Point of View

This poem is told through an omniscient third-person point of view. However, there is a subjectivity which suggests that the omniscient narrator is close to someone in this scene; they may be one of those left behind once the men are gone. The speaker has an intimate knowledge of past, present and future, which suggests that the perspective may be a retrospective one. In the poem’s closing lines, the narrative takes on a slightly more dreamlike quality. The breadth of the speaker’s foresight and the subjective language means that the speaker can be interpreted as an external, “god-like” voice, a more intimate human voice, or something in between.

Language and Meaning

“Joining the Colours” is presented in relatively simple, straightforward language, with a few word choices reminiscent of the early 20th century in which it was written. Words like “Blithely”, “gay”, and “alas...