grade 9 essay on bayonet charge

Example Comparative Essay: Bayonet Charge + Charge of the Light Brigade

Here’s a comparative essay example completed by one of my students taking the “AQA Power and Conflict” poetry module. It was his first comparative essay, so he did amazingly well! However, there is also clear room for improvement – I would expect the same student to be on a minimum of an L7/A-grade by the time he takes his exams. I have given detailed feedback underneath to help him to improve, plus a breakdown of the mark scheme and grade boundaries to show how his essay would convert to a specific grade.

Feel free to use this essay to boost your own knowledge of the poems, you may also want to copy down any good essay vocabulary or techniques that it uses. Train yourself to be critical – understand what is really great about it and try to copy that in some of your own writing; understand what could be improved about it and try to avoid that in your own writing. The ‘feedback’ section will help you with this. 

The essay has some small grammar or punctuation errors – in particular, it doesn’t use commas as much as it should! So watch out for those too.

Thanks for reading! If you’re looking for more help with the AQA Power and Conflict poems, you can see our full course here .

For general help with Literature and English Language, here’s a list of our other courses .

Question: 

Compare how both poets present the effects of war in “ Bayonet Charge ” and in one other poem. 

The Comparative Essay: 

Both poets in “Bayonet Charge” and “ Charge of the Light Brigade ” present the effects of war as horrific experience for the soldiers. However Hughes explores the individual effects whereas Tennyson shows the effects on the soldiers as extremely negative as the soldiers “King, honour, human dignity, etcetera” are “dropped like herries in a yelling alarm.” This shows that even the positive luxuries of the soldiers have been abandoned as the danger of war is more damaging. The use of the verb “dropped” suggests that the soldier may have been forced to ignore the patriarchal values of being soldier, although these are often seen as the only positives of being a soldier. However in “Charge of the Light Brigade” Tennyson explores the benefits of being a soldier. This is done as he tells the reader to “honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred!” Therefore Tennyson empathises that soldiers will be honoured to highlight the positive effects of war. The use of the adjective “noble” shows to the reader that Tennyson respects the soldiers which may lead them to do the same, further showing the positive effects of war on a soldier. Additionally in “Bayonet Charge” the mental effects of war are shown in stanza two as the soldier “stopped in bewilderment.” This shows that was causing mental conflict within the soldier as he was seemingly prepared to go into war, however he suddenly stops. This links to the first word of the poem, “suddenly” as the reader is almost treated like a soldier as they are thrown into the poem without warning, just like the soldier isn’t warned about the mental effects of war. Comparing to this Tennyson shows the physical effects of war when saying “Cannon to right of them, cannon to left of them, cannon behind them.” This implies that they are surrounded by danger as cannons are made to kill people. This danger is emphasised through the repetition of “cannon” as it highlights that the soldiers can’t escape. Therefore the readers will understand the physical danger of war and may feel they should “honour the Light Brigade” so Tennyson uses this to show his feelings on the effects of war. 

Furthermore the individual soldier in “Bayonet Charge” seems to not have time for anything else as “suddenly he awoke and was running – raw.” This shows that the soon as he wakes up, he has to be ready for war and that he may be unprepared. The adverb “suddenly” shows audience that the soldier way not be ready for war which was also shown in other points of the poem. The soldiers being unprepared for the effects of war is also shown in “Charge of The Light Brigade” although they are unprepared due to lack of weaponry whereas the soldier in “Bayonet Charge” just seems to not be ready. This is because “someone has blundered” which shows to the audience that the soldiers were unprepared and had no chance of winning the Crimean War. However it seems that the mentality of the soldiers helped them deserve that honour that will supposedly be given to them. 

Overall both poets paint effects of war as extremely painful both mentally and physically but they are told from different perspectives. 

FEEDBACK 

Introduction:

• Clear, focused on the question, one overall comparison with more complex contrasts. Could look at a greater range of effects of war. 

