Bayonet Charge (AQA GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Deb Orrock
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
Each poetry anthology in the GCSE contains 15 poems, and in the poetry question in the exam you will be given one poem on the paper - printed in full - and asked to compare this given poem to one other from the anthology. As this is a “closed book” exam, you will not have access to the other poems, so you will have to know them very well from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to learn. However, understanding four things about each poem will enable you to produce a top-mark response:
The meaning of the poem
The ideas and messages the poet wanted to convey
How the poet conveys these ideas and messages through their methods
How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas and themes of other poems in the anthology
Below is a guide to Bayonet Charge by Ted Hughes, from the Power and Conflict anthology. It includes:
Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods
Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes
What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam
Overview
In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is essential that you understand what it is about. This section includes:
The poem in a nutshell
A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section
A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Hughes’s intention and message
Bayonet Charge in a nutshell
Bayonet Charge was written by British poet Ted Hughes and focuses on the thoughts and behaviour of a nameless soldier in World War I. The soldier is depicted mid-charge, and describes the experience of going “over the top”, which meant soldiers climbing out of their trenches to charge an enemy position through No Man's Land, with the aim of capturing an enemy trench.
The poem tries to step inside the body and mind of the soldier having to carry out one of the most terrifying acts of war: charging straight into enemy rifle fire. The poem explores the conflict between a sense of patriotism and the pointlessness of war, even though Hughes himself wasn’t alive during World War I. He grew up in a post-war era, and his poems were a way for him to make sense of the events he never saw but which impacted him and the country.
Bayonet Charge breakdown
Lines 1-8
“Suddenly he awoke and was running - raw
In raw-seamed hot khaki, his sweat heavy,
Stumbling across a field of clods towards a green hedge
That dazzled with rifle fire, hearing
Bullets smacking the belly out of the air -
He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm;
The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye
Sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest,-”
Translation
The poem opens in media res - in the middle of the action
He is described as “suddenly” awake, suggesting that he could have been asleep or daydreaming
However, it is more likely that this is a metaphorical way of saying that the soldier suddenly became aware of the horror and chaos around him
The figure is clearly a soldier, as he is dressed in his khaki uniform, which can rub his skin raw
“Raw” probably also references the raw emotion of fear he is experiencing
The soldier stumbles across lumps of earth towards a hedge
Even though the hedge is lit up with rifle fire, he continues to run towards it anyway, with bullets flying all around him
He struggles to run with the weight of his rifle
The final two lines suggest an actual tear in the soldier’s eye, from the pain, fear and exertion
But this could also refer to the loss of his sense of patriotism, painfully leaving his body like molten iron
Hughes’s intention
The fact that Hughes deliberately starts the poem in the middle of the action foreshadows the soldier’s realisation that comes later in the poem: that patriotism and fighting for one’s country is actually a hollow concept that means little in reality
It also is a device designed to confuse the reader, reflecting the atmosphere of confusion and disorientation the soldier is experiencing
The repetition of the word “raw” emphasises the discomfort and pain of the experience, as well as the soldier’s emotions, which are strong and undisguised
The description of the rifle fire that “dazzled” suggests the soldier’s vision is blurred to begin with
The fact that the hedge is “green” seems out of place, reflecting the idea that this war happened in fields and out in the countryside, which does not feel natural
Hughes personifies the bullets as violent and terrifying
The change in the way the soldier feels about his position begins to be symbolised by the weight of his rifle
The fact that the “patriotic tear” was no longer in his eye, but coming “from the centre of his chest” in the form of sweat, reveals that while the soldier was once proud to wear his uniform and carry his weapon held high, with a tear of patriotism in his eye, he was now not feeling any sense of patriotism or pride
He can only feel the weight of his bayonet and the hot sweat on his chest, as though he were numb
Lines 9-15
“In bewilderment then he almost stopped -
In what cold clockwork of the stars and the nations
Was he the hand pointing that second? He was running
Like a man who has jumped up in the dark and runs
Listening between his footfalls for the reason
Of his still running, and his foot hung like
Statuary in mid-stride. Then the shot-slashed furrows”
Translation
In his confusion, the soldier nearly stops
He wonders what cold and unfeeling forces, be they fate or politics, are governing his actions, as if he were nothing more than the hand of a clock
He runs like a man suspended in the dark, hoping to find the answer in the act of running itself
Time seems to slow down, and his foot hangs in the middle of his stride as if it were a statue
The “shot-slashed furrows” are the trenches dug into the battlefield
Hughes’s intention
In this stanza, the soldier suddenly comes to his senses
He stands in “bewilderment” as he begins to wonder why he is there
Hughes’s reference to “cold” suggests something that is emotionless and unfeeling, and his reference to “clockwork” indicates timing
This suggests that it is nothing more than bad timing that has brought him to this place
“The stars” refers to fate or destiny, implying that it was simply the way the stars were aligned at the time of his birth that determined his place in this current war
“The nations” could refer to politics or the countries at war with one another
Ultimately, the soldier believes he is nothing more than a cog in the machine
The answer to why he is there does not come to him, so his feet simply stop mid-stride
Hughes here is commenting on the reality and futility of war, especially to those actually involved in it
Lines 16-23
“Threw up a yellow hare that rolled like a flame
And crawled in a threshing circle, its mouth wide
Open silent, its eyes standing out.
