bayonet charge- ted hughes

what is this poem about-

the brutality of war and dehumanising effects of violence and enhancing on the individual soldier's experience in battle.

what are the key themes in the poem

power of nature

effects of conflict

reality of war

negative portrayal of war

what are the structure of the poem

irregular rhythm -reflects the unpredictable nature of war

caesura- reflects how terrible the experience of war is

enjoyment- quickens the pace of poem shows the solider is attempting to express to much emotion at once

key quote that suggests that the war life was non stop-

“suddenly he awoke and was running”

does the quote “suddenly he awoke and was running”

this quote suggests that the soldier had an abrupt awakening to the brutal reality of war also it shows that the solider is being thrown into a life threatening situation (war) with no preparation

this quote is a powerful opening to the poem as it represents the suddenness and chaos of war

a quote to show the violence of war-

“bullets smacking the belly out of the air”

what does the quote “bullets were smacking the belly out of the air”

this violent imagery shows the brutality of war suggesting how chaos the battlefield was also personifying the bullets as if they are attacking the air itself.

what quote represents why the soldiers went to war-

“king, honour, human dignity , etcetera “

what could the quote ‘‘king , honour , human dignity, etcetera”

this a representation of the justifications and ideals that motivated soldiers to fight in war, highlighting the noble values they believed they were defending. but instead it reveals the stark contrast between these ideals and the violent reality they faced on the battlefield.