Main Body: 

• Good clear structure, equal focus on both poems. 
• Good essay style, with clear grammatical expression 
• Starting to develop a personal response 
• Make sure to use “part to whole” – show how one small word or phrase reflects the overall message or meaning. 
• Go more sensitively into context rather than quickly moving on from it. 
• Use a range of techniques e.g. more poetic devices + deeper analysis of the meaning behind these devices. 
• Some development and sensitivity to interpretations, but needs to be explored further – try to push interpretations as far as you can before moving on to the next point. 
• Explore different attitudes to war rather than always looking at a similar perspective. 
• Don’t repeat analysing the same quotation in different places 
• Some awareness of developing a critical argument and exploring double meanings or alternative interpretations 

Conclusion 

• A little short, but clearly written 
• A little vague – it says ‘different perspectives’ but doesn’t say what those are
• Try to add your strongest points and ideas into the conclusion to make it a better summary of your overall essay. 

MARKING: 

AO1=12 – essay style, thesis, knowledge of text, quotations

AO2=12 – form, structure, language – how these shape meanings

AO3=6 – context / attitudes / themes 

AO2: 8/12 

AO3: 3/6 

Total: 19/30 

GRADING 

Literature Boundaries 

9-  88%

8 – 79.4%

7 – 70.6%

6 – 61.3%

5 – 51.9%

4 – 43%

3 – 31.3%

2 – 20.6%

The essay received 19/30 63%, which converts to a L6 (borderline B grade). Grade boundaries always go up and down a little each year, so if you’re aiming for a grade you should always try to get a mid level score rather than a borderline score, just to make sure you’re safe. 

Thanks for reading! If you’re looking for more help with the AQA Power and Conflict poems, you can check out the complete course on scrbbly.com

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Bayonet Charge Summary & Analysis by Ted Hughes

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

"Bayonet Charge" was written by British poet Ted Hughes and published in Hughes's first collection, The Hawk in the Rain (1957). Set in the heat of battle, the poem focuses on the thoughts and behavior of a soldier in World War I. This soldier is depicted mid-charge, his bayonet (that is, the blade attached to this end of his gun) primed to attack the enemy. However, he has an epiphany during his charge and suddenly questions why he's there in the first place. Old notions like patriotism and honor seem to fade away as the soldier confronts the absurd reality of war—and of the likelihood of his own death.

• Read the full text of “Bayonet Charge”

The Full Text of “Bayonet Charge”

“bayonet charge” summary, “bayonet charge” themes.

The Senselessness of War and Patriotism

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “bayonet charge”.

Suddenly he awoke ... ... the air –

He lugged a ... ... his chest, –

In bewilderment then ... ... pointing that second?

Lines 11-15

He was running ... ... Statuary in mid-stride.

Lines 15-18

Then the shot-slashed ... ... eyes standing out.

Lines 19-23

He plunged past ... ... terror’s touchy dynamite.

“Bayonet Charge” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

Alliteration.

