Bayonet Charge Quotes and Ideas Flashcards
Hughes begins the poem in medias res - creating a confused and vulnerable mindset the soldier has awoken to.
“Suddenly he awoke and was running”
The dynamic verb portrays how sluggish description of the soldier’s movement is in battle. Furthermore, a simile is used to compare it as a liability.
“he lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm”
The oxymoron shows despite how brave the soldier is that their patriotism is turned into fear as a turning fate of reality during war.
“patriotic tear”
The asyndetic list and the use of etc shows the careless nature of patriotism in scrambles of war.
“king, honour, human dignity, etcetera”
Personification of the air being ‘attacked’ by the barrage of bullets showing the wrath of warfare.
“bullets smacking the belly out of the air-“
The way to show the frantic movement of the hare. Showing the messiness of war - shown by the simile comparing the hare’s movement like the movement of flame (random and vigorous).
“Threw up a yellow hare that rolled like a flame and crawled in a threshing circle”
This line is said after the asyndetic list of reasons to why people are at war showing why and how ironic warfare is to this soldier.
“Dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm”
The sibilance creates a sound of gunfire.
“Then the shot-slashed furrows”
