Compare Bayonet Charge and Charge of the Light Brigade: Grade 9 Thesis & Quotes (AQA)
Best for: The chaos of battle, patriotism vs. reality, and the transformation of soldiers. If the exam poem is Bayonet Charge, compare to Charge of the Light Brigade to show how Hughes deconstructs the “heroic” gallop into a desperate, mechanical struggle for survival. If the exam poem is Charge of the Light Brigade, compare to Bayonet Charge to show how Tennyson’s structured, rhythmic tribute to sacrifice is challenged by the visceral, fragmented reality of modern combat.
Elite Thesis:
“While Tennyson employs a rhythmic, dactylic momentum to immortalize the collective bravery and noble obedience of the cavalry, Hughes utilizes fragmented imagery and stasis to expose the solitary terror of the modern soldier, suggesting that in the heat of battle, abstract patriotism is ‘smashed’ by the primal instinct for survival.”
Quick Comparison Grid (The “Ninja Cheat Sheet”)
| Element | Charge of the Light Brigade (Tennyson) | Bayonet Charge (Hughes) |
|---|---|---|
| When? | 1854 Crimean War—a collective, historic charge | WWI setting—a solitary, frantic dash across no-man’s-land |
| Key Image | “Into the valley of Death” / “Stormed at with shot and shell” | “Sweating like molten iron” / “His terror’s touchy dynamite” |
| Transformation | Men → Immortal heroes / “The six hundred” | Man → Machine (“clockwork”) / Animal (“yellow hare”) |
| Tone | Rhythmic, admiring, elegiac | Chaotic, visceral, breathless |
| Structure | Dactylic dimeter—the steady beat of horses | Enjambment and caesura—the erratic breath of a runner |
| The “Enemy” | Visible cannons and “the mouth of hell” | The “cold clockwork” of fate and his own fear |
1. Patriotism: Noble Duty vs. Primal Terror (The Motivation)
Charge of the Light Brigade:
- Tennyson emphasizes collective obedience: “Theirs not to make reply / Theirs not to reason why / Theirs but to do and die.” The soldiers are a single, heroic unit.
- The “patriotism” here is unquestioned; even though “someone had blundered,” the focus remains on the “glory” of their sacrifice.
- Elite Link: The use of the biblical allusion “valley of Death” elevates the soldiers’ struggle to a mythic level, suggesting their death has a divine or national significance that transcends the individual.
Bayonet Charge:
- Hughes shows the collapse of ideology: “The patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye / Sweating like molten iron.” The abstract emotion of patriotism is physically transformed into painful, heavy reality.
- The soldier is solitary: he is “running” alone, questioning “In what cold clockwork… was he the hand pointing that second?” He is a cog in a machine he doesn’t understand.
- Elite Link: The list of “King, honour, human dignity, etcetera” being “dropped like luxuries” shows that in the moment of “touchy dynamite,” high-minded reasons for war become irrelevant baggage.
Explore: Tennyson presents patriotism as a shield that makes death noble, while Hughes presents it as a “luxury” that is discarded the moment real terror begins—both poets explore why men charge, but Hughes finds the reasons hollow.
2. The Soldier’s Identity: Heroes vs. Machines (The Transformation)
Charge of the Light Brigade:
- The soldiers are mechanized by glory: they are “the six hundred,” a legendary force. Even when they are “shattered and sundered,” they remain “noble.”
- Tennyson uses personification (“jaws of Death”) to make the enemy a monster, which in turn makes the soldiers “bold” dragon-slayers.
- Elite Link: The repetition of “Rode the six hundred” at the end of stanzas acts as a refrain of strength, ensuring the soldiers’ identity is tied to their numbers and their bravery, never their fear.
Bayonet Charge:
- The soldier is mechanized by fear: he becomes a “rifle fire,” his footwork is “clockwork,” and he is “machine-like.” He loses his humanity not to glory, but to a “threshing” instinct.
- Hughes uses the metaphor of the “yellow hare” to mirror the soldier. The hare is “rolling” and “crawling” in agony, stripping away any “noble” veneer to show war as a frantic, animalistic struggle.
- Elite Link: The “molten iron” sweat suggests the soldier is being forged into a weapon against his will—he is not a hero choosing to die, but a tool being used until it breaks.
Explore: Both poets show soldiers being transformed by war, but Tennyson transforms them into icons of “honour,” while Hughes transforms them into “clockwork” parts of a destructive machinery.
3. Structure: The Gallop vs. The Stumble (Form Reflects Action)
Charge of the Light Brigade:
- The dactylic dimeter (one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed) creates a “heavy-light-light” beat that perfectly mimics the sound of horses’ hooves.
- The regularity of the rhythm suggests order and discipline, even in the face of a “blunder.” The poem feels controlled, much like the soldiers’ formation.