• Line 1: “Suddenly,” “running,” “raw”
• Line 2: “raw-seamed,” “hot,” “his,” “sweat,” “heavy”
• Line 3: “Stumbling,” “across,” “clods,” “hedge”
• Line 5: “Bullets,” “belly”
• Line 10: “cold clockwork”
• Line 11: “he,” “hand”
• Line 13: “reason”
• Line 14: “running,” “his,” “hung”
• Line 15: “Statuary,” “stride,” “slashed”
• Line 18: “silent,” “standing”
• Line 19: “plunged past”
• Line 21: “like luxuries”
• Line 23: “terror’s touchy”
• Line 1: “raw”
• Line 2: “raw,” “hot,” “sweat heavy”
• Line 3: “across,” “clods”
• Line 4: “rifle fire”
• Line 6: “lugged,” “numb,” “as,” “smashed”
• Line 7: “brimmed in his,” “eye”
• Line 8: “Sweating,” “like,” “molten,” “iron,” “centre,” “chest”
• Line 9: “almost,” “stopped”
• Line 10: “cold,” “clockwork”
• Line 12: “jumped up”
• Line 13: “between,” “reason”
• Line 17: “wide”
• Line 18: “silent,” “eyes”
• Line 1: “running – raw”
• Line 2: “khaki, his”
• Line 4: “fire, hearing”
• Line 11: “second? He”
• Line 14: “running, and”
• Line 15: “mid-stride. Then”
• Line 17: “circle, its”
• Line 18: “silent, its”
• Line 20: “King, honour, human dignity, etcetera”
• Line 1: “running,” “raw”
• Line 2: “raw-seamed hot khaki,” “his sweat heavy”
• Line 3: “Stumbling across,” “field,” “clods towards,” “hedge”
• Line 4: “dazzled,” “rifle fire,” “hearing”
• Line 5: “Bullets smacking,” “belly”
• Line 6: “lugged,” “rifle,” “numb,” “smashed arm”
• Line 7: “patriotic tear,” “brimmed”
• Line 8: “Sweating like molten,” “centre,” “chest”
• Line 9: “almost stopped”
• Line 10: “cold clockwork,” “stars”
• Line 12: “man,” “jumped up,” “runs”
• Line 13: “Listening between,” “footfalls for,” “reason”
• Line 14: “running”
• Line 15: “Statuary,” “stride,” “shot-slashed”
• Line 16: “yellow,” “rolled like,” “flame”
• Line 17: “crawled,” “circle”
• Line 18: “silent,” “standing out”
• Line 21: “like luxuries,” “yelling alarm”
• Line 22: “blue crackling”
• Line 23: “terror’s touchy dynamite”

End-Stopped Line

• Line 2: “heavy,”
• Line 5: “air –”
• Line 6: “arm;”
• Line 8: “chest, –”
• Line 9: “stopped –”
• Line 18: “out.”
• Line 19: “hedge,”
• Line 23: “dynamite.”
• Lines 1-2: “raw / In”
• Lines 3-4: “hedge / That”
• Lines 4-5: “hearing / Bullets”
• Lines 7-8: “eye / Sweating ”
• Lines 10-11: “nations / Was”
• Lines 11-12: “running / Like”
• Lines 12-13: “runs / Listening”
• Lines 13-14: “reason / Of”
• Lines 14-15: “like / Statuary”
• Lines 15-16: “furrows / Threw”
• Lines 16-17: “flame / And”
• Lines 17-18: “wide / Open”
• Lines 20-21: “etcetera / Dropped”
• Lines 21-22: “alarm / To”
• Lines 22-23: “air / His”
• Line 5: “Bullets smacking the belly out of the air”
• Lines 10-11: “In what cold clockwork of the stars and the nations / Was he the hand pointing that second?”
• Line 2: “raw”
• Line 3: “green hedge”
• Line 4: “rifle”
• Line 6: “rifle”
• Line 11: “running”
• Line 12: “runs”
• Line 19: “green hedge”

Rhetorical Question

• Line 6: “He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm”
• Lines 7-8: “The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye / Sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest,”
• Lines 11-15: “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.”
• Lines 15-16: “Then the shot-slashed furrows / Threw up a yellow hare that rolled like a flame”
• Lines 20-21: “King, honour, human dignity, etcetera / Dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm”

“Bayonet Charge” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Bewilderment
• Threshing circle
• (Location in poem: Line 2: “raw-seamed”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Bayonet Charge”

Rhyme scheme, “bayonet charge” speaker, “bayonet charge” setting, literary and historical context of “bayonet charge”, more “bayonet charge” resources, external resources.

Plath and Hughes Interviewed — A fascinating discussion with Ted Hughes and the American poet (and Hughes's wife) Sylvia Plath.

A Documentary about Hughes — A BBC show about Hughes's life and work.  

Ted Hughes and War — An interesting article about Ted Hughes's war poems.  

Ted Hughes at the British Library — More resources and a biography of Hughes, from the British Library. 

The Bayonet — An insightful look at the history of the bayonet and its role in warfare.

