bayonet charge Flashcards
what sort of poem is it
ww1 war poem
did the poet serve in the war himself
no, his father served in ww1 so we could say that although he didnt experience the effects of war first hand, he still felt the effects of war with the relationship with his dad in everyday life
main theme and poets intent of the poem
indescribable horrors of war - poet is passionate about informing people on the reality of war
how does the poem start
starts with the word, ‘suddenly’, this action hook makes the reader confused and unsure of what happened before - this action hook helps the reader to relate to the soldiers experience because it creates a sense of shock and disorientation
enjambement
‘shot - splashed furrows threw up a yellow hare’ - creates a disjointed effect on the reader, so just like the soldiers are thrown into the chaos of war the reader struggles to make sense of the disordered structure of the poem.
caesura
caesura in the poem forces the reader, like the soldier to stop and think. caesura and enjambement are combined to create the chaotic, hard to follow structure once again reflecting the soldiers panic and confusion
repetition of ‘raw’
, reflects the shock of the soldier waking up in the charge as if he is struggling to articulate the moment - fits with theme of the horrors of war, soldier is struggling to express the moment
what is the comparison between the soldier struggling to run and the readers reading the poem and a quote to support this
the soldier struggling to run reflects the idea that the reader is struggling to read the poem due to its linguistic and structural elements, helping us to empathise with the soldier - ‘stumbling across a field of clods towards a green hedge ‘ - ‘clods’ suggests the uneven ground is making it hard to run, just like the irregular structure makes it hard to read
effect of the natural imagery contrasting with the violence of war
reinforces the unpredictability of the situation
lots of similes
used to describe indescribable things so the overwhelming use of similes is used to express the sheer horrors of war
lack of other soldiers
puts the focus on the nature - bullets smacking the belly out of the air - shows that nature resembled by the ‘air’ is as much as a victim of war as the soldier is
nature and how it links to the poet
poet had a love for nature - this focus on nature helps us to understand the final line - reminds reader on the impact of war on nature -
in what cold…
‘in what cold clockwork of the stars and the nation’ - shows the soldiers significance as he is just a cog in a machine - no one cares what happens to him
the patriotic tear that…
the patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eyes - confusing simile is used to express the way in which the patriotism that the soldier once had been pushed away and replaced with sheer panic.
tear resembled his patriotism - connotations of emotion, suggestng passion
when it leaves it comes from the ‘centre of his chest’, showing it was held in his heart.
realising the horrors of war, the patriotism leaves like ‘moltern iron’ suggesting it is a painful process as he realsises he was wrong.
equally the iron could be weighing him down as it is harder to fighter not believing in what he is fighting for. his motivation was patriotism
- harsh criticism of war
his terrors…
his terrors touchy dynamite - suggests the pain the soldier can cause - metaphor touchy dynamite suggests he is no longer a person but a weapon, just like the bayonet he carries
