Understanding the Poem 'Bayonet Charge'

English

In 'AQA Power and Conflict Poetry', pupils compared the language, form and structure of a variety of poems connected by the themes of power and conflict. In 'AQA Power and Conflict Poetry continued', pupils work on making more nuanced comparisons between poems.

In 'A World at War: Poetry', pupils explore how poets presents the atrocities of World War One through their poetry. In 'AQA Power and Conflict Poetry', pupils analyse how a variety of different wars have been presented through poetry.

Poetry anthology: first study

Depiction of war, threats of war, death or the aftermath of war.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Match the key terms to their definitions.

How might you summarise the mood of the first stanza of 'Bayonet Charge'? 

stanza 1 is action-filled but it reaches a climax in stanza 2

stanza 1 is action-filled but stanza 2 contrasts with this and slows down

stanza 1 is action-filled but stanza 2 is emotional as the soldier has stopped

How does the pace of 'Bayonet Charge' change between stanza 1 and stanza 2 of the poem? 

In which year was 'Bayonet Charge' written? 

In 'Bayonet Charge' Hughes shows that war not only damages people but also...

to memorialise the soldiers who fought in the war

to criticise the patriotic ideals that led men to sign up for the war

to act as a release after his experience in the war

What might Hughes' intention have been in writing 'Bayonet Charge'? 

to feel devotion or love for one’s country

to feel indifferent towards one's country

What 'C' is being described here: information we have about the cultural, social or historical events at the time a text was written. 

What is being described here: the writer's {{}} is the reason or purpose they are writing.

these are images linked to the natural world

these are images which are well known so will occur to the reader naturally

these are images which naturally occur to the writer

What do we mean by 'natural imagery' when used by a writer?

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Adult supervision recommended

Starter Quiz