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Bayonet Charge by Ted Hughes

Introduction:
Poem-about-soldier running& charging-rifle attached-bayonet
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Poet’s conflict- man’s thought& actions-heat of the battle
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Innocent soldier turned- killing machine
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‘The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye’
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Soldier fighting-out of fear
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Trying to show us-war
doesn’t-justify lost of life& absence of reason& rational thoughts-war
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‘in raw-seamed hot kaki…dazzled with rifle fire’
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Caesura emphasises-contrasts in soldier’s movement and fear
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The punctuation
slows-poem down
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Dashes’-‘- the flow of running-broken, creates strong pause
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‘Suddenly… running’-opening words sound like-he is in-vulnerable confused state, soldier in a nightmare,
but we know its real
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This-explain-poet’s message of the-soldiers
state of mind
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Soldier-innocent ‘running-raw’soldier thrown into doing something-not ready for
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Relates-poets messageanxiety
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Emphasises-poets conflict-innocent soldier turned-killing machine
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Beautiful images-compared-violent images
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He’s seen gun fire-creates confusion
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‘Bullets…air’-violent imagery+ personification-further adds& describes
to-imagery of sound
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‘He lugged… arm’- Simile- show how useless rifle is to him
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Used to-create the image-hellish images& the suffering the soldier-through-war
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Patriotism leaving him through his tear
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Soldier asks himself why he is here
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Because-patriotism-taken over by fear
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‘In what cold…nations’-poet is insignificance- world would carry on without him
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Poets questions- why is it important for soldier to give his life?
‘was…second’-powerful rhetorical question-questioning himself& insignificance of war
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While running-trying to think-why he is doing this
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He is- irrelevant in the-process
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Questioning himself in the air for-justification
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Patriotism-not enough for him-give life-doesn’t feel this no more
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Patriotic images contrast-hellish
images
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‘threshing’ suggests pain& fear beyond expressions
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‘plunged’- soldier is give the impression of determination
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Reduced to basic level
of existence
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Honour-meant nothing
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Poet suggestsnot even worth listing
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Soldier looses humanity
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3rd Stanza:

Ted Hughes portrays conflict-negative view-soldiers loosing his honour& fighting out of fear&
determination to stay alive
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Imagery of beautiful scenery juxtaposed-vicious, harsh images-explains-suffering the soldier-through
while running
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Language devices-explainspoets message-lost human dignity& the state of confusion-they are in
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Wilfred Owen-soldier during the war& his voice speaks for all the
soldiers
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The poet’s conflict-what the soldier were exposed to-brutal harsh wintery conditions –war
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How-weather, surroundings, feelings(boredom, despair)change-soldier-attitude-towards war
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Rhyme schemeABBAC
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Last line-each
stanza- breaks rhythm-thought provoking- think about-soldiers plight
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Shows-lives-repeated each day the same
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Very descriptive- nothing left toreaders-imagination
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Emotional sad endingreader feels hopeless/helpless
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Starts-strong way
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Pronoun-our-reflect the soldiers point of view-making message-more
believable& powerful
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Real enemy-toward men- more afraid of weather- than
opposing army
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‘Wearied we keep…silent’-poet talks about-other conditions like lack of sleep-exposed to more sleep-due to
innocent threat of attack-weather& enemy-torture-no warmth
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Soldiers are not-any state to fight-creates confusion
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Soldiers-falling asleep
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Comma-creates nervous pauses-as
though-whispering
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Poet describesconflict of waiting as nothing happens
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Second stanza
‘watching, we hear’-use of sense-soldiers are on alert all the time-no rest-constant fear+ stress
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Reference of how a soldier feels? Windreal enemy-attacking them
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‘incessantly’- adverb-ruthless attack never letting go-constant fear
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Constant fear-bring battle alive and is near
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-feels dead
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-slow torture
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Dawn-enemy& have to go through-another harsh day
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Common soldier-there is point-present in war- dying in poor living
conditions-rather than-battle-no hope
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‘dawn…army-personification-clouds of snow-ready to attack-fear, no rest, emphasises the sadness-soldiers
attacked-harsh weathers-not soldiers
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Soldiers attacked-by-weather& helpless
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‘but nothing happens’- short sentence repeated-not only do-soldiers-suffer-by waiting for-enemy-the
freezing weather& conditions-kill them-slowly
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Fourth stanza
‘sudden…silence’-sibilance’s’ sound like bullets slicing the air- creates misery+ sound is deadly
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Bullets less
deadly-weather
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Slow rhythm-Soldiers-drifting like snow, soldiers confused-from their-purpose
in war
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‘But nothing happens’-repeated-show their spirits-diminishing- gradual decline-fell dead
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Snow-has them-deadly position
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‘we cringle… dazed’- powerful verb-describe their thoughts- drifting
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‘deep…dozed’- strong language- sun is up soldiers-still suffering
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‘is it that we are dying?’-rhetorical question- soldiers let down
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Sixth Stanza
‘slowly…home’- metaphor-describe themselves as-they feel-almost dead
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‘glimpsing…there’-metaphor-red jewels-are lumps of coal on-fire
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‘crickets jingle’- sense- happy way-describe home
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‘Shutters… closed’-metaphor- for families-unaware of their suffering
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Harsh-soldier-good memory-brought back to reality
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Feel- No point
dreaming-home-believe-aren’t-going home
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Feel like god-don’t like them-so much misery
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‘therefore…born-suffer+ endure-soldiers cannot accept-exposure-brutal conditions-they can not take
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Eighth Stanza
‘tonight…us’-powerful verb-soldiers-cold+ scared
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‘shrivelling…crisp’-powerful verb- cold, half alive- graphical image- power of frost-cause serve damage
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Frightened, emotionally sad-feel-hopeless+
hopeless
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All their lives-end same-death
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Soldiers result of conflict+ deeply affected
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Hopeless/ too late
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Lack of food& armour+
weaponry
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Waiting
in these conditions-slow death
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August 6,1945

