Bayonet charge, Ted Hughes, 1957

MAIN THEME: conflict during WW1. The soldier has gone 'over the top' to his near-certain death. 

Stanza 1

Key Quotes: 

• 'suddenly he awoke' ~ abrupt
• "running-raw" ~ inexperienced, roughness, breathless 
• "bullets smacking the belly out of the air" ~ personification, ononmatopoeia
• "lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm" ~ useless, heavy and uncomfortable 
• "patriotic tear... brimmed in his eye" ~ realisation of the truth of war
• "sweating like molten iron" ~ heaviness of metal

Stanza 2

Key Quotes:

• "bewilderment then he almost stopped"~ frozen, terror
• …