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Poetry > Bayonet Charge > Flashcards

Bayonet Charge Flashcards

1
Q

When was Bayonet Charge written?

A
  • Post WW2
  • Ted Hughes didn’t actually fight in war but his father served in WW1.
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2
Q

Which poet did ted Hughes look up to?

A
  • Ted Hughes looked up to Wilfred Owen.
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3
Q

What topics did Hughes explore in his poetry?

A
  • Human history
  • The countryside
  • Mythology.
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4
Q

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

A
  • “raw” - he is in full survival mode: back to him primitive nature. Like animal meat.
  • Raw- he is exposed
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5
Q

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

A
  • “his sweat heavy”
  • “lugged a rifle”
  • “sweating like molten iron”
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6
Q

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

A
  • Shows the chaos of the conflict in WW1
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7
Q

What war is this poem about?

A
  • WW1
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8
Q

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

A
  • Iron: robotic imagery - starting to lose his humanity.
  • He is fearful/ physically exhausted.
  • He is still human at this point!!
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9
Q

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

A
  • “dazzled” by guns
  • “stumbling”
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10
Q

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

A
  • Plosive alliteration
  • Metaphor
  • Aggression of the conflict// futility of conflict - air is being hurt, not the soldiers.
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11
Q

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

A
  • He is giving everything for his country at this point - even his tears.
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12
Q

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

A
  • 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.
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13
Q

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

A
  • Mechnical language
  • Like a man (simile)
  • “His foot hung like statuary in mid stride”
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14
Q

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

A
  • He has turned back to base- fear.
  • He has no clue why he is actually fighting.
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15
Q

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

A
  • Inescapable nature of war. He cannot take a break, just like there are no breaks between the stanzas.
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16
Q

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

A

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

17
Q

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

A
  • Shows the dishevelled nature of the conflict.
18
Q

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

A
  • “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.
19
Q

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

A
  • Cyclical structure.
  • Shows that war is a neverending cycle.
20
Q

What is a threshing circle?

A
  • This is where donkeys walk in circles to separate grain from other crops.
21
Q

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

A
  • Shows the soldier’s fear of the conflict.
22
Q

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

A
  • 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
23
Q

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

A
  • Onomatepeia
  • Symbol of him tearing apart - just like the air is.
24
Q

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

A
  • Fear has made him as delicate as dynamite and he only cares about surviving.
  • “dynamite” - war language
25
Q

What is the main message of this poem?

A
  • 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.)

Poetry (14 decks)

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