9.1.4
Structure & Key Comparisons
Form and Structure of Bayonet Charge
Form and Structure of Bayonet Charge
The irregular structure and form of Bayonet Charge reflect the unpredictable nature of war:
In medias res
In medias res
- The poem begins in medias res (in the middle of the action). This creates a sense of urgency and highlights the chaos of war.
Three stanzas
Three stanzas
- The poem is split into three stanzas:
- 1: Describes the soldier going over the top, the danger of the moment and the fear he feels.
- 2: Time slows down as the soldier begins to question why he is there.
- 3: The soldier has no time to think. He seems to have lost his humanity and become a machine of war.
Irregular rhythm
Irregular rhythm
- The poet uses different techniques to make sure the poem lacks uniformity. He does this to reflect the unpredictable nature of war. These are:
- Free verse.
- Irregular line length.
- Enjambment (sentences flowing over the line).
- Caesura (breaks in the line).
- The use of enjambment also quickens the pace of the poem.
Key Quotations in Bayonet Charge
Key Quotations in Bayonet Charge
Here are key quotations to remember for your exam:
“Suddenly he awoke and was running”
“Suddenly he awoke and was running”
- The poem begins in media res (in the middle of the action) – this creates a sense of urgency and highlights the chaos of war.
“Stumbling across a field of clods towards a green hedge..."
“Stumbling across a field of clods towards a green hedge..."
- “Stumbling across a field of clods towards a green hedge / That dazzled with rifle fire”.
- The verb "stumbling" indicates his lack of control as he is caught up in the chaos of war.
“Bullets smacking the belly out of the air"
“Bullets smacking the belly out of the air"
- Violent imagery.
- Highlights the danger of the battlefield.
“He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm”
“He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm”
- Simile.
- The image suggests the rifle is useless and therefore emphasises how vulnerable he is.
- It could also foreshadow the injuries he might gain because of war.
“The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye..."
“The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye..."
- “The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye / Sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest”.
- Simile.
- The soldier’s patriotic ideals are useless now he is faced with the reality of conflict.
- The contrast between “brimmed”, with its positive connotations of abundance and pride, and “sweating” highlights this contrast.
- Comparing the tears to iron dehumanises the soldier and likens him to something mechanical.
“In what cold clockwork of the stars..."
“In what cold clockwork of the stars..."
- Harsh alliteration.
- Potentially a reference to fate governing the soldier and his powerlessness.
“The shot-slashed furrows..."
“The shot-slashed furrows..."
- "the shot-slashed furrows / Threw up a yellow hare that rolled like a flame...its mouth wide / Open silent, its eyes standing out”.
- Gruesome image.
- Highlights the brutality of war.
“King, honour, human dignity, etcetera..."
“King, honour, human dignity, etcetera..."
- “King, honour, human dignity, etcetera / Dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm / To get out of that blue crackling air”.
- Listing.
- Things that seemed important to the soldier before the war now seem futile when faced with death.
- The pointlessness of these things is reinforced through the choice of the word “etcetera”.
Key Comparisons: Bayonet Charge
Key Comparisons: Bayonet Charge
Here are some themes that come up in Bayonet Charge and other texts:
Reality of conflict
Reality of conflict
- On the theme of the reality of conflict, you may want to compare Bayonet Charge to:
- War Photographer.
- Charge of the Light Brigade.
- Remains.
- Exposure.
Internal conflict
Internal conflict
- On the theme of the internal conflict, you may want to compare Bayonet Charge to:
- Kamikaze.
- Poppies.
Conflict between man and nature
Conflict between man and nature
- On the theme of the conflict between man and nature, you may want to compare Bayonet Charge to:
- Storm on the Island.
- The Prelude.
- Exposure.
1Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
2London - William Blake (1757-1827)
3Storm on the Island - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
3.1Storm on the Island Analysis
4Exposure - Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
5War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy (born 1955)
5.1War Photographer Analysis
6My Last Duchess - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
7The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
7.1Extract from The Prelude Analysis
8Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Tennyson
9Bayonet Charge - Ted Hughes (1930-1998)
10Poppies - Jane Weir (Born 1963)
11Tissue - Imtiaz Dharker (Born 1954)
12The Emigree - Carol Rumens (Born 1944)
13Kamikaze - Beatrice Garland (Born 1938)
14Checking Out Me History - John Agard (Born 1949)
14.1Checking Out Me History Analysis
15Remains - Simon Armitage (Born 1963)
16Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
16.1Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
Jump to other topics
1Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
2London - William Blake (1757-1827)
3Storm on the Island - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
3.1Storm on the Island Analysis
4Exposure - Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
5War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy (born 1955)
5.1War Photographer Analysis
6My Last Duchess - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
7The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
7.1Extract from The Prelude Analysis
8Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Tennyson
9Bayonet Charge - Ted Hughes (1930-1998)
10Poppies - Jane Weir (Born 1963)
11Tissue - Imtiaz Dharker (Born 1954)
12The Emigree - Carol Rumens (Born 1944)
13Kamikaze - Beatrice Garland (Born 1938)
14Checking Out Me History - John Agard (Born 1949)
14.1Checking Out Me History Analysis
15Remains - Simon Armitage (Born 1963)
16Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
16.1Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
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