Poetry Comparisons
Bayonet Charge – patriotism, reality of war, internal conflict
Quotes
‘Sweat heavy’ - concise, with long vowels that stretch out the words and create a sense of slowness
and awkwardness, which helps the reader emphasise with the soldiers physical discomfort,
exhaustion and panic.
‘Raw’ - repetition in first stanza. Could be indicating the soldiers inexperience or raw emotions - his
vulnerability and fear. Raw also has connotations of animalistic behaviour, which could be an
extended metaphor of what war reduces man to.
‘green hedge that dazzled with rifle fire’ – dazzled suggests the stunning nature of the machinery of
war, which stupefies and blinds the charging men.
‘Bullets smacking the belly out of air’ - emphasises message that nature is a victim of war. Harsh
plosive sounds ‘bullets’ and ‘belly’ emphasise the verb ‘smacking’, and air is personified to make the
reader feel sympathy for the effect of war on nature and describing it in human terms makes it more
relatable.
‘lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm’
His patriotism was originally in the form of a tear, which has connotations of emotion suggesting he
was passionate about war and it being the right thing to do - probably due to propaganda. Equally,
when it leaves, it is coming from ‘the centre of his chest’; it was held in his heart. This idea of war as
the right thing was deep rooted in him, and he felt strongly about fighting. However it leaves his
body like ‘molten iron’, suggesting it is a painful process as he is realising that he was wrong in his
view of war. Equally, the iron could be weighing him down, making it harder to fight - just as it is
harder to fight when you no longer believe in the cause you are fighting for and have lost the
patriotism that motivated you.
‘Cold clockwork’ - mechanical imagery, dehumanises the soldiers by comparing them to a machine,
built for a purpose.
‘was he the hand pointing that second’ – hand could mean the hand on a clock pointing to the
‘second’, in which he pauses in confusion and ‘bewilderment’. However hand could also represent
God, who occupies the soldiers thoughts as he faces death, and possibly questions why God would
cause so much suffering.
‘yellow hare’ – alludes to the story of the ‘Tortoise and the Hare’ in that the hare lost because he
thought he’d win, its arrogance got in the way of it considering it could lose, this draws on the reality
of patriotic soldiers who went over the trenches, racing towards the enemy and then being killed.
The wider point playing on the disillusionment of war quickening a soldiers impending death.
‘threshing circle’ – the word ‘threshing’ suggests pain and fear beyond expression, while ‘crawled’
conveys the hares agony and inability to move. It can only complete a circle, getting nowhere. This
could be a reflection of the hopelessness of the men in a pointless conflict, achieving nothing.
Additionally the circle may express the fact that wars never cease, and that the pain and suffering
will be constant, even after conflict in the form of traumatic memories.
, ‘plunged past’ – determined to keep going, plosive and alliterative ‘p’s and long vowels suggest
effort and exaggerated movement.
‘king, honour, human dignity, etcetera’ – critical of war propaganda, ‘etcetera’ is a dismissive, anti
climax.
‘dropped like luxuries’ – meaningless.
‘to get out of that blue crackling air’ – onomatopoeic hard constant, and vivid colour.
‘Touchy dynamite’ - final line of the poem. Shows his change from being driven to fight by patriotism
to being driven by fear. Dynamite implies the soldier is going to lose control of his emotions, as his
fear has become an explosive weapon.
Structure
Poem starts in media res – surprise and unprepared.
The enjambment, caesura and uneven line length mirrors the soldier struggling to run through the
mud, also it quickens the pace and can be overwhelming.
The soldier is left unnamed, which suggests he is a universal figure who could represent any young
soldier.
Context
Inspired by Wilfred Owen
Ted Hughes never fought in a war, but instead grew up in the post-war era and saw its influence in
his home in Yorkshire. This rural upbringing is evident in his poetry which usually focuses on animals
and nature.
Ozymandias – futility of power, identity
Quotes
‘Sneer of cold command’ - contrast between hot desert and Ozymandias cold expression calls
attention to his haughtiness, this was no warm ruler. Sneer has a contemptuous, unpleasant sound
which reflects the meaning.
‘Cold command’ - harsh alliteration which exhibits his once commanding, dominant manner.
‘Trunkless legs’ - informs the reader of the statues lack of body and therefore lack of heart .
Additionally this may signify a lack of connection between his body and his brain (as the head lies in
the sand), and thereby shows that whilst Ozymandias had presence, he did not have insight or
intellect to recognise his limitations or the futility of his power.
‘King of kings’ - has a rhythmic, Old Testament biblical resonance; the pharaoh is setting himself up
as a god. Shelley was atheist so this could be his way of mocking religion.
‘Look on my works, ye mighty and despair!’ - final words ‘and despair’ are chilling and signify
inhuman cruelty. However despite the confident tone in this couplet, Ozymandias is now just a
broken statue in a barren desert, and so Shelley may be trying to suggest that those in power ought
to despair at how forgotten Ozymandias has become.
