Suicide In The Trenches

Suicide In The Trenches

Siegfried Sassoon

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,
Sneak home and pray you'll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.

 

Siegfried Sassoon

He was born to a wealthy Jewish family in 1886. His mother named him Siegfried, for her love of Wagner’s operas.   He was the second of three sons. He was educated at the New Beacon School and Marlborough College and at Clare College, Cambridge.  He spent few years in playing cricket and writing verse.  He wanted to play for Kent County Cricket Club. He was married toHester Gatty who was twenty years younger to him.  They had a child, whom he admired so much.  He adored his son and dedicated many poems to him.  He was converted to Roman Catholicism.  He showed interest in the supernatural powers and joined in the Ghost Club.  He was the commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1951.  He died from the stomach cancer on 1^st September 1967.

Summary of the Poem

“Suicide in the Trenches” begins with the excitement of a young boy who seeks adventure to overcome his meaningless life.  Before the war the young boy enjoyed a simple life but after joining the army his enjoyment was taken away.  The horror or war and trenches and emptiness being alone caused the boy the commit suicide.  The message of the poem is the futility of war and the irresponsible society as they make many innocents to lose life.

 

Detail analysis of the Poem

“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.”

 

The first stanza talks about the innocent guy man who became a soldier. He led a happy youthful life.  He used to enjoy the dark night with a peaceful sleep and would rise with great happiness whistling along with the larks. A peaceful life of an innocent boy is well expressed here. He represents the peace and happiness every individual.   They are free from the sound of bombs, gunfire or shells.  They enjoy the sweet sounds of the nature. Their day begins with the sounds of the birds.  Such innocent boys are persuaded to join the army to serve their country.

 

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.

There is a shift of situation in this stanza.  The readers could sense the seriousness of the soldier’s thoughts.  His depression and fear could not expressed by the young soldier. 
He is depressed by the explosions of the shells, lack of rum and insect bites.  He is driven to the extreme and shot himself in head.  After his demise no one spoke of him again.  Soon he is forgotten by the society.  A very dramatic situation is described here.  His cowed and glum is just the opposite of his joy.

 

“You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you'll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.”

 

In this stanza the poet describes the nature of the community and their approach towards the soldiers. The smug faced crowds clap and applaud the soldiers with fiery eyes marching through
the streets. But the soldiers pass they hurry back home and pray to God you will never go through the war (hell) which could destroy the youth and laughter of the innocents.

  

Literary Devices

 The poem starts with the past tense “knew” and it creates a sense of anxiety to read further about.  The adjective “simple” represents the whole innocent youth who would join the war to serve their country.

 The title Suicide and the Trenches both are ironical.  Trenches are the place for the brave soldier and the suicide in such a place is impossible.  The poet thus says the soldiers are too human being who long to enjoy life.  The poet laments over the sudden suicide of the brave soldier.  A negative tone is expressed here.

 Satire could be seen in “grinned at life in empty joy” the joy of the boy changes soon into a havoc causing depression.

 Alliteration is followed in the following lines. “Simple soldier and Slept soundly”

 Oxymoron   a figure of speech where the terms appear opposite to each other. “Empty joy”

 

Onomatopoeia word or words associated to give sound effect “whistled early with the lark.”
With crumps and lice and lack of rum, (sounds of shells)”

 Visual imagery gives visual picture to the readers who read the poem.  For example “Slept soundly through the lonesome dark” “In winter trenches, cowed and glum” and “Smug faced/ kindling eye”

 Lark sings to make the day a happy day.  It represents or symbolize the happiness of everyone. The young soldier is happy and active as lark.  The word “Winter” symbolizes death and struggle

 Euphemism is indirect word or expression referring a harsh or unpleasant thing.  For example

“Put a bullet through his brain (suicide).

 Irony in the poem is about the life serving soldier dies

 Theme is horror of war, the whole poem talks about the futility of war.  It focuses on one soldier who represents million soldiers.  The poet beings by visualizing the happiness of an innocent boy who enjoy his life in whistling with the birds in the morning and sleeps peacefully in the night before joining the army.   But so soon and quickly he realizes the reality of warfare which made him depress and alone.  He commits suicide.  His death doesn’t stir the society.  It is one of the many topics of the community.  It is not a loss for the society but a great loss for the family of the young soldier.  The message is well expressed with the simple and happy life of the young soldier.   Patriotism could not give life, instead it could destroy the happiness.

 The poem is written in three stanzas each consists of four lines (quatrains).   The rhyme scheme followed in the poem is AABB.  The stanzas show great shift from happiness to sadness, