Bayonet Charge

Bayonet Charge

• 1.
  Bayonet Charge byTed Hughes Bayonet - a knife attached to the end of a rifle. Context – World War One Although it was written much later, the poem is set during World War One. It describes a soldier going ‘over the top’ - this was when soldiers climbed out of their trenches and charged towards enemy lines, carrying their bayonets. These charges usually resulted in heavy casualties.
• 2.
  Suddenly he awokeand was running – raw In raw-seamed hot khaki, his sweat heavy, Stumbling across a field of clods towards a green hedge That dazzled with rifle fire, hearing Bullets smacking the belly out of the air – He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm; The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye Sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest, - Just woken up – in a confused and vulnerable state. It seems like a nightmare but it is real. Suggests discomfort but also lack of experience – he may be young. SIMILE – suggests his rifle is useless and foreshadows the injuries he might get. Violent IMAGERY and onomatopoeia describes the sound of the gun fire. Repeated ‘h’ sound – copies the soldiers heavy breathing as he runs. His patriotism (love for his country) has turned to fear and pain – his ideas of being a hero have been ruined by reality.
• 3.
  In bewilderment thenhe almost stopped – In what cold clockwork of the stars and the nations Was he the hand pointing that second? He was running Like a man who has jumped up in the dark and runs Listening between his footfalls for the reason Of his still running, and his foot hung like Statuary in mid-stride. Then the shot-slashed furrows Emphasises the soldier’s insignificance and his lack of control of his situation. “Cold” implies that the people in charge of the war don’t care about individual soldiers. This stanza pauses the action and focuses on the soldier wondering why he is there. Caesura (pause) ends his period of thought and forces him to return to reality. Group of statues – SIMILE - it’s as if the soldier is turned to stone by his shock and confusion. SIMILE – creates an image of someone blind and irrational – suggests there’s no rational reason for war.
• 4.
  Threw up ayellow hare that rolled like a flame And crawled in a threshing circle, its mouth wide Open silent, its eyes standing out. He plunged past with his bayonet toward the green hedge, King, honour, human dignity, etcetera Dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm To get out of that blue crackling air His terror’s touchy dynamite . An upsetting image of out-of- control movement. “Threshing” is a farming term when crops are beaten. This suggests that nature is affected by war. SIMILE – emphasises the hare’s frantic movement and hints at the danger the solider is in. These are the reasons that persuade people to go to war. Using “etcetera” suggests they’re not even worth listing. Suggests that the pain and fear can’t be expressed. He’s been reduced to a basic level – he’s attacking out of depression, not because he believes in what he is doing. The soldier seems to have become a weapon rather than a human being. He’s driven purely by terror. Natural IMAGE contrasts with the violence and terror of war.
• 5.
  Meaning: The poemis against patriotism and shows how fear and terror become the only emotions in a battle. Fear is the soldier’s only motivation. It also shows the soldier’s confusion caused by the gunfire. He questions what he’s doing there at all. Subject: The poem is about a single soldier’s experience of a charge towards enemy lines. It describes his thoughts and actions. Imagery: Violent imagery – the sights and sounds of war. Natural imagery - the references to nature show the natural setting of the battle. The natural world is also affected by war. Language: Conflict/Nature – vocabulary of war, violence and confusion – also the effect on nature. Simile – to emphasise the violence and confusion of the battle. Emotion: Terror and pain- seen through the soldier’s thoughts and feelings. Confusion – He is disoriented by the gunfire, but also confused about what he’s doing there. Structure: Poem starts in the middle of the action. First stanza -instinct and movement. Second stanza - is a pause – mirroring the soldier as he stops to think. Stanza three -the soldier seems to have given up. There is an irregular rhythm to poem which mirrors the soldier struggling to run through the mud.