bayonet charge Flashcards
(10 cards)
message
criticises patriotism, highlights futility of war and reveals true horror of war. Shows indescribability of war.
context
not based on personal experience as poet was born after ww1
structure
begins mid action (in medias res) “suddenly”
Makes us feel confused, overhwelmed and unsure of what is happening just like the frightened soldier
enjambment and caesura
then the shot-slashed furrows / threw up a yellow hare (across stanzas!?!?) caesura shown through fulstops and question marks mid line “satuary in his mid stride. Then the”
Portrays the chaos of war. Creates a disjointed, disordered effect on the reader – just like the soldeir the reader struggles to make sense of the chaos Caesura only used twice, both in the second stanza when the soldier stops to consider why and what he is doing. Froces the reader to stop and think.
repetition
“running - raw / in raw-seamed hot khaki”
repitition makes it hard to reader and clunky leading to feelings of disorientation reflects the shock the soldier has experienced upon waking – he cannot create coherent thoughts, strugling to articulate the moment. War is so horrific he is unable to clearly express the moment, forced to stutter.
similes lots of them
SIX similes?!?!?!?
Combined effect of so many similes almost represents that hughes doesnt know how to describe the moment because it is so horrific so the best he can do is compare it to other things which he can describe. Expresses horror of war.
one simile analysis
“sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest”
Contrasts the burning heat of war with the soldier's internal state. suggests the overwhelming exertion and intensity of the battle, while the "centre of his chest" emphasizes the emotional impact on his patriotic beliefs. The sweat, a symbol of physical effort and fear, is described as coming from the "centre of his chest," where his heart and his patriotic fervor were previously located. This suggests that his heart has been transformed by the reality of war.
lexical choice
“king, honour, human dignity, ETCETERA”
Tone of the word etcetera is mocking, criticising the patriotic values that soldiers supposedly have. These expectations of honour and dignity mean nothing in the face of the true horror of war. Harsh critique of war. A challnege / suggestion that the noble virtues of patriotism are a million miles away from the reality of war.
lack of indetification
soldeir is refered to as “he”
This poem is not about a specfic soldiers expereince, it is about all soldiers. It is about all war.
metaphor
“his terrors touchy dynamite”
soldier's intense fear and the volatile nature of his emotions. The soldier's terror is described as easily ignited and potentially explosive, suggesting that even a slight trigger could cause his fear to erupt into uncontrolled action or panic.
The "dynamite" suggests a destructive potential, hinting at the devastating impact of war on the individual and the soldier's struggle to cope with the horrors he is experiencing.
