Bayonet Charge Flashcards
“he lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm”
Hughes portrays the soldier as unprepared for war and unsuitable for his role by using a simile to liken his rifle to a smashed arm: “he lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm”. This implies that the soldier seems disconnected from his weapon and uncomfortable holding it, showing his physical unsuitability for his role. The rifle is presented to be numb and cold showing how unnatural the soldier deems committing acts of violence.
“sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest”
Hughes shows that the soldier has realised the propaganda was false in the simile “sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest” this shows how the patriotism he previously held in his heart leaves from the centre of his chest. The idea of sweating molten iron has painful connotations showing how the soldier is physically pained by the realisation that his ideals have been disproven. The description of “his sweat heavy” shows how it is increasingly harder to fight once disillusioned and without patriotic motivation.
“King, honour, human dignity etcetera… dropped like human luxuries”
Hughes uses asyndetic listing when describing values of “king, honour, human dignity” to show how the soldier gains honour from fighting for his king and country. When faced with death and war, these values are “dropped like human luxuries” so are abandoned when the reality of war is revealed. “etcetera” creates a sense of being sick of it and mocking his past views.
Repition “raw”
Hughes repeats “raw” which stands out against the strength of his other vocabulary conveying the soldier’s intense suffering. Repetition is also reminiscent of stuttering as if the soldier is experiencing a breakdown in rationality as a result of their anxiety and stress.
the first stanza starkly contrasts with the second stanza.
The fast pace created by the enjambment in the first stanza starkly contrasts with the second stanza. The pace of the second stanza is much slower as it’s broken up with lots of caesura. Here the soldier stops to consider the philosophical meaning of war. The pace of the poem is paused, implying that time has stopped or the soldier is so overwhelmed that they are forced to pause and consider. This has the alternative effect of causing the listener to pause and consider the reality of war.
“was he the hand pointing that second?”
The enjambment helps to emphasise the importance of the rhetorical question it ends on - “was he the hand pointing that second?”. Here, the reader is forced to question whether the soldier
is at war by his own choice or is a mechanical cog in a constantly ticking clock.
Enjambment Structure Explained
Enjambment stops the reader from taking a break or pause which quickens the pace of the poem.
The whole of the first stanza is a single sentence. This matches the tense action of the poem and maintains the momentum of a bayonet charge and helps the readers to empathise with the panic and fear felt by the soldier.
“bullets smacking the belly out of the air”.
Hughes poses the argument that nature is a victim of war through his use of personification. He described the “bullets smacking the belly out of the air”. Here, the active verb “smacking” serves to demonstrate the violence inflicted on the air. This is emphasised through the use of harsh plosive sounds in “bullets” and “belly”. The personification of the air as having a “belly” allows the reader to have sympathy for the effect of war on nature. Through describing it in human terms they are more able to relate to the abuse.
“green hedge” “dazzled with rifle fire”
Peaceful images are juxtaposed with the violence of fighting showing the contrast between life and death. The simple, childish description of a “green hedge” provides a peaceful, innocent symbol of (plant) life. This is transformed into the focus of the bayonet charge, a symbol of death as it
“dazzled with rifle fire”.
“Cold clockwork”
Mechanical imagery is emphasised by the harsh alliteration and implies that the soldier has been dehumanised in his role.