Hughes's Life and Work — Resources from the Poetry Foundation on More Poems and Biography

LitCharts on Other Poems by Ted Hughes

Anniversary

A Picture of Otto

Cat and Mouse

Football at Slack

Fulbright Scholars

Full Moon and Little Frieda

Hawk Roosting

Telegraph Wires

The Harvest Moon

The Thought Fox

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

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Bayonet Charge

By Ted Hughes

‘Bayonet Charge’ delves into a soldier’s fear and existential crisis amidst war, questioning the true cost of duty and honor.

Nationality: English

He was Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death.

Poem Analyzed by Allisa Corfman

Degree in Secondary Education/English and Teacher of World Literature and Composition

Ted Hughes, a British poet who wrote ‘Bayonet Charge’ , is probably best known for his tragic marriage to the American poet, Sylvia Plath . Since Hughes did not serve as a soldier himself, it is likely that he felt he was able to imagine what a soldier might have felt simply because of the battles he had faced in his own life. Although he was not likely to have ever been marching head-on into death, it is clear that he could empathize with the feelings of the soldiers. The title “Bayonet Charge” shows that Hughes is using a World War I soldier as the main subject of this poem. The soldiers in the first world war would have experienced face to face combat and would have been so close to their enemies that they may have had to use their bayonets to stab the enemy across from them. This is the kind of battle Hughes seems most familiar with. It is not a private matter that Hughes’s marriage with Plath was a battle. Although it is certainly hyperbole to compare marriage conflict to national conflict, it is common for Hughes to make such striking analogies .

Plath and Hughes married only four months after they met, and Hughes admitted that while they seemed relatively happy for the first few years, there were definite “chasms” between them. It could be that the green hedge in ‘Bayonet Charge’ represents the chasms that Hughes felt between his wife and himself. The conflict may have felt like a war. Perhaps it often felt like one or more would die. In another of Ted Hughes’ poetry , entitled, ‘ Wind ‘ he describes their marriage as a house stranded out to sea. It is no surprise that Hughes may have felt a connection with those who have endured face to face battle. Perhaps ‘Bayonet Charge’ only mentions the soldier himself and the hare because Hughes felt so alone in his marriage. This idea would certainly correspond with the themes presented in the poem, ‘ Wind ‘ .

In various other poems, Hughes expounds upon his feelings toward their marriage , and even ventures to make reference to Plath’s suicide. Whether ‘Bayonet Charge’ is one that is simply out of empathy to soldiers or one that also symbolizes his own life, Hughes uses radical language and intense description to make the feelings of the soldier come alive in a way that all readers can identify with, whether or not they have ever fought as soldiers. Hughes is able to portray fear, strength, and raw human emotion through the words of ‘Bayonet Charge’ . He is able to convey the feeling of being subject to destiny, a pawn in the game of some greater structure. His vibrant words and vivid descriptions allow his readers to identify with all of this feeling while watching this soldier as he struggles to find the driving force behind his actions.

Bayonet Charge Analysis

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, –

The speaker leaves no doubt as to the central figure of ‘Bayonet Charge , which can be read in full here . He is clearly a soldier, dressed in his khaki uniform, bearing the hot summer heat. The poem begins by saying that this man “awoke”. It appears he was in a kind of daydream just moments before the poem begins. But suddenly, with the first line of ‘Bayonet Charge’ , he awakens to reality, and he finds himself running and raw. “Raw” probably refers to his emotions, as he marches into war. He was unable to feel anything other than the raw emotion of fear as he runs straight into battle. The speaker describes him as stumbling across lumps of the earth as he heads “towards a green hedge”. He sees that the hedge is “dazzled with rifle fire” but he continues to run toward it anyway.