Bayonet Charge – patriotism, reality of war, internal conflict
Quotes
‘Sweat heavy’ - concise, with long vowels that stretch out the words and create a sense of slowness
and awkwardness, which helps the reader emphasise with the soldiers physical discomfort,
exhaustion and panic.
‘Raw’ - repetition in first stanza. Could be indicating the soldiers inexperience or raw emotions - his
vulnerability and fear. Raw also has connotations of animalistic behaviour, which could be an
extended metaphor of what war reduces man to.
‘green hedge that dazzled with rifle fire’ – dazzled suggests the stunning nature of the machinery of
war, which stupefies and blinds the charging men.
‘Bullets smacking the belly out of air’ - emphasises message that nature is a victim of war. Harsh
plosive sounds ‘bullets’ and ‘belly’ emphasise the verb ‘smacking’, and air is personified to make the
reader feel sympathy for the effect of war on nature and describing it in human terms makes it more
relatable.
‘lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm’
His patriotism was originally in the form of a tear, which has connotations of emotion suggesting he
was passionate about war and it being the right thing to do - probably due to propaganda. Equally,
when it leaves, it is coming from ‘the centre of his chest’; it was held in his heart. This idea of war as
the right thing was deep rooted in him, and he felt strongly about fighting. However it leaves his
body like ‘molten iron’, suggesting it is a painful process as he is realising that he was wrong in his
view of war. Equally, the iron could be weighing him down, making it harder to fight - just as it is
harder to fight when you no longer believe in the cause you are fighting for and have lost the
patriotism that motivated you.
‘Cold clockwork’ - mechanical imagery, dehumanises the soldiers by comparing them to a machine,
built for a purpose.
‘was he the hand pointing that second’ – hand could mean the hand on a clock pointing to the
‘second’, in which he pauses in confusion and ‘bewilderment’. However hand could also represent
God, who occupies the soldiers thoughts as he faces death, and possibly questions why God would
cause so much suffering.
‘yellow hare’ – alludes to the story of the ‘Tortoise and the Hare’ in that the hare lost because he
thought he’d win, its arrogance got in the way of it considering it could lose, this draws on the reality
of patriotic soldiers who went over the trenches, racing towards the enemy and then being killed.
The wider point playing on the disillusionment of war quickening a soldiers impending death.
‘threshing circle’ – the word ‘threshing’ suggests pain and fear beyond expression, while ‘crawled’
conveys the hares agony and inability to move. It can only complete a circle, getting nowhere. This
could be a reflection of the hopelessness of the men in a pointless conflict, achieving nothing.
Additionally the circle may express the fact that wars never cease, and that the pain and suffering
will be constant, even after conflict in the form of traumatic memories.
, ‘plunged past’ – determined to keep going, plosive and alliterative ‘p’s and long vowels suggest
effort and exaggerated movement.
‘king, honour, human dignity, etcetera’ – critical of war propaganda, ‘etcetera’ is a dismissive, anti
climax.
‘dropped like luxuries’ – meaningless.
‘to get out of that blue crackling air’ – onomatopoeic hard constant, and vivid colour.
‘Touchy dynamite’ - final line of the poem. Shows his change from being driven to fight by patriotism
to being driven by fear. Dynamite implies the soldier is going to lose control of his emotions, as his
fear has become an explosive weapon.
Structure
Poem starts in media res – surprise and unprepared.
The enjambment, caesura and uneven line length mirrors the soldier struggling to run through the
mud, also it quickens the pace and can be overwhelming.
The soldier is left unnamed, which suggests he is a universal figure who could represent any young
soldier.
Context
Inspired by Wilfred Owen
Ted Hughes never fought in a war, but instead grew up in the post-war era and saw its influence in
his home in Yorkshire. This rural upbringing is evident in his poetry which usually focuses on animals
and nature.
Ozymandias – futility of power, identity
Quotes
‘Sneer of cold command’ - contrast between hot desert and Ozymandias cold expression calls
attention to his haughtiness, this was no warm ruler. Sneer has a contemptuous, unpleasant sound
which reflects the meaning.
‘Cold command’ - harsh alliteration which exhibits his once commanding, dominant manner.
‘Trunkless legs’ - informs the reader of the statues lack of body and therefore lack of heart .
Additionally this may signify a lack of connection between his body and his brain (as the head lies in
the sand), and thereby shows that whilst Ozymandias had presence, he did not have insight or
intellect to recognise his limitations or the futility of his power.
‘King of kings’ - has a rhythmic, Old Testament biblical resonance; the pharaoh is setting himself up
as a god. Shelley was atheist so this could be his way of mocking religion.
‘Look on my works, ye mighty and despair!’ - final words ‘and despair’ are chilling and signify
inhuman cruelty. However despite the confident tone in this couplet, Ozymandias is now just a
broken statue in a barren desert, and so Shelley may be trying to suggest that those in power ought
to despair at how forgotten Ozymandias has become.
