather – he went to war for Britain
...
My grand-father fought in three places North of Africa, Montecassino (Italy) and
France all of the places were occupied and invaded by the Germans
...
The word “flag” also made me think of the British flag’s colours and what they
represent
...

John Agard structured the poem in such a way that there are two protagonists – one asking
questions and one responding to them (Perhaps John himself)
...
Every single stanza in the poem actually looks like a fluttering flag itself
...
This
poem’s foundations are built on images and clashing ideas
...
” - this is because the poet is going to be referring to a flag
...
John Agard deliberately uses the word “rising” when making one of the protagonist
(unidentified) ask:
“What's that rising over a tent?
It's just a piece of cloth
That dares the coward to relent
...
The flag
personifies courage, antagonism and mocking cowards, brainwashing them into relentlessness
...
I feel that it may symbolise
remembrance of soldiers who might’ve lost their lives at war - fighting for their country
...
The term “rising” also implies on a profound level that the nation’s becoming
superior and stronger
...
This type of language can
represent survival leaded by constitution – it is also very vengeful and threatening; it implies that it’s
coming back to life – resurrecting in other words
...
The writer blatantly uses repetition – with the exception of the last verse
...
The reason why his repetition of questions makes him appear
incomprehensive is because most kids go through a phase when they ask questions about everything
– nonstop! The person answering the questions seems a lot more comprehensive and dominant
because of his answers:
“It’s just a piece of cloth
That brings a nation to its knees
...
His answer starts off with
“It’s just a piece of cloth” which is juxtaposed to “That brings a nation to its knees” – this is an
oxymoron because: they are both opposites
...
A flag is a highly symbolic item and can embrace a nation; it
can make its followers, believers and citizens feel more powerful in the same way religion does
...
Is humanity waving flags or are flags waving humanity – this is the point at
where we are controlled by our own ideology
Title: Flag (By: John Agard) poem analysis essay - English Literature Coursework / Grade: A*
Description: 1048 words / 6026 characters