Bayonet charge Flashcards
1
Q
Form
A
- The poem uses enjambment, helps replicate the running soldier & has caesuras
- Has lines of uneven length creates irregular length which mirrors the soldier struggling to run through the mud
- Uses pronouns “he” rather than naming the soldier to keep him anonymous represents a universal figure
2
Q
Structure
A
Begins middle of the action ‘suddenly
- 1 stanza sees the soldier acting on instinct
- 2 stanza Soldier starts to think about his situation
- 3 stanza He gives up his thoughts & ideals seems to lost humanity
- Repetition of H sound in lines 1-2 replicate a sense of heaving breathing
- “Was he the hand pointing that second” use of rhetorical question highlights once again confusion & uncertainty
- The end of the poem makes it unclear whether the soldier survives or not
3
Q
Violent imagery
A
Shocking imagery which brings home the sights & sounds of war, helps to strongly convey the sense of confusion & fear
4
Q
Figurative imagery
A
-Power figurative language to emphasis the horror & physical pain & question the point of war
5
Q
Natural imagery
A
-Repeated references to the “green hedge” & mention of “field” shows the natural agricultural setting of the war.
“Yellow hare” shows how natural world is damaged by war
-Repeated references to the “green hedge” & mention of “field” shows the natural agricultural setting of the war.
“Yellow hare” shows how natural world is damaged by war
6
Q
Feelings & attitudes
A
- Terror: Poem challenges patriotism & shows how desperate terror becomes the oveririding emotion in battle
- Confusion: Soldiers is physically disoriented by the gun fire but also questioning what’s he doing here
7
Q
Key points
A
- Poem explores a soldier charge through a mid of physical & emotional exploration
- Language of Poem see,s to juxtapose natural animal images & human machine
- Mix of caesuras & enjabment adds chaotic tone to show the confusion of war
