Here’s a detailed analysis of the poem ‘Bayonet Charge’ by Ted Hughes. These notes are tailored towards students from Y9 to A-Level (age 13+), including being suitable for collections such as AQA Power and Conflict Poetry.
It includes, but is not limited to:
Vocabulary
Summary
Languag...
“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, …..”
(Full poem unable to be reproduced due to copyright restrictions)
"A remarkable photograph of an actual bayonet charge by French soldiers typical of the gallantry
and spirit they display in action". Taken before the war, in 1913. Source: Wikimedia Commons
, VOCABULARY
Bayonet - a knife that is stuck to the end of a rifle gun in order to be able to stab
opponents
Charge - surging or running forwards at a fast pace, as in battle
Raw-seamed - rough at the edges, clothes that are quickly or roughly made
Khaki - a grey-green colour that is often used for army uniforms
Clods - clumps of earth
Dazzled - blinded with bright shining lights
Rifle - a type of gun that’s used to shoot at a distance
Lugged - dragged / carried heavily
Patriotic - filled with a sense of patriotism, a duty to one’s country or nation
Molten - melted metal
Bewilderment - confusion
Footfalls - the sound that feet make as they hit the ground
Statuary - a display of statues
Mid-stride - in the middle of taking a step forward
Shot-slashed - torn to pieces by gunshots
Furrows - trenches, usually made by ploughing the earth to prepare it for farming
Hare - a wild animal, like a rabbit but larger
Threshing - thrashing about, as in an animal caught in a net
Plunge - dive or push deeply into something
Honour - a sense of pride and greatness
Dignity - worthiness and respect
Etcetera - a Latin phrase, meaning ‘all the rest’, often used in an offhand sort of
way when a person can’t be bothered to finish their list
Yelling alarm - a shout of panic, either as an expression of shock or a warning to
others
Dynamite - a highly explosive material, often formed into sticks that used for
blowing large holes in rock
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