Poem - Bayonet Charge Flashcards
This poem has encampment, which means that
Each line runs onto the next one.
Lots of movement and violent imagery
“Running” “Shot-slashed”
A sense of urgency and desperation is created by this
Enjambement
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
Why is he used?
He is very general. Criticises all the soldiers rather than picking out one name
Ted Hughes copied Wilfred Owens spring offensive in the following ways
And crawl
Lots of heat references
Plunged past
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
Similes used suggest the war is like hell
“Flame” “molten”
War makes the soldier lose his very strong patriotic ideals. (Stanza 1)
“[Patriotism] sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest”
The war is seen as very physical.
“Smashed arm” “Belly out of the air”
This quote shows how the soldier is sweating with fear
Sweat-heavy
The second stanza has a dreamlike quality and his confused state is emphasised by the use of…
the rhetorical question “was he the hand pointing that second?”
Bayonet Charge is an anti-war poem that presents war as
Unnatural, senseless and barbaric
Nature is seen as a victim of the war
“Hare that rolled like a flame”
The soldier’s rapid shift from inaction into inaction is mirrored…
By his fast-paced listing in lines 20-2
Ted Hughes was inspired by this poet when writing Bayonet Charge
Wilfred Owen
Why did Ted Hughes copy Wilfred Owen
Everything he knew about Bayonet charging came from that poem and his dad - he wasn’t in the war
What do the 2 Caesurae do?
Make reader pause like the soldiers doing
Hughes describes the stars - nature - like this to show how mechanical and monotonous the war is. (Stanza 2)
“Cold clockwork”
Why are there 6 similes
Impossible to describe the events themselves. Reverts to similes to give an impression of it
The sibilance in this quote describes the sound of the bullets as they fly around the soldier
Shot-slashed
This reflects the chaotic and discordant tone of the poem
No rhyme or rhythm
Why is etcetera used?
Events cannot be accurately described
Why does Ted Hughes use long clumsy sentences that are difficult to read in his poem?
The long-winded sentences reflect the difficult progress made by the soldier as he stumbles across the muddy battlefield
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 appears new to the war. (Stanza 1)
“Raw”
This quote creates tension as the slow-moving soldier is in danger of being shot
Stumbling across a field of clots
Raw is repeated twice in three words. Why?
Difficult to express thoughts and reflects the shock felt by the soldier
Hughes undermines the impact of war by dismissing its impacts as
“Etcetera”
What does cold clockwork show?
Nature didn’t give a fuck about the war and just kept on going
The soldier feels very alone in the war.
The soldier is always described using a personal pronoun, other soldiers are not mentioned.
This quote vividly conveys the violent sounds of gunfire and draw the reader deeper into the experience of being on the battlefield
Blue crackling air
