Ted Hughes ‘Bayonet Charge’

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, –

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

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.
 The
‘he’ pronou
The poem begins in medias this sugges n
res, highlighting the cou ts
any l d be
unpredictable, chaotic and you
sold ng
dangerous nature of war. ier.

Suddenly he awoke and was running – raw

In raw-seamed hot khaki, his sweat heavy,

The repetition of the word ‘raw’ could

reinforce the soldier’s pain, or it could
emphasise the soldier’s inexperience
and lack of preparation.
 The verb choices create a sense of
action and confusion. The soldier’s
confusion is emphasised by the use
of enjambment.

Stumbling across a field of clods towards a green hedge

That dazzled with rifle fire, hearing
Bullets smacking the belly out of the air –
y is
n e m nd
e e n a d,
Th see nise
This metaphor highlights th u n ma e m
e violence of war. The bullets h u g th
this air, implying that war dis are hitting d e k in e
rupts nature as well as hum a or g.
use of onomatopoeia emph ans. The m m eni n
asises the sound of the bulle h t
ts being
fired. frig
The verb ‘lugged’
This simile suggests that the
implies it is an
soldier’s rifle seems useless
effort for the
in battle.
soldier to carry
his rifle.

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, –

This simile suggests that the soldier’s patriotism

has been replaced by pain and fear now he has
seen the reality of war.
 e fl e c ts
a s h e sr
se o fd e r t a i nty
The u ldier ’s unc ng and
i
the so hat he’s do the
ou t w i on o n
a b n fu s
In bewilderment then he almost stopped – the co e l d .
e fi
In what cold clockwork of the stars and the nations battl
Was he the hand pointing that second?

This rhetorical question emphasises the soldier’s

insignificance. He doesn’t feel like he is in control of
his destiny. The phrase ‘cold clockwork’ suggests he
is part of a machine that is uncaring.
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.

t s t h a t
su g g es
i s s i m ile ’ t k n ow
Th d o es n
o ldi e r g . He
t he s n i n
h e ’s r un r ic a l l y
wh y t a p ho
is m e t he
l s h e o u t
fee d a r k ’ a b
w a r.
‘in t h e r or o f
h o r
l i t y a nd t h e i dea
rea p h a s i s es
e d .
m p a r
This e was unpre
e
that h
 Then the shot-slashed furrows

Threw up a yellow hare that rolled like a flame The hare crawls in a
And crawled in a threshing circle, its mouth wide ‘circle’ which gives the
Open silent, its eyes standing out. impression it is trapped.

This simile reflects

the danger the
hare is in, and it re
inforces the
impact conflict ha
s on nature. The
hare’s movement
imply it is
terrified and helple
ss – like the
soldier.
 Th
h t he is l
ced w i t ist
w h e n f a r a r e pe ou
s ts t h at ng to w a Ho ople tline
i le s u g g e s fo r g o i n s we
i s s i m a so n re a s o ma s th
Th , t h e re n g t he v
r s of ba tt l e
a nt. B y c a l li
c e d to a un ‘etce er, th y go e rea
horro elev r e du de
n ifi c a nt a n d i r r
s s o l die rs a r e
iv a l. rm tera’ e ad to wa sons
i nsi g m p l ie le : s u r v ine at diti r
’, H u g h es i e i n b a tt s th the on .
‘luxuries evel of existenc ese en of
basic l rea d
son
s.

He plunged past with his bayonet toward the green hedge,

King, honour, human dignity, etcetera
Dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm

The ‘green hedge’ is repeated, suggesting the

soldier is determined to complete his task.
To get out of that blue crackling air
His terror’s touchy dynamite.

p li e s the
e m im
f t h e p o
r o l o f his
as t l in eo ose c o nt
o m e a
The l u t to l v e be c
r is a b o s to h a n d
o l i d e s e e m o r ’, a
s
H is fe ar h i s ‘ te rr
o ti o n s. r i ve n by a rd s t he
em n ; h e is d h i m tow
weapo hat is driving .
this is
w enemy
Compare how poets present the experience of soldiers in ‘Bayonet Charge’ and one other poem from ‘Power
and conflict’.

S ‘Suddenly he awoke’
The poem begins in medias res to show the chaos of war. The word ‘awoke’ reminds
the reader that this is reality.

P ‘raw’
The word ‘raw’ is repeated to emphasise the soldier’s inexperience. Another
interpretation is that the word ‘raw’ reinforces the pain the soldier is in.

L ‘terror’s touchy dynamite’

The soldier’s fear is driving him forward. Fear has become a weapon as it could make
him act at any moment.

I ‘Sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest’

This simile suggests that the strength he felt from his patriotism is leaving him and
being replaced by pain and fear.

T ‘King, honour, human dignity etcetera’

This list shows the reasons why people go to war. ‘King’ (or patriotism is first),
suggesting it’s the most important. However, these are undermined by the ‘etcetera’.
 Which poem would you choose to
compare to ‘Bayonet Charge’?

KEY THEMES:
‘Charge of the Light
• Effects of conflict Brigade’
• Reality of conflict
• Fear
• Individual’s experience of conflict
‘Exposure’
Which poem would make a good
comparison?

‘Remains’