Bayonet charge Flashcards
(14 cards)
“_ _ awoke _ _ _”
“suddenly he awoke and was running”
“dazzled _ _ _”
“dazzled with rifle fire”
“numb _ _ _ arm”
“numb as a smashed arm”
“_ smacking _ _ out _ _ _”
“bullets smacking the belly out of the air”
“yellow _ _ _ _ flame” “crawled _ _ _ circle”
“yellow hare rolled like a flame” “crawled in a threshing circle”
“_ touchy _”
“terrors touchy dynamite”
“patriotic _ _ _ brimmed _ _ _”
“patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye”
“in _ _ _ almost _”
“in bewilderment then he almost stopped”
“was he _ _ _ _ second?” “cold _”
“was he the hand pointing that second” “cold clockwork” -extended metaphor
“Listening between _ _ _ _ reason _ _ _ _ _ _ _ hung like _ _ _ _”
“listening between his footfalls for a reason of his still running, and his foot hung like statuary in mid stride”
“king, , _, etcetera”
“king, honour, human dignity, etcetera”
context in bayonet charge
-Hughes’ father served in ww1- may have wished to bring attention to hardships of trench warfare
-contrast between idealism of patriotism, and reality of fighting and killing
-hughes never fought in war
form/ structure in bayonet charge
-poem starts en media res- shock and pace
-enjambment- maintains momentum of charge
irregular structure and form- reflects unpredictability of war
Key themes in bayonet charge
-uncertainty
-confusion + fear
-brutality + realities
-dehumanisation of war
-futility of war
