2. Bayonet Charge - The Poet
- Ted Hughes was born in 1930 and died in 1998 from cancer. He grew
up in the Yorkshire countryside and later joined the RAF for 2 years.
- Hughes started becoming more recognised as a poet in around the
1950’s and he began producing story books for children.
- His poem themes focused mainly on the countryside, human history
and mythology.
- Hughes was married to American poet Sylvia Plath from 1956 until her
suicide in 1963 at the age of 30.
3. Bayonet Charge - Subject
- Bayonet Charge focuses on the First World War (1914-18) on the
sudden charge of a nameless soldier, going over the top of a trench.
- The aim of a bayonet charge was to capture the enemy trench by
running 20-30 metres to an enemy base.
- A bayonet is a knife, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit
in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, doubling the weapon
as a spear. It is therefore used for close combat fighting and also used
as a last resort weapon.
4. Bayonet Charge – Language Analysis
Personification:
“Threw up a yellow hare” - the use of ‘threw up’ = grotesque, disgusting –
overall not a good thing – an illness. Describes how disgusting war is and
how it affects everything and everyone. Hares are supposed to be fast, agile
– shows how easy it is to die, resembles death and what will happen to the
soldier. Hare = aspect of nature and purity.
Metaphors:
“A green hedge.. dazzled with rifle fire”- Dazzling = usually beautiful –
contrasts with the rifles and war. Also being blinded – flashing lights = manic,
crazy – war is a mess. The contrast of the weapons (death) with the nature
(life) symbolises the ferocity and destruction – unearthly, almost satanic.
5. Bayonet Charge - Structure
1st Paragraph:
Quick paced but with lots of breaks in sentences – could show the soldier stumbling as he wakes up.
Still groggy and so needs to repeat “raw” in the two lines 1 & 2 to almost remind himself, or with
the break shows the heavy breathing. Backed up by the words starting with ‘h’ sound in the
paragraph that shows him breathing heavy. Just accepting orders, not thinking for himself.
2nd Paragraph:
Seems slower and as if in slow motion. Shows him waking up and looking around him – realisation
taking in. Between the two fast paced paragraphs = calm between the storm. Longer sentences with
interesting and more detailed language. Commas start appearing towards end of stanza showing
him going back to fast action and moving again to show heavy breathing. Moment of clarity where
he is allowed to think for himself instead of accepting orders.
3rd Paragraph:
Shorter sentences to show panic and alarm. Feelings of fear settling in as he understands that he
needs to get out or die. Survival instincts. Drops all of his priorities (King, honour, human dignity) as
it becomes to a life or death situation. Simple language suggests that he is simply a weapon now –
no human nature left in him.