Bayonet Charge + COTLB

• • both poets present how unprepared soldiers were for war
  • sympathy for those who fought bravely
• 1. Bayonet Charge - presents uncertainty

  • "suddenly" -> "raw" -> "bewilderment" -> "lugged"
  • semantic field of uncertainty
  • "like a man who has jumped in dark and runs"
  • emphasises him not being prepared
  • suggests men were used in war
• 2. Bayonet Charge - uncertainty causes loss of faith

  • "King, honour, human diginity ecetera dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm"
  • common propagranda phrases
  • ridicule nature of propaganda - lost in battlefield
  • link to "cold clockwork of stars and nations" "was he the hand pointing"
  • like "luxuries" - stripped back to basics, struggle like animals
  • link to suffering hare - draw parallel between soldier and helpless animal
• 3. COTLB - lack of preparation but still fight bravely

  • "Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die"
  • anaphora - determination to do duty shown by alliteration of "do and die"
  • stressed and unstressed rythym - mimicking horses, repetition, steadfast in duty
• 4. COTLB - death used to honour soldiers

  • "valley of shadow of death"
  • fear, darkness
  • "jaws of Death" "mouth of Hell"
  • death as predator
  • emphasise bravery
  • allusion to Psalm 23
  • Bible revolves around sacrifice - elegy style to explore loss but pay respect - link to Poet Laureate
• 5. COTLB

  • slightly chnaging refrain
  • "six hundred" -> "NOBLE six hundred"
  • "honour"
  • imperative
  • honour and bravery should be remembered
  • link to elegy