The False Glory of War

The central theme of this poem is the imbalance of pride and devastation surrounding these new-minted soldiers. This is immediately illustrated in the conflicting opening lines: “There they go marching all in step so gay! / Smooth-cheeked and golden, food for shells and guns” (Lines 1-2). The first line implies an effervescent celebration, while the second line positions them as impersonal canon fodder. It is the distance and inhumanity, more than the violence, that creates the poem’s powerful juxtaposition. The men have been primed to see themselves as heroes, when in reality they’re being sent to their deaths. This is further augmented with the lines “Too careless-gay for courage, singing they go / Into the dark” (Lines 7-8). This implies that the men don’t know enough to be afraid. Not only are they being targeted by those in power — they’re...