The poem I have been studying recently is titled Bayonet Charge and is written by Ted Hughes. It is based on a soldier making difficult decisions in a battle situation during a war. Hughes constructs the poem with interesting varieties of imagery which create vivid pictures in your mind. His word choice also describes how the soldier is feeling in each stanza. Bayonet Charge is a remarkable poem because both the physical and mental sides of an individual are mentioned frequently throughout the poem.
             Bayonet Charge is about a patriotic soldier fighting in a battle for his country. The patriotism soon disappears when the first sights of death and war occur and is replaced with fear. The change from patriotism to fear has been cleverly achieved with the writers' word choice, "The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye, sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest".
             The poem has been written by Hughes to portray the soldier as being alone so you can focus on the one man. The soldiers' dilemma is emphasised throughout the poem. After hesitation the soldier decides to fight persuaded by a kill or be killed scenario.
             Each stanza in Bayonet Charge has its own mood. In stanza one the soldier faces reality and recognises that the most important thing is not patriotism but fear. The different choice of words that Hughes has used, for example "sweat heavy, patriotic tear and sweating" conveys the description of physical fear.
             In stanza two the soldier is unsure and confused about why he is involved in this battle. The word bewilderment gives us confirmation of this uncertainty. Why he is fighting at that moment in time is the message we receive. He believes no one cares about his life, "In what cold clockwork of the stars and the nations, was he the hand pointing that second?"
             The technique of enjambment is used between stanza two
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