GCSE Anthology Poetry - Conflict- Bayonet Charge

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  • Created by: Abi
  • Created on: 12-04-12 10:50

BAYONET CHARGE, Ted Hughes

1) The poem is about a soldier's experience of a violent battle. It describes his thoughts and actions as he desperately tries to avoid being shot.

 2) The soldiers overriding emotion and motivation is fear, which has replaced the more patriotic ideals that he held before the violence began.

FORM: The poet uses a lot of enjambment rather than neat line endings. This creates a haphazard effect which represents the soldiers urgency and desperation as he stumbles forward. It could also represent that the soldier is exhausted and overcome with fear leading him to take desperate breaths in the middle of his sentences.

STRUCTURE: The poem starts in the middle of the action and covers the soldier's movements and thoughts over a short space of time. The middle stanza describes a pause where time seems to briefly stand still and the soldier moves from confusion to terror as the reality of his situation becomes more violent. The final stanza represents a a return to panicked movement as he runs to safety.

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE: The poet uses the pronoun "he" rather than naming the soldier to keep him anonymous. It suggests that he is a universal figure that could represent any young soldier.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: The poet uses powerful figurative language to emphasise the horror and physical pain of the battle.

VIOLENT LANGUAGE: There is some use of shocking imagery to bring home the sights and sounds of

Comments

Abi

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If you found this useful or want me to do any of the other poems in the 'conflict' cluster, please comment :) x

Kate Westall

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This is really helpful, thank you so much! :) Would it be possible for you to 'next to of course god america i' and 'Hawk Roosting'? I don't understand them and I didn't understand 'Futility' until I read your revision notes about it :) Thanks :) x

_Rachel_

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Could you possibly do "Flag" by John Agard, "Out of the Blue" by Simon Armitage, "Mametz Wood" by Owen Sheers, "The Yellow Palm" by Robert Minhinnick, "The Right Word" by Imitaz Dharker, "At the Boarder" by Choman Hardi, "Belfast Confetti" by Ciaran Carson, "Poppies" by Jane Wier, "Futility" by Wilfred Owen, "The Chargr of the Light Brigade" by Alfred Tennyson, "The Falling Leaves" by Margaret Postgate Cole, "Come On, Come Back" by Steivie Smith, "next to of course god america i" by E.E Cummings and "Hawk Roosting" by Ted Hughes.