The speaker describes the sound of the bullets as “smacking the belly out of the air”. One can imagine the deafening noise of so many weapons firing. This soldier continues to run, but his rifle begins to feel heavy and “numb as a smashed arm”. This symbolizes the change in the way the soldier feels about his position, his duty, and the weapon he carries. The speaker continues to describe this change when he says, “The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye” was now no longer in his eye, but coming “from the centre of his chest” in the form of sweat. This reveals that while the soldier was once proud to wear his uniform and carry his weapon with his head held high and a tear of patriotism in his eye, he was not now feeling patriotism or pride. He felt only the sweat on his chest and the weight of his bayonet. It is almost as if he were numb as he runs full force into the battle that could very well end his life.

In bewilderment then he almost stopped – In what cold clockwork of the stars and the nations (…) Of his still running, and his foot hung like Statuary in mid-stride. Then the shot-slashed furrows

In this stanza , the soldier suddenly comes to his senses. He stands “in bewilderment” as he begins to wonder why he is there fighting that battle. “He almost stopped” running toward the battle as he began to think about the reasons for his fighting. This soldier knows that this battle may be the end of him. The patriotic tear has long been gone from his eye. Now he begins to wonder why he is running to his death. If it is not his own heart’s desire to fight in this battle, he concludes that it must be “cold clockwork or the stars and the nations” that has brought him here to die. The “cold clockwork” refers to something that is cold and non-emotional. “Clockwork” refers to timing. Thus, the speaker believes that it was nothing more than bad timing that has brought him to fight in this particular battle.

“The stars” refers to his horoscope or destiny. He believes that it was simply the way the stars were aligned at the time of his birth that determined his place in the current war. “The nations” of course refer to the countries which were at war with one another. By blaming all of these outward things for his involvement in the war, the soldier reveals his belief that he is nothing more than “a cog in the machine” or something that is used by forces greater than he to accomplish their own goals. He feels like a pawn in a game. He has no true vested interest in this war. In fact, as he runs toward the green hedge, his only vested interest is his very own life. This is implied by his lack of acknowledgment of the people around him.

‘Bayonet Charge’ almost sounds as if he is running into the battle by himself. Of course, if he is describing a real battle in a real war, there would have been other soldiers on all sides of him, running alongside him. But the soldier in this poem fails to mention that fact. This is most likely because, in the face of his own possible death, he is unconcerned with the people around him. At this point, the soldier begins to feel as though he were outside of himself. He does not know if it was his own “hand pointing” or if it was something else strange and apart from him. As he continued to run, he began to listen.

He ran as though he were running through the dark. Perhaps he looked confused like he did not know where he was going. As he ran, he listened intently “for the reason of his still running” as if he could hear the purpose behind what he was doing. When the answer did not come to him, “his foot hung like statuary in mid-stride”. The speaker does not say that the soldier deliberately stopped running. Rather, it was as if his feet simply stopped moving apart from his own mind. As he ran, he tried to figure out why he was running into the battle. When the answer did not come to him, his feet simply stopped mid-stride and he stood there like a statue. This is described as if the soldier’s body worked against his mind and stopped moving of its own accord.

Stanza Three

Threw up a yellow hare that rolled like a flame And crawled in a threshing circle, its mouth wide (…) To get out of that blue crackling air His terror’s touchy dynamite.

This stanza begins with the description of “a yellow hare” which was frightened from his hiding place by the shots of the weapons. The hare “rolled like a flame” from the place he was hiding in, and began to frantically crawl in “a threshing circle”. The animal was clearly terrified. The reader can imagine the small, terrified animal as the speaker describes him, with “its mouth wide” and “open silent”. It’s eyes were “standing out”. It is significant to note that the hare is the only other living creature that the soldier acknowledges. Perhaps the enemy is not mentioned in terms of human soldiers because the soldier knew that he was charging to battle to kill them. To think of them as a human would make that duty unbearable. Perhaps the soldier did not describe the people around him because they were his friends, and he could not bear to think about how many losses he would suffer if he survived the battle himself. For whatever reason, the speaker does not mention any other living being aside from the hare.

