1. *1 The poem starts in medias res (in the middle of the action) to show he is in a confused state.
*2This has a double meaning – it suggests discomfort but also inexperience.
*1Suddenly he awoke and was running – *2raw In raw-seamed *3hot khaki, *3his sweat *3heavy, Stumbling across a field of clods towards a green hedge That dazzled with rifle fire, hearing *4Bullets smacking the belly out of the air – He lugged *5a rifle numb as a smashed arm; The *6patriotic tear that had brimmed in his eye *6Sweating like *6molten iron from the centre of his chest, –
*3The repeated ‘h’ sound imitates the soldier’s heavy breathing as he runs.
*4Violent imagery and onomatopoeia describes the sound and impact of the shots.
*5Simile suggests his rifle is useless and FORESHADOWS the injuries he’s likely to get.
*6His patriotism has turned to fear and pain – his heroic ideals have been replaced by painful reality.
Level 3 –Identify what the poem is about and select evidence to confirm this
Level 4– Identify what the poem is about and select poetic devices, considering the impact
Aspiring level 5-Identify what a poem is about, selecting poetry devices, exploring their impact and considering alternative viewpoints.

2. Be a collaborative learner
*7This stanza pauses the action and focuses on the soldier wondering why he is there. What is the effect on the reader?
*8Emphasises the soldier's insignificance and his lack of control of his situation. What does the word cold connote?
In bewilderment then *7he almost stopped – *8In what cold clockwork of the stars and the nations Was he the hand pointing that second? He was running *9Like a man who has jumped up in the dark and runs *9Listening between his footfalls for the reason *9Of his still running, and his foot hung like *10Statuary in mid-stride*11. Then the shot-slashed furrows
*9Simile creates an image of someone blind and irrational – suggests there’s no rational reason for war.
*10It’s as if the soldier is turned to stone by his bewilderment.
Be a collaborative learner
*11The caesura ends his period of thought and forces him to return to reality. What is the effect on the reader?
Level 3 –Identify what the poem is about and select evidence to confirm this
Level 4– Identify what the poem is about and select poetic devices, considering the impact
Aspiring level 5-Identify what a poem is about, selecting poetry devices, exploring their impact and considering alternative viewpoints.

3. Become a Holgate Challenger
*12What technique is this? It emphasises the hare’s frantic movement and hints at the danger the soldier is in.
*13A distressing image of out-of-control movement. “threshing circle” is an agricultural term, used to suggest that nature is affected by war.
Threw up a yellow hare *12that rolled like a flame *13And crawled in a threshing circle, its mouth wide *14Open silent, its eyes standing out. He plunged past with his bayonet toward the *15green hedge, *16King, honour, human dignity, etcetera *17Dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm To get out of that blue crackling air *18His terror’s touchy dynamite.
*14Suggests pain and fear beyond expression.
*15Natural image contrasts with the violence and terror of war.
*16These are the reasons that persuade people to go to war. What is the effect of using the word etcetera?
The narrator uses the pronoun “he” rather than naming the soldier to keep him anonymous. It suggests that he is a universal figure who could represent any young soldier.
Become a Holgate Challenger
*17He’s been reduced to a basic level – he’s attacking out of desperation, not moral principle.
*18The soldier seems to have become a weapon rather than a human being. What is the effect?
Level 3 –Identify what the poem is about and select evidence to confirm this
Level 4– Identify what the poem is about and select poetic devices, considering the impact
Aspiring level 5-Identify what a poem is about, selecting poetry devices, exploring their impact and considering alternative viewpoints.

4. Should we still be going to War?
Lasting thought…
Should we still be going to War?
Level 3 –Identify what the poem is about and select evidence to confirm this
Level 4– Identify what the poem is about and select poetic devices, considering the impact
Aspiring level 5-Identify what a poem is about, selecting poetry devices, exploring their impact and considering alternative viewpoints.