Bayonet Charge

Question 1

When was Bayonet Charge written?

Answer 1

• Post WW2
• Ted Hughes didn’t actually fight in war but his father served in WW1.

Question 2

Which poet did ted Hughes look up to?

Answer 2

• Ted Hughes looked up to Wilfred Owen.

Question 3

What topics did Hughes explore in his poetry?

Answer 3

• Human history
• The countryside
• Mythology.

Question 4

What is the significance of the word “raw” being repeated?

Answer 4

• “raw” - he is in full survival mode: back to him primitive nature. Like animal meat.
• Raw- he is exposed

Question 5

How is the physical conflict shown by Hughes in the first stanza?

Answer 5

• “his sweat heavy”
• “lugged a rifle”
• “sweating like molten iron”

Question 6

What is the significance of the poem starting “in media res?”

Answer 6

• Shows the chaos of the conflict in WW1

Question 7

What war is this poem about?

Answer 7

• WW1

Question 8

What is the significance of the phrase: “sweating like molten iron?”

Answer 8

• Iron: robotic imagery - starting to lose his humanity.
• He is fearful/ physically exhausted.
• He is still human at this point!!

Question 9

What words does Hughes use to show the soldier’s confused/ unprepared nature?

Answer 9

• “dazzled” by guns
• “stumbling”

Question 10

What is the significance of the phrase: “bullets smacking the belly out of the air?”

Answer 10

• Plosive alliteration
• Metaphor
• Aggression of the conflict// futility of conflict - air is being hurt, not the soldiers.

Question 11

What is the significance of the soldier having a “patriotic tear?”

Answer 11

• He is giving everything for his country at this point - even his tears.

Question 12

What is the significance of the phrase: “in what cold clockwork was he the hand pointing second?”

Answer 12

• Literally saying: Is he the one that has to lead the army.
• Mechanical language
• Time language: suspension of time, slow - motion element, time has stopped.
• He is losing his humanity.

Question 13

What two main phrases/ ideas show that the soldier is losing his identity in stanza 2?

Answer 13

• Mechnical language
• Like a man (simile)
• “His foot hung like statuary in mid stride”

Question 14

What is the significance of the fact the soldier is listening between his footfalls for the reason of his still running?

Answer 14

• He has turned back to base- fear.
• He has no clue why he is actually fighting.

Question 15

What is the significance of enjambement between stanza 2 and 3?

Answer 15

• Inescapable nature of war. He cannot take a break, just like there are no breaks between the stanzas.

Question 16

What are the 3 main types of conflict in this poem?

Answer 16

1.) Physical conflict
2.) Mental conflict
3.) Conflict of reamining human/ keeping his patriotism.

Question 17

What is the significance of there being no clear rhyme scheme throughout the poem?

Answer 17

• Shows the dishevelled nature of the conflict.

Question 18

What is the significance of the “yellow hare that crawled in a threshing circle” in the hedge?

Answer 18

• “Yellow” = symbol of cowardice =: sodlier isn’t brave anymore
• “hare” - often hunted. He feels like he is being hunted. Returned to primitive nature.
• “threshing circle” - unable to escape war, repeating cylcle for him.
• “crawled” - he is crawling through war like an animal.

Question 19

What is the significance of the “green hedge” being repeated at the beginning and end of the poem?

Answer 19

• Cyclical structure.
• Shows that war is a neverending cycle.

Question 20

What is a threshing circle?

Answer 20

• This is where donkeys walk in circles to separate grain from other crops.

Question 21

What is the significance of the hare having it’s mouth open and it’s eyes standing out?

Answer 21

• Shows the soldier’s fear of the conflict.

Question 22

What is the significane of the phrase:”king, honour, human dignity etcetra dropped like luxuries in yelling alarm?”

Answer 22

• None of the “human” reasons he came to war matter because he is so scared he is in survival mode.
• etcetra: futility of war, nothing matters but surviving all of the reasons are futile (no need to list)
• “like luxuries” he has lost his humanity

Question 23

What is the significance of the phrase “blue crackling air?”

Answer 23

• Onomatepeia
• Symbol of him tearing apart - just like the air is.

Question 24

What is the significance of the phrase: “his terror’s touchy dynamite?”

Answer 24

• Fear has made him as delicate as dynamite and he only cares about surviving.
• “dynamite” - war language

Question 25

What is the main message of this poem?

Answer 25

• Hughes is showing the mental and physical difficulty that comes from war.
• He is also showing how people lose their humanity in war (only care about surviving.)