He plunged past with his bayonet toward the green hedge,
King, honour, human dignity, etcetera
Dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm
To get out of that blue crackling air
His terror’s touchy dynamite.”
Translation
The previous stanza continues, personifying the furrows as throwing up a “yellow hare” frightened from its hiding place by the gunfire
The creature is clearly terrified, as it “rolled like a flame” and “crawled in a threshing circle”
The soldier pushes on, pointing the blade fixed to his rifle towards the green hedge
All notions of patriotism, fighting for the king or honour, fall away from the soldier, who cannot afford to entertain such luxuries in the chaos of battle
All that matters for him is to get out of the gunfire
The air explodes with blue light all around him, as he nervously reaches for his dynamite
Hughes’s intention
The hare is the only other living creature that Hughes mentions in this poem
This innocent animal is caught up in the horror, reminding us that war is the opposite to what is natural and good
Hughes suggests, with its mouth “open silent” and “its eyes standing out”, that the hare’s last moments are spent in pain, terror and fear, much like the soldiers themselves
Therefore, the hare serves as a metaphor for the devastating impact war has on the natural world
Hughes could have also used the hare as a euphemism of the actual horror of death on a battlefield in World War I
Green as a colour is often used as a symbol of hope, so maybe if the soldier makes it there, he believes he will be safe
The “crackling” air suggests there is gunfire all around him
Hughes ends the poem on a cliff-hanger, with the soldier on adrenaline-fuelled alertness, feeling for his dynamite
His dynamite could also mean his bayonet - ultimately a weapon which has the ability to kill
It could also imply that the soldier himself has been dehumanised and turned into nothing more than a killing machine
We never learn of his fate
Writer’s Methods
Although this section is organised into three separate sections - form, structure and language - it is important to take an integrated approach to AO2, focusing on the main themes of the poem and then evaluating how Hughes’s choices of language, structure and form contribute to these themes. In essence, how and why the poet has made the choices they have, in relation to their intentions and message.
Focusing on the poet’s main themes, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. In the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Hughes’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:
Form
Bayonet Charge is written in the third person singular, allowing the reader to focus on the individual impact of war by showing the way war impacts a single person. Even though war may be seen to be beneficial nationally, and serving in a war has traditionally been seen as honourable, the poem demonstrates that this does not excuse the suffering it inflicts on individual soldiers. This then reflects the key theme of patriotism and duty versus the harsh reality of war.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
The reality of war | The poem is written in free verse, not constrained by a particular rhythm or rhyme | This reflects the unpredictable and chaotic nature of war |
The poet’s use of the third person singular emphasises the sense of isolation felt by soldiers in war | As the protagonist is the only human in the poem, his isolation helps to intensify the emotion and sense of suffering | |
This shows that, despite fighting in an army, a battle is about self-preservation and, ultimately, the soldiers are on their own | ||
The soldier appears to be immune to the death of other soldiers. It takes the suffering of a hare to break his trance-like state | The soldier is presented as desensitised and like a machine, reflecting the dehumanising nature of conflict |
Structure
Hughes structures the poem into three stanzas, encompassing a short moment in time for the soldier, but uses enjambment and caesura to mirror the panic and chaos he experiences, and the chaotic nature of war. The poem reads as quite fragmented, serving to confuse the reader. This is representative of the confusion and struggle experienced by the soldier, and the chaos of war.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
The chaos of war | The poem opens in media res, with no explanation or warning of what is to come | Hughes is intending to mirror the shock and confusion felt by the soldiers going into battle |
The three stanzas blend into one another | This conveys a sense of movement, the way the soldier moves through the poem, which is fractured and fragmented | |
This further adds to the sense of disorientation the soldier feels | ||
Hughes’s use of enjambment quickens the pace in parts of the poem | This maintains the momentum of the soldier’s movement, as well as emphasising the sense of panic the soldier experiences | |
The use of enjambment in the first line in particular, “-raw/in raw seamed hot khaki,” emphasises the repetition of “raw” | By Hughes leaving the word “raw” hanging at the end of the line, he invites the reader to reflect upon that rawness and its multiple meanings | |
The poet also uses caesura, such as in the line “Was he the hand pointing that second?” to slow the pace of the poem | This draws the reader’s attention to the key idea of the contrast between the idealism of patriotism and the reality of fighting and killing | |
The use of caesura in the second stanza continues to pause the pace of the poem | This has the effect of pausing to consider the philosophical meaning of war, which ultimately seems pointless, suggesting that war cannot be fully understood | |
The middle stanza differs from the first and the last, in that it slows the pace of the poem | The first and final stanzas are primarily full of action, whereas in the second stanza time seems to stand still | |
