Authors and texts 135 | Suicide in the trenches S. Sassoon Counter-ArTAcK AND OTHER Por! 5 (1918) In this poem, written by Sassoon during his service in the Fi war sentiments reached new heights. 1. grinned Sorrdeve Iknew a simple soldier boy = Who grinned! at life in empty joy, > ae Slept soundly? through the lonesome? dark, 4. whistled. tar. And whistled early with the lark‘. Fischigea. allodol. . a 5 Inwinter trenches, cowed and glum’, 6 erumps and lie. I With crumps and lice® and lack of rum’, Tammate dete bonbect He put a bullet through his brain. 7. Heke um. Manesnsa No one spoke of him again. dram (rum veniva . You smug-faced* crowds with kindling? eye saumaeh 10 Who cheer when soldier lads march by, 8. smug-faced, Dal facia Sneak home'' and pray you'll never know compiaciuta 9. kindling, Entusia 10. cheer when soldier lads march by. Festeggiate The hell where youth and laughter go. The Modern Ag ques reget skate F4 silo in peat. 11, sneak home. irscite farsvamente verso estext analysis eee 1. Read the poem and answer the following questions. 1. What kind of person was the young soldier? 2. What caused his breakdown? 3. What did he do one day? Did anyone care? 4. Who is the poet addressing in the last stanza? 5. What is his tone like? Structure and Style 2. Analyse the rhyme scheme of the poem. Is it regular? 3. Identify the technical device Sassoon uses to draw the reader's attention away from the rhyme scheme. ‘4. Point out the contrasting images in the poem. 5. How are the trenches described? 6. What metaphor does the poet use to refer to the wart 7. Can you explain the two final lines of the poem?