Comparing ideas of war in Hardy’s ‘Drummer Hodge’ and Armitage’s ‘Remains’
I can compare how Hardy and Armitage present ideas of war in ‘Drummer Hodge’ and ‘Remains’.
Comparing ideas of war in Hardy’s ‘Drummer Hodge’ and Armitage’s ‘Remains’
I can compare how Hardy and Armitage present ideas of war in ‘Drummer Hodge’ and ‘Remains’.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Both Hardy and Armitage arguably depict the dehumanising effect of war through the treatment of fallen soldiers’ bodies.
- Arguably, both Hardy and Armitage suggest that the soldiers were somewhere that they didn’t belong.
- While Hardy may imply the soldiers’ ignorance of the realities of war, Armitage arguably shows the uncertainty of war.
- We might interpret the regular rhyme of ‘Drummer Hodge’ as showing ideas of inevitability.
- However, the irregularity of ‘Remains’ may instead suggest the unpredictable nature of war.
Keywords
Dehumanisation - regarding, representing, or treating (a person or group) as less than human
Inevitable - certain to happen and unable to be avoided or prevented
Unpredictable - likely to change suddenly and without reason and therefore not able to be predicted or depended upon
Common misconception
A comparative topic sentence should only focus on the differences between poems.
A comparative topic sentence should either state the similarities or differences between the poems in relation to the central focus of the paragraph.
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Comparing ideas of war in Hardy’s ‘Drummer Hodge’ and Armitage’s ‘Remains’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Comparing ideas of war in Hardy’s ‘Drummer Hodge’ and Armitage’s ‘Remains’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
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Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the Poetry anthology (Assessment from summer 2027) unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You may wish to have a copy of the Eduqas 2025 Anthology for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended