Poem - Bayonet Charge Flashcards
This poem has encampment, which means that
Each line runs onto the next one.
Hughes describes the stars - nature - like this to show how mechanical and monotonous the war is. (Stanza 2)
“Cold clockwork”
The soldier appears new to the war. (Stanza 1)
“Raw”
The soldier feels very alone in the war.
The soldier is always described using a personal pronoun, other soldiers are not mentioned.
The war is seen as very physical.
“Smashed arm” “Belly out of the air”
Similes used suggest the war is like hell
“Flame” “molten”
Nature is seen as a victim of the war
“Hare that rolled like a flame”
Lots of movement and violent imagery
“Running” “Shot-slashed”
War makes the soldier lose his very strong patriotic ideals. (Stanza 1)
“[Patriotism] sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest”
War can’t be justified/he can’t find the reason for his being there. (Stanza 2)
“Listening between his footfalls for the reason”
The soldier’s rapid shift from inaction into inaction is mirrored…
By his fast-paced listing in lines 20-2
Hughes undermines the impact of war by dismissing its impacts as
“Etcetera”
In wars, Hughes shows that self-preservation is more important than bravery or nobility. They are described in this quote as being…
Dropped like luxuries
This quote shows how the soldier is sweating with fear
Sweat-heavy
This context shows why and how Ted Hughes wrote Bayonet Charge
His father was a WW1 veteran. Bayonet Charge was based on stories that Ted Hughes’ dad told him as a child
