Poetic Analysis and Emotional Impact of War

They will not be the same; for they'll have fought B

In a just cause: they lead the last attack A

On Anti-Christ; their comrades' blood has bought B

New right to breed an honorable race, C

They have challenged Death and dared him face to face.” C

“We're none of us the same!” the boys reply. D

“For George lost both his legs; and Bill's stone blind; E

Poor Jim's shot through the lungs and like to die; D

And Bert's gone syphilitic: you'll not find E

A chap who's served that hasn't found some change.” F

And the Bishop said: “The ways of God are strange!” F

Analysis of Poetry

The poem is split into two stanzas; each stanza is made up of six lines of regular length; each line begins with a capital letter. There is regular punctuation and a regular rhyme scheme (ABABCC – DEDEFF) and many run-on-lines, (lines 2-3, “When the boys come back They will not be the same”; lines 3-4, “for they'll have fought In a just cause”; lines 4-5, “their comrades' blood has bought New right to breed an honorable race”; lines 10-11, “you'll not find A chap who's served that hasn't found some change”).

Use of Language

There is a personification (line 6, “They have challenged Death and dared him face to face”). The writer uses two different types of language in the poem. In the first stanza he uses a high-flown language and the semantic area is connected with religion, in the second stanza he uses a common language. I really love this poem because the poet makes me understand the cruelty of war.