Introduction:
The poem-about how-pilot is feeling-before-drops the bomb& after he drops-bomb
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The poet’s conflict- Long-term effects-innocent people
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There are no real winners-war-due to-cause of-absolute horror& devastation
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War creates alexithymia killers with no care for what the are
doing or done
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Structure- narrative poem written in present tense- since telling a day
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Poet describing a day-that has-a deep touch
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This irregularity matches-feeling-confusion created-poem
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Reader helpless
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‘He whistles a dry tune’-personal pronoun- showing lack of emotion, cold-hearted
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Gives
casual attitude
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Second Stanza
‘later’-colloquial language- reflect pilots laughing& boosting
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Situation out of control
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‘the whole…apricot ice
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No remorse-his actions
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- bringing back something that happened- to life by using future tense
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‘ice
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‘Later’-repeated-creates this form to show-have no control& helpless
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‘Laugh and tremble’- juxtaposition- knows the effect- what he has done
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‘For the eye… for ever’ The reader feels disgust-pilot
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Reader helpless
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‘belly saw Marilyn’s skirts… ever’- The plane personified
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It is a provocative pose, & the pilot gets
aroused-explosion-same way he would-looking-picture-sex icon
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Third stanza
Fairy tale setting created
‘hot white rhododendrons’ references to-bomb- shows purity& innocence
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Fourth stanza
‘later she will walk the dust’ Everyone’s dead buildings turned to dust
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‘a scarlet girl… at her heel– The word ‘scarlet’ suggests a girl-perhaps sexually promiscuous-links to the
image of Marilyn Monroe& sexual violation
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Graphic images of the horror- caused by bomb
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Shocking imagery
‘struck like… tail’-simile-create graphic image-of-innocent live
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Fifth stanza
‘Later’ Helpless-cant stop pain-reader cant change history
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Black-associated-death
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‘The people…salamanders’- The victims-compared to lizards& salamanders-draws further ties with the
shedding of skin, which these creatures are known to do
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It is ironic that poet should use-imagery, as the victims had no
protection against the catastrophe that befell them
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Portrays innocence of the girl- confused
while dying
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Reader
understand- reality of life& tragic end
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pilot-having nightmares
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‘Ladybirds’- metaphor-show black & red burnt bodies
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Created
inappropriate images
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Language used-war
creates inhumane killers
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Alison fell-shows innocent civiliansmostly affected-by war
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No real winners-war-due-to cause-absolute
horror& devastation

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