Compare how poets present the effects of war in ‘Bayonet Charge’ and in one other poem.

 

One effect of war in ‘Bayonet Charge’ is that it damages those involved physically. AO1 LEVEL 3 We see this when we are told of the soldier lugging “a rifle numb as a smashed arm”. The word choice of “smashed” has suggestions of being damaged beyond repair, the use of extreme force and determination to damage, and also of causing extreme destruction. This therefore suggests that war damages those involved irreparably, they are never the same after the war, and that there is an incredible amount of destruction caused by war.AO2 level 5 Hughes wrote this poem to highlight the incredible destruction caused by WWII; destruction that lasted long after the war ended. Ao3 LEVEL 4 Similarly ‘Remains’ highlights the physical damages caused by war, however it also highlights that war damages not just physically but also psychologically. Ao1 COMP LEVEL 5 We see the physical damage when the poet describes in detail the murder of the looter by three soldiers, who leave the body in such a state as we are told of the corpse’s “guts”. This grotesque imagery highlights the total physical destruction and violation of the human body due to war – not just of the soldiers (which is the main focus of Bayonet Charge) but also of civilians caught up in conflict. When the speaker tells us of “his bloody life in my bloody hands” this pun highlights the physical and psychological damaging effect of war in ‘Remains’. The reference to the blood denotes literally the blood of the person murdered, and the loss of life but also the metaphorical “blood” or “bloody” which highlights the longlasting guilt and devastation experienced by the soldier. Remains depicts modern warfare and hints at PTSD.ao3 LEVEL 5 Both poems highlight the irreparable physical and psychological effects of war. Level 5 24/30