Concetti Chiave
- The poem explores the psychological impact of war on soldiers, highlighting their struggle to regain normalcy.
- It portrays soldiers as young men with prematurely aged faces, haunted by traumatic memories.
- The contrast between their longing for normalcy and the grim reality they face is emphasized.
- The poem features a regular rhyme scheme (ABABCDCDEE), adding a structured yet intense rhythm.
- Irregular punctuation enhances the sense of disarray and emotional turmoil experienced by the soldiers.
SURVIVORS
No doubt they’ll soon get well; the shock and strain AHave caused their stammering, disconnected talk. B
Of course they’re ‘longing to go out again,’— A
These boys with old, scared faces, learning to walk. B
They’ll soon forget their haunted nights; their cowed C
Subjection to the ghosts of friends who died,— D
Their dreams that drip with murder; and they’ll be proud C
Of glorious war that shatter’d all their pride... D
Men who went out to battle, grim and glad; E
Children, with eyes that hate you, broken and mad. E
The poem is continuous and is made up of ten lines; each line begins with capital letters. There is a regular rhyme scheme (ABABCDCDEE). There is an irregular punctuation: lines 2, 4 and 10 are interrupted by dot; lines 3 and 6 by a comma and a dash, line 8 by three dots, line 9 by a dot and comma and in lines 1, 5 and 7 there are run-on-lines.
To sum up, I found this poem realistic and aggressive.