It is possible that the soldier feels a connection with the small animal. Both are terrified. Both are driven from their homes and lives of comfort. Both are confused. Both seem to be in the middle of a battle they care nothing for. After observing the hare, the soldier snaps out his frozen, statue-like stance. Once again, he begins to run. He “plunged past with his bayonet toward the green hedge”. The speaker does not give a real reason for his continuing to run, but for some reason his identifying with the hare allowed him to keep going. When the speaker says, “King, honour, human dignity, etcetera” he reveals that these are not the reasons that he is plunging into war. The use of the word “etcetera” writes off all of the other reasons he listed and reveals that these reasons are all the ones in which he should believe, but does not. He knows that back home, they speak of these things. But in the face of a real battle, when life would be lost, they seemed trivial.

In fact, they were “dropped like luxuries”. Just as a soldier gives up all luxuries he may have been formerly accustomed to, so he gives up all sense of loyalty to the king, honor, and human dignity. These things suddenly seem pointless when compared with his one goal, “to get out of that blue crackling air”. There are varying interpretations to the last line of ‘Bayonet Charge’ . The one that seems to fit the title and the context of the poem best claims that the “touchy dynamite” is his bayonet. It is a weapon he carried that could inflict terrible wounds and take the lives of his enemies. As he runs into battle, aware of the danger and his longing to get away, he also becomes aware that he is holding a very powerful weapon, and that it could take the life of the one he comes up against. While his enemy could do the same to him, the soldier realizes that his weapon is like “touchy dynamite” for if someone is in the wrong place at the wrong time, it could take his life. With the last line, the speaker reveals that the soldier is now aware not only of the danger that he is in, but also of the threat that he poses to his enemies. He realizes that he is a part of the battle, one in danger of losing his life, but also one who could take another’s life.

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*(applauds and whistles and stares at the writer with envy)*

What a brilliantly witty response! Glad you enjoyed it…*writer takes a bow.

Hughe’s description is likely based on the experience of his uncle, who served in WW1 on the Western front. The hare has been shot; its back is broken and so it cannot move other than to spin in a circle. “threshing” is a pun on “thrashing”, both words being from the same root. A “threshing circle” was the place that wheat was beaten to extract the kernels of corn. Hares are found in cultivated fields. This is an example of Hughe’s close observation of nature and his frequent use of animals to reflect on the human condition.

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Corfman, Allisa. "Bayonet Charge by Ted Hughes". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/ted-hughes/bayonet-charge/ . Accessed 18 September 2024.

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Bayonet Charge vs Exposure

• Created by: Jesswardop
• Created on: 22-02-20 17:09

• English Literature
• AQA Anthology

Report Wed 2nd December, 2020 @ 18:44

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Bayonet Charge Background

By ted hughes.

These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own.

Written by people who wish to remain anonymous

Ted Hughes was an English poet who was known for his themes of nature and animals in his poetry. He was born in 1930 in Yorkshire, England, and served in the Royal Air Force before studying English literature at Cambridge University. He was appointed as the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom in 1984, and he held this position until his death in 1998.

The poem "Bayonet" by Ted Hughes was written in 1957, during a time when the world was still recovering from the aftermath of World War II. The poem is a commentary on the brutality of war and the destruction that it causes. It is written from the perspective of a soldier who is wielding a bayonet. The bayonet is personified as a weapon that is eager to be used in combat and is described as "slim and silver, keen as a sabre".

The language used in the poem is stark and violent, which emphasizes the theme of war and destruction. The poem contains many references to blood and violence, which highlights the gruesome reality of war. The main theme of the poem is the senseless violence of war and the toll it takes on the soldiers who are forced to fight. Through the use of vivid imagery and personification, the poem portrays the bayonet as a ruthless weapon that is driven by a desire to kill.

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Bayonet Charge Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Bayonet Charge is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Study Guide for Bayonet Charge

Bayonet Charge study guide contains a biography of Ted Hughes, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Bayonet Charge
• Bayonet Charge Summary
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bayonet charge and exposure comparison essay what mark Is out of 40??

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