- Elite Link: The final stanza’s shift to imperative verbs (“Honour the charge!”) forces the reader into a position of respect, providing a structured “ending” to the tragedy.
Bayonet Charge:
- Hughes uses heavy enjambment and caesura to break the flow. Lines like “He woke and was running—raw” create a stumbling, breathless pace that mimics a soldier gasping for air.
- The in medias res opening (“Suddenly he awoke”) thrusts the reader into chaos without the “ordered” beginning Tennyson provides.
- Elite Link: The use of stasis in the second stanza (“He stopped… in what cold clockwork”) creates a jarring structural pause, reflecting the soldier’s moment of existential crisis before the “dynamite” of the ending.
Explore: Tennyson uses structure to provide a sense of “ordered” sacrifice and momentum, while Hughes uses structure to enact the “disordered” panic and fragmentation of modern combat.
Context Comparison (AO3 Power Move)
| Charge of the Light Brigade (Tennyson) | Bayonet Charge (Hughes) |
|---|---|
| Written in 1854 as a public tribute—Tennyson was Poet Laureate and read about the event in The Times. His job was to memorialize the event for the nation. | Written in 1957—Hughes was a post-war poet influenced by his father’s harrowing stories of WWI. He is looking back to de-romanticize the myths of the past. |
| Focuses on Victorian ideals of duty, hierarchy, and the “noble” sacrifice of the individual for the British Empire. | Focuses on Modernist/Post-War perspectives—the influence of Wilfred Owen is clear in Hughes’s focus on the “pity” and “physicality” of war. |
| The “blunder” was a famous tactical error, but Tennyson’s poem helped turn a military disaster into a national legend. | Hughes is interested in the psychology of the individual—how the “stars and nations” (politics) affect the single man in the mud. |
Elite Insight: Tennyson writes to create a national myth that provides closure for a tragedy, while Hughes writes to shatter that myth, forcing the reader to experience the raw, un-heroic “terror” that Tennyson’s rhythm hides.
Exam Sentence Starters (Copy These)
- “While Tennyson utilizes a dactylic momentum to celebrate the collective ‘honour’ of the cavalry, Hughes employs fragmented structure to expose the solitary ‘terror’ of the modern soldier…”
- “Both poets explore the transformation of men in battle: Tennyson sees them as ‘noble’ martyrs, whereas Hughes presents them as ‘machine-like’ cogs in a ‘cold clockwork’ of destruction…”
- “The ‘patriotic tear’ in Bayonet Charge serves as a direct contrast to the ‘noble six hundred’ in Charge of the Light Brigade, showing how abstract ideals are ‘smashed’ by the physical reality of war…”
- “Tennyson’s use of the ‘jaws of Death’ frames war as a mythic struggle, while Hughes’s use of the ‘threshing’ yellow hare frames it as a brutal, animalistic fight for survival…”
- “Contextually, Tennyson’s role as Poet Laureate required him to provide national consolation, while Hughes’s post-war perspective allows him to critique the very ‘heroism’ Tennyson sought to immortalize…”
FAQs
What is the best poem to compare with Bayonet Charge?
Charge of the Light Brigade is the best for contrasting heroism with reality. You can also compare it to Remains for the physical vs. psychological impact of war, or Exposure for the soldier’s experience of nature.
What is the best poem to compare with Charge of the Light Brigade?
Bayonet Charge is perfect for challenging the ‘heroic’ narrative. You can also compare it to Exposure for leadership failure, or Poppies for the contrast between public ‘honour’ and private grief.
What is the best theme linking Bayonet Charge and Charge of the Light Brigade?
The Reality of Conflict vs. Patriotism—both poems describe a charge into danger, but they disagree on whether that charge is “noble” or “mechanical panic.”
What quotes should I compare between Bayonet Charge and Charge of the Light Brigade?
- “Someone had blundered” (Charge) vs. “In what cold clockwork” (Bayonet)—both question the ‘why’ of war.
- “Honour the charge they made!” (Charge) vs. “King, honour, human dignity, etcetera / Dropped like luxuries” (Bayonet)—a direct clash on the value of ‘honour.’
- “Volleyed and thundered” (Charge) vs. “The shot-slashed furrows” (Bayonet)—both use sound and imagery to show the violence of the environment.
How do I compare structure in Bayonet Charge and Charge of the Light Brigade?
Tennyson uses regular dactylic dimeter to create a sense of disciplined, heroic momentum. Hughes uses caesura and enjambment to create a sense of breathless, erratic panic. Both use form to mirror the physical movement of the soldiers.
What is a Grade 9 thesis for Bayonet Charge vs. Charge of the Light Brigade?
“While Tennyson employs a rhythmic, dactylic momentum to immortalize the collective bravery and noble obedience of the cavalry, Hughes utilizes fragmented imagery and stasis to expose the solitary terror of the modern soldier, suggesting that in the heat of battle, abstract patriotism is ‘smashed’ by the primal instinct for survival.”
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