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H4 E Suicide in The Trenches

The poem 'Suicide In The Trenches' by Siegfried Sassoon highlights the stark contrast between the naive joy of a soldier and the grim realities of trench warfare, culminating in his tragic suicide. It critiques the glorification of war by those who remain untouched by its horrors, emphasizing the psychological toll on soldiers. Sassoon, a decorated war poet, used his experiences to expose the futility of war and the disillusionment faced by troops during World War I.

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98 views2 pages

H4 E Suicide in The Trenches

The poem 'Suicide In The Trenches' by Siegfried Sassoon highlights the stark contrast between the naive joy of a soldier and the grim realities of trench warfare, culminating in his tragic suicide. It critiques the glorification of war by those who remain untouched by its horrors, emphasizing the psychological toll on soldiers. Sassoon, a decorated war poet, used his experiences to expose the futility of war and the disillusionment faced by troops during World War I.

Uploaded by

astrid.zimmermann
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Suicide In The Trenches

I knew a simple soldier boy


Who grinned at life in empty joy,
Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
And whistled early with the lark.

In winter trenches, cowed and glum,


With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain.
No one spoke of him again.

You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye


Who cheer when soldier lads march by, Sassoon photographed in 1915
Sneak home and pray you'll never know by George Charles Beresford
The hell where youth and laughter go.

© by owner. provided at no charge for educational purposes

Analysis (ai): This brutal poem exposes the horrors of trench warfare, contrasting the carefree
youthfulness of a soldier with the bleak reality of his suicide. The harsh language emphasizes the
violent and dehumanizing conditions, contrasting sharply with the idealistic glorification of war.

Compared to Sassoon's earlier poems, this work exhibits a more direct and unflinching portrayal
of war's psychological toll. It reflects the disillusionment of troops during World War I, exposing
the hypocrisy of those who support war without experiencing its true horrors.

The poem's brief and simple language make its message all the more powerful, leaving a
haunting reminder of the sacrifices made by soldiers and the futility of war.

Siegfried Loraine Sassoon CBE MC was an English war poet, writer, and soldier.
Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First
World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches and satirized the patriotic
pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's view, were responsible for the exaggerated patriotist
war.
Sassoon became the middle of attention for dissents within the armed forces when he
protested against the continuation of the war with his "Soldier's Declaration" of July 1917,
which resulted in his being sent to the Craiglockhart War Hospital, and treated there as a
shell-shock patient.
Sassoon later got well known for his prose work, mostly for his three-volume, fictionalised
autobiography, known as the Sherston trilogy.
Born Siegfried Loraine Sassoon
8 September 1886
Matfield, Kent, England
Died 1 September 1967 (aged 80)
Heytesbury, Wiltshire, England
Pen name Saul Kain
Pinchbeck Lyre
Occupation Soldier
war poet
writer
Education Clare College, Cambridge
Marlborough College
New Beacon School
Genre Poetry
fiction
biography
Notable works The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston
Spouse Hester Gatty
(m. 1933; sep. 1945)
Children George
Relatives Sassoon family
Military career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service 1914–1919
Rank Captain
Unit Sussex Yeomanry
Royal Welch Fusiliers
Battles / wars First World War
Awards Military Cross

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_Sassoon
https://greatwar.nl/children/suicide.html

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