Bayonet Charge Flashcards
(4 cards)
compares to COLB, as hes in a battle and in a war
signifies the real nature of war, and its severity
each bullet and sound constantly wakes him up
a solider is supposed to fight, wheras hes running away, he’s signed up to the wrong thing
Onomatopoeia (“smacking”) – harsh, jarring sound mimics gunfire; evokes violence and urgency.
Personification of the air – “belly” suggests nature is wounded, not just soldiers; war attacks everything.
Violent imagery – conveys the physical brutality and chaos of the battlefield.
Dehumanising effect of war – blurs line between human and environment; everything is a target.
Unnatural distortion of reality – air, usually untouchable, is described as physically hit; shows how war disrupts the natural world.
Reflects the soldier’s panic and confusion – immerses the reader in the soldier’s terrifying experience.
Links to themes – horror of war, destruction of nature, psychological trauma, loss of humanity.
Context – influenced by WWI; Hughes highlights the violent, unglamorous reality of war.
“Bullets smacking the belly out of the air”
- line 5
use of volta
volta goes with the symbolism of bewilderment
realisation of confusing, influenced through propaganda
war is no idea, its real
juxtapositon, as his behavouir goes against patraichary
he has the choice to leave battlefield or stay and fight, good comparisons are kamikaze, COLB
Psychological effects of war: fear and confusion overpower training.
Conflict between duty and human instinct (flight vs. fight).
War as a chaotic and unnatural experience for ordinary people.
Evokes sympathy for the soldier, shows vulnerability.
Breaks the stereotype of the brave, fearless soldier — shows war’s mental impact.
Highlights the shock and hesitation that real soldiers face under extreme stress.
“almost stopped” — shows his instinct to freeze, highlighting the human reaction to fear rather than heroic action.
“In bewilderment then he almost stopped”
- line 9
first four were the list, that influenced him to fight through propaganda, however the word ‘dropped’ shows hes ‘woken up’, contrasts to COLB where the charge into their death.
war isnt what he though it would be
The phrase “dropped like luxuries” shows that in the chaos of the battlefield, survival is the only thing that matters. Luxuries are nice, but not necessary — just like those big, abstract ideas seem useless in the face of life-or-death fear. The word “yelling alarm” creates an image of panic and immediate danger, which overpowers all those grand, calm ideals.
the tone shifts from patriotic to panicked and desperate.
“etcetera” — dismissive, shows disillusionment with the reasons for war.
“Dropped like luxuries” — suggests ideals are useless compared to survival; war strips away human values.
“yelling alarm” — personification of fear, creates a sense of chaos and panic.
Shows war as brutal, confusing, and dehumanizing.
“King, honour, human dignity, ectetera Dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm”
form?
epic poem, war propaganda