This reflects the moment when the soldier comes to the realisation of the actual futility of war |
Language
Hughes employs rich but complex imagery which can make the poem difficult to read, and which highlights the difficult reality of war, as well as its conflict with the natural world. This is further reinforced by the use of pastoral imagery, suggesting that it is not just the soldiers who are victims of war, but also the natural world. The poet also uses language to explore the theme of the reality of war.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
War versus the natural world | Pastoral imagery, such as the “green hedge” and the “yellow hare”, are juxtaposed with the violent language of war | This shows the conflict between what is happening and the surroundings |
The poem is set in the countryside, as the soldier charges across “a field of clods” | This shows how an area of nature has become a battleground | |
Instead of sustaining life, the earth provides dangerous obstacles for the soldiers to trip over | ||
The hare is used as a symbol of the soldiers’ collective suffering | Hughes projects the violence of war onto an innocent creature | |
The soldier has become immune to the death of other humans, but the image of the hare’s suffering shocks him out of his trance and into action | ||
The infliction of pain on an innocent animal highlights the injustice of war, as the victims are not just the soldiers, but innocents and even nature itself | ||
Hughes personifies the air as being attacked by bullets | Here, the poet is suggesting that nature is also a victim. Which is reinforced by “shot-slashed furrows” in stanza two | |
This implies the field is literally wounded by the bullets | ||
The reality of war | To explore the theme of the reality of war, Hughes uses mechanical imagery, such as “cold clockwork” | This implies the cold, calculated nature of war, and that the soldiers are treated as parts of a bigger machine |
Hughes employs language from the semantic field of body parts and violence, as the soldier’s rifle is “numb as a smashed arm” | This dehumanises the soldier, and blurs the lines between what is human and what is weapon | |
This suggests that humans are used as weapons in war | ||
Hughes also explores the idea of the loss of patriotism via the “patriotic tear” that turns into sweat in the simile “like molten iron from the centre of his chest” | This suggests the patriotism he previously held in his heart painfully leaves his chest, as the soldier is pained by the realisation that he was disillusioned by the idealism of war |
Context
Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, context is not random historical facts about Ted Hughes or World War I that are unrelated to the ideas in the poem. The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Hughes in Bayonet Charge which relate to power and conflict. Hughes’s ultimate message in this poem is about the pointless waste and futility of war, which gives us the sub-heading for context:
The Reality and Futility of War
Hughes never actually fought in a war
He was, however, very inspired by the poetry of Wilfred Owen, and borrowed many of his ideas as a way of understanding and describing the realities of war
Hughes’s father did fight in World War I, which left him emotionally traumatised for life
Life in the trenches of World War I was terrifying and extremely tough
It is thought that in this poem, Hughes wanted to highlight the brutality of trench warfare as a tribute to his father’s suffering, as well as to memorialise the war as a warning for future generations
The setting of the poem is not made explicit
This gives the poem more universal appeal
Hughes also tries to make his soldier come alive in a way that all readers could identify with
As his poetry was not drawn from direct combat experience, but rather from the post-war cultural atmosphere, Hughes explores the collective memory of the war
The soldier’s realisation in the poem of the pointlessness and absurdity of war mirrors the shift in the public mood during the war
This went from nervous excitement in the beginning to weariness and depression by the end
The poem also conveys the feeling of being subject to destiny and the soldier being a pawn in some greater game
Ultimately, Hughes presents war as horrific, wasteful and futile
What to Compare it to
The essay you are required to write in your exam is an integrated comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems (the one given on the exam paper and one other). It is, therefore, essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about power, or conflict, in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that Bayonet Charge focuses mainly on the realities of war and patriotism, the following comparisons would be a good place to start:
For each pair of poems, you will find:
The comparison in a nutshell
Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences
Bayonet Charge and The Charge of the Light Brigade
Comparison in a nutshell:
This comparison provides the opportunity to compare how those involved in war are treated. In The Charge of the Light Brigade, Tennyson focuses on the collective, whereas in Bayonet Charge, the focus is on the individual and his sense of isolation. However, in both poems, the soldiers’ actions are ultimately out of their own control.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems are written from an outsider’s perspective, inspired by the experiences of those who ultimately did not have a choice in what they had to do | |
Evidence and analysis | Bayonet Charge | The Charge of the Light Brigade |
Neither Hughes nor Tennyson ever experienced the actual brutality of war, but were both inspired to write their poems through other people’s experiences | ||
