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Year 10
AQA

Analysing the poem 'Bayonet Charge'

I can explore how Hughes uses language and structure to present the multi-faceted destructive impact of war.

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New
New
Year 10
AQA

Analysing the poem 'Bayonet Charge'

I can explore how Hughes uses language and structure to present the multi-faceted destructive impact of war.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Hughes shows the destructive nature of war through its impact on the soldier and the environment.
  2. In medias res and the use of a chaotic and disorientating structure shows the inherent panic of conflict.
  3. Hughes’ complex combination of violence, human body parts and weaponry blurs the line between the human and machine.
  4. Hughes subverts pastoral imagery to show that warfare destroys the environment, peace and innocence.

Common misconception

Students may not initially see the natural imagery as relevant.

Explain to students that Ted Hughes was famous for his nature and animal poetry. He would have included these themes deliberately with a strong sense of purpose.

Keywords

  • Harrowing - highly distressing

  • Pastoral - literature conveying the idealised version of country life

  • Dehumanise - deprive someone of the qualities that make them human

  • In medias res - opening in the midst of the plot

The feedback slide for Task A can be edited in accordance with what skill your class need to work on most.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to a copy of the AQA Power and Conflict Anthology for this lesson.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
'Bayonet Charge' is about a soldier during which war?
Correct answer: World War 1
World War 2
The Crimean War
Q2.
What does the word 'dehumanise' mean?
exemplify the qualities that make someone human
Correct answer: deprive someone of the qualities that make them human
supply someone with the qualities that make them human
Q3.
What is the best use of the word 'harrowing' in a sentence?
the poem depicts harrowing the nature of war
the poem depicts the nature of harrowing war
Correct answer: the poem depicts the harrowing nature of war
Q4.
Starting with the first, put the events of Hughes' 'Bayonet Charge' in chronological order.
1 - The soldier runs across a field towards a hedge.
2 - The soldier contemplates what he is doing and his role in the war.
3 - The solider runs across a field and sees a hare.
Q5.
In 'Bayonet Charge' Hughes not only shows the devastating effect of war on humans but also on...
Correct Answer: nature, the natural world
Q6.
What was Hughes' connection to WWI?
he fought in the war
Correct answer: his father fought in the war
he read about the war in the newspaper and was inspired to write about it

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What word would you use to describe the atmosphere at the start of 'Bayonet Charge'?
contemplative
Correct answer: panicked
determined
Q2.
When including context in your answer it should...
Correct answer: be relevant to your paragraph
Correct answer: be specific to the point you've made
present in every paragraph
Correct answer: contain powerful verbs
Q3.
In 'Bayonet Charge' why may Hughes have combined images of weapons and the soldier's body parts?
to reveal the vulnerability of the soldiers
Correct answer: to expose the dehumanisation of soldiers
to mock the destructive power of nature
Q4.
Why might Hughes have chosen to focus heavily on nature in the poem 'Bayonet Charge'?
Correct answer: to show that not only mankind was effected by the harrowing nature of war
contextually, nature was important to Hughes
to emphasise the power of nature.
Q5.
The term means 'opening in the midst of the plot'.
Correct Answer: in medias res
Q6.
Hughes subverts imagery to show that warfare destroys the environment, peace and innocence.
Correct Answer: pastoral