C/L Friday 21st September 2018 Revising Bayonet Charge

Context About a nameless soldier going over the top of WW1 trenches. Soldiers had bayonets attached to the ends of their rifles and would use them to stab the enemy, Hughes was a former RAF serviceman. He also wrote a lot of poems about nature. The way the soldier pauses to consider WHY he is even there shows he never thought about it because of WW1 conscription.

Conscription and Propaganda Conscription – the calling up of men and women to military service. Began March 2nd 1916 when Lord Kitchener saw that our army numbers were lower than other countries, he put forward a Military Act that all men aged 18-41 had to fight. The propaganda (posters, media, adverts) encouraged everyone to shame those who tried to appeal their conscription. Basically young, UNTRAINED men were fighting with no control over it.

In media res – immediately have to fight when waking up In media res – immediately have to fight when waking up. Starts poem in a panicked way so you understand the constant non-stop of war for the soldier. “h” and “r” sounds like his heavy breathing 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 as a smashed arm; The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye Sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest, Uncomfortable image of his uniform sealed to his body in the heat. He is not a human. He is becoming a a weapon.

“patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye”

He looks up at the sky and realises how small he is He looks up at the sky and realises how small he is. It makes him ask himself what is the point in me in all of this. The metaphor of a clock is used to show how his small role as the a hand is pointless. Clockwork keeps going too so why is that important? 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 He is running and trying to find the reason for the running but keeps going anyway

He gives up caring about his country. He recites famous propaganda phrases to show it was drilled into him and he had no power over his decision. The “etcetera” shows he questions the PURPOSE OF WAR Violent verbs and harrowing language shows how nature is suddenly and innocently involved. The hare could be a metaphor for him. 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

Task: Pick one quote that best answers this question. You must -Highlight key words in the quote The use of the verb “____” suggests… -Push for deeper meaning Perhaps it also could show that… -State the writer’s intention Hughes wanted to… Hughes is showing here that… Analyse the effects of war that Hughes shows in his poem. Basically, pick an effect that the war had on the soldier. e.g. made him weak “