The “charge” in Hughes’ poem focuses on a frightened individual soldier who also does not have a choice in the situation in which he finds himself | The “charge” in Tennyson’s poem relates to 600 men who do not have a choice but to obey their orders | |
“In what cold clockwork of the stars and nations//Was he the hand pointing that second?” shows that this soldier feels stuck in that time and that there is no escape | “Theirs not to reason why” shows that the soldiers obey their orders without question | |
The situation the soldier finds himself in is out of his control and is also his fate | In this way, the soldiers’ actions can be viewed as out of their control and also as their fate and destiny | |
A sense of duty and the propaganda of war must have prompted this soldier to sign up in the first place | ||
The soldier is armed with a bayonet, and yet is “dazzled with rifle fire” | In The Charge of the Light Brigade, the soldiers are armed only with swords against the artillery fire of the Russians | |
Both poems seem to suggest that soldiers are trained with a reflex action that enables them to obey orders instinctively, becoming killing machines without individual thought | ||
The soldiers in both poems could be considered to be expendable, and exploited by those in charge who give the orders | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | Although both poems imply criticism of the leaders of war, the idea of patriotism is celebrated in Tennyson’s poem, whereas it is challenged in Bayonet Charge | |
Evidence and analysis | Bayonet Charge | The Charge of the Light Brigade |
This poem is narrated right in the middle of the action, emphasising the sense of disorientation and chaos the soldier experiences | The story in the poem is told chronologically, in a ballad form to memorialise the soldiers and their actions | |
Hughes challenges the perception of honour in the line “In bewilderment then he almost stopped.” | Tennyson seems to praise the blind obedience of the soldiers in the rhetorical question “When can their glory fade?” | |
Hughes was a relative unknown when Bayonet Charge was published, allowing him more freedom to openly criticise the mechanisms of conflict | Any criticism of authority is subtle in this poem, due to Tennyson’s position as poet laureate | |
The idea of patriotism is undermined via the lines “The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye” | The soldiers do not question their role or their orders in this poem | |
This contrasts the idealism of patriotism with the reality of fighting and killing | Their patriotic duty is to “do and die”, and they are celebrated in the poem for doing so | |
The soldier in this poem questions his role in the conflict | This celebration of their sacrifice is reinforced by the “glory”, “honour” and “noble” of the final stanza | |
The dismissive “etcetera” in the line “King, honour, human dignity etcetera” undermines the usual rhetoric of war, as all of these things ultimately do not matter in the fear of the moment | ||
Bayonet Charge and Exposure
Comparison in a nutshell:
This comparison provides the opportunity to compare how a sense of duty imposed by patriotism disguises the true nature of war, and the harsh reality of actually taking part in a conflict. Both poems also reference the impact war has on nature.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems portray war as terrifying experiences which those involved have no escape from | |
Evidence and analysis | Bayonet Charge | Exposure |
This poem focuses on one person’s emotional struggle with their actions | This poem focuses on the mental toll the monotony and relentlessness of war can take on the soldiers involved | |
Hughes displays the disorientating and dehumanising qualities of war, likening the soldier to a cog in a bigger machine and implying that soldiers are nothing more than weapons in the hands of greater powers | Owen also dehumanises the subjects through the indifference of the men to their dead and their “half-known faces” | |
The poet presents his soldier as powerless, even in the face of the realisation of the pointlessness of the conflict and what he is doing | The narrator questions the point of war and what they are doing there in the first place in the refrain “But nothing happens” and the use of rhetorical questions | |
In both poems, the soldier appears to question the point of living when one is living to die without cause or meaning | ||
In both poems, the soldiers seem to have lost faith in God and their country | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | Whilst both poems reference the impact war has on nature, Owen’s first hand experience of war explores the realities of prolonged exposure to the elements in the trenches, whereas for Hughes, nature is seen as a victim of war | |
Evidence and analysis | Bayonet Charge | Exposure |
The structure of this poem presents war as chaotic and unpredictable | The pace of this poem presents the actual experience of war as tedious and monotonous | |
In this poem, nature is referenced as an innocent victim, with war and battle being a crime against nature | In this poem, the most immediate danger to the soldiers is nature and prolonged exposure to the elements | |
Nature still represents hope in this poem, with the “green hedge” | Nature is viewed and personified as the main enemy, attacking the men. Mother nature is likened to a military leader amassing an army against the soldiers | |
Hughes did not have direct experience of war | Owen directly experienced, and was killed in, World War I, giving the poem an authentic perspective | |
This is reflected in the use of the third person perspective | Owen’s language is therefore much more reflective of the soldier’s lived experiences, and is therefore more brutal, such as “merciless”, “twitching agonies” and “misery” | |
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