Spring offensive1
- 1. Spring Offensive Katie, Emily and Catherine
- 2. What is the story of the poem? The story of the poem is about soldiers taking a small break in their hectic war life. They then face a hill to climb to start another war – ‘fearfully flashed they sky’s mysterious glance.’ Because of this they try to absorb the nature while they can; like a drug – ‘and though summer oozed into their veins .’
- 3. Extreme Situation? ‘ So soon they topped the hill, and raced together’ ‘ The whole sky burned’ ‘ When even the little brambles would not yield but clutched and clung to them like sorrowing arms’ These quotes show that war is a hard, tough situation that soldiers face.
- 4. How do they feel? ‘ They fed, and eased of pack-loads, were at easer.’ This shows they are hungry, tired and want the journey to end. ‘ They breathe like trees unstirred’ This implies that the soldiers feel dead and weary
- 5. How does the Poet’s language show these feelings? The poets use of language shows his feelings. ‘knowing their feet had come to the end of the world’ The use of symbolism makes us believe that the soldiers are at the end of their journey and will soon be experience death. This makes us feel sympathy towards the soldiers as they have little to look forward to.