Gone, Gone again

 This lyric poem is an elegy entitled “Gone, Gone Again”. It is

written by Edward Thomas and divided into eight quatrains.
Despite having an irregular rhyme scheme, this poem
constitutes an authentic work of art, through which a
plethora of emotions is showcased through a melancholic
tone that traces back the memory of war while meditating on
the essence of life and death. To further accentuate his
agony, the speaker paints an animated war scene through
various literary devices, creates an atmosphere that trans
passes the barriers between imagination and reality through
imagery, and beats the drums of war through piercing sound
patterns.

In this poem, Edward Thomas traces back the memory of a

time during the first world war which occurred over several
years. The use of various figures of speech such as
accumulation in “May, June, July, and August” showcases the
dominance of war over the scene at that time. It was a time
when the poet experienced a sense of alienation from his
authentic self and a surge for revival was calling upon him.
Hence, he compares himself to an old house that is “dark and
untenanted”. In other words, the poet intends to accentuate
the psychological effects of war on the individual. The
individual aspect is omnipresent. It is indeed part and parcel
of the modernist literary trend and one of the most palpable
features of this modern poem. Edward Thomas further
illustrates the brutal passage of life during the war as the
footsteps of life symbolize a fleeting moment of the poet’s
life. Hence, war represents a threat to life and a step closer to
impending death. In this sense, Thomas has perfectly
captured the nostalgia of a life that is fleeing before his eyes
meditating on its fast-paced and ever-changing nature.
  
   Additionally, the poet creates an atmosphere that trans
passes impediments between imagination and reality through
visual imagery which is primarily dominant throughout the
poem. This piece of writing does not only convey its message
through words but rather via visually dynamic images.
Kinesthetic imagery, in particular, demonstrated in the “flow”
of “rivers” creates a sense of dynamism within a lifeless bleak
painting. These rivers are, in fact, the epitome of time itself as
it passes by life’s most agonizing times. The use of verbs that
indicate the sense of vision such as “saw” and “look” not only
depicts a war scene that penetrates the poet’s eye but also
indicates that the poet wanted to capture every moment of
this historical event vividly. So that, it wouldn’t go in vain. The
poet, thus, paints a bleak melancholic painting as he
contemplates the passage of a time where “dark” times
prevail and light fades out. This idea is illustrated through the
frequent use of adjectives such as “dark” “untenanted”
“outmoded”.

   At last, Edward Thomas beats the drums of war as his

piercing sound patterns dominate the poetic scene. This
poem, in particular, announces marriage and cohesion
between the softness of euphony that allays the soul and the
stridence of cacophony that penetrates the deep wounds of a
broken heart.
For instance, the poet grieves the departed soldiers during the
war through a monochrome tone where the /g/ sound echoes
through the realm of alliteration. This alliteration is both an
emblem of a musical genius and an echo of a voice buried
during a bloody “war”. Consequently, the /w/ sound reflects
the devastating and traumatic effect of the war. It is also
worth mentioning that assonance in words like “age” and
“pain” is a reflection of life’s essence. In other words, the
process of life is often tied with painful experiences which we
tend to experience and learn from as we grow older. Thus,
according to the poet, life is the greatest master and teacher
of all time.

   To sum up, This poem is an elegy at its finest. A work of art

that revives the legacy of soldiers who lost their lives during
the First World War and a meditative reflection that redefines
a lifetime philosophy on life and time and retraces the
memory of war.