Which of these quotations could be described as ambiguous (two possible interpretations)?

"He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm"

Lots of enjambment is used in this poem. This means...

Many of the lines run on, creating a sense of frantic pace.

Why does the poet deliberately confuse the soldier and his rifle?

To show he has become an instrument of death.

In Stanza 2, the unnamed soldier has a sudden realisation. What does he realise?

He's just a cog in a vast machine of death.

Some of the lines use caesurae. This means...

There is punctuation in or near the middle of a line.

In Stanza 1 the 'h' sound is repeated frequently. Why?

To mimic the soldier's heavy breathing.

The soldier is not named. Why?

It makes the poem universal;he represents all soldiers.

What makes the soldier's epiphany tragic?

He is about to die so he will never be able to act on it.

Why is the poem written in the third person?

Makes him seem less individually defined, more universal

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Bayonet Charge

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A quiz about the Ted Hughes poem.

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Questions 20

Answers

1
How was Ted Hughes personally linked to the First World War?
His father fought in it.
His grandfather fought in it.
He fought in it.
His brother fought in it.
2
Which of these quotations could be described as ambiguous (two possible interpretations)?
"Stumbling across a field of clods"
"Bullets smacking the belly out of the air"
"He lugged a rifle numb as a smashed arm"
"Suddenly he awoke"
3
Lots of enjambment is used in this poem. This means...
Many of the lines are different lengths.
Many of the lines have pauses in the middle
Many of the lines are slow-moving.
Many of the lines run on, creating a sense of frantic pace.
4
Which of these words best describes the portrayal of war in the poem?
Realistic
Romantic
Glorified
Idealised
5
Why does the poet deliberately confuse the soldier and his rifle?
To show how numb he is
To make it more confusing
To show he has become an instrument of death.
He was confused when he wrote it.
6
In Stanza 2, the unnamed soldier has a sudden realisation. What does he realise?
He actually likes Germans.
He's left his gun in the trench.
He's just a cog in a vast machine of death.
That he is going to die.
7
Which war is the setting for this poem?
Second World War
Vietnam War
The Cold War
First World War
8
Which of these describes the form?
Direct address
First person
Second person
Third person
9
What dismissive word is used to show how unimportant 'honour' and 'king' are?
Yada yada
etcetera
Blah blah
Whatever
10
Some of the lines use caesurae. This means...
All the words are long words.
There is punctuation in or near the middle of a line.
All the words are short.
They run over onto the next line with no punctuation.
11
Which of these verbs does not appear in the poem?
Running
Stumbling
Yelling
Charging
12
In Stanza 1 the 'h' sound is repeated frequently. Why?
To mimic the soldier's heavy breathing.
To create a pretty sound pattern.
It's accidental.
To mimic the sound of guns firing.
13
The soldier is not named. Why?
Soldiers didn't use their names; they were numbers
Yes, he's named in the poem.
He forgets his own name in the heat of battle.
It makes the poem universal;he represents all soldiers.
14
What adverb does the poem start with?
Suddenly
Scarily
Quickly
Surprisingly
15
What makes the soldier's epiphany tragic?
He shows a lack of patriotism.
He realizes he is not free.
He is about to die so he will never be able to act on it.
He is a killer.
16
Which of these words doesn't describe the poem's portrayal of war?
Historically accurate
Propagandist
Gritty
Disturbing
17
What is the fancy name for a sudden realisation?
Profanity
Epiphenomenon
Ephemeral
Epiphany
18
Why is the poem written in the third person?
To contrast with 'Exposure'
To make it more realistic
To make the characte more mysterious.
Makes him seem less individually defined, more universal
19
How many soldiers appear in the poem?
Four
Two
One
Three
20
In which decade was the poem written?
1970s
1980s
1920s
1950s

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