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?
Linking these poems together will be of vital importance to us in the long run.
Here is about half of 'Bayonet Charge'.
Try this:
How does the first about half of 'Bayonet Charge' by Ted Hughes give the impression that the soldier in the poem is unsure about his actions?
What sort of state of mind is the soldier in?
How does this opening suggest the futility of war?
