Spring Offensive

Spring Offensive

"warm field"

pleasant images

"blessed with gold their slow boots"

knew they were going to die sogave them a blessing

soldiers don't need riches

"stark, blank sky"

looking at life before it ends

reflection of men's fate

no future only death

"clutched and clung"

nature knows they will die

nature doesnt want them to go

reference to soldier's mothers

"summer oozed into their veins"

spilt blood

already dead

"marvelling"

willing to look at war properlynow they are about to die

"last hill"

No more obsticles

Soldiers are lost and waiting

"they fed" / "were at ease"

accept death as their fate

Scathing and criticising tone

Exaggerates the awfulness of war

"buttercups"

yellow symbolises happiness

"for their bodies pains"

kept alive to die in war

artificial stimulus

"murmurous with wasp and midge"

peaceful

"long grass swirled"

pleasent imagery

"Carelessly slept"

accept their fate

don't care any more

exhausted

Attacks all of society

Links to Hell

Shows situation is out of control

Nature takes over

Apocolyptic references and descriptions

Poem is like a big panic

Frustration

Anger

Desperation

Short sentences

Men are empty shells and emotionless

Nature plays big part in poem