9.1.4

Structure & Key Comparisons

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Form and Structure of Bayonet Charge

The irregular structure and form of Bayonet Charge reflect the unpredictable nature of war:

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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.
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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.
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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

Here are key quotations to remember for your exam:

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“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.
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“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.
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“Bullets smacking the belly out of the air"

  • Violent imagery.
  • Highlights the danger of the battlefield.
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“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.
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“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.
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“In what cold clockwork of the stars..."

  • Harsh alliteration.
  • Potentially a reference to fate governing the soldier and his powerlessness.
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“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.
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“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

Here are some themes that come up in Bayonet Charge and other texts:

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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.
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Internal conflict

  • On the theme of the internal conflict, you may want to compare Bayonet Charge to:
    • Kamikaze.
    • Poppies.
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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.

Jump to other topics

1Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

2London - William Blake (1757-1827)

3Storm on the Island - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)

4Exposure - Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)

5War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy (born 1955)

6My Last Duchess - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

7The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

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)

15Remains - Simon Armitage (Born 1963)

16Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons

16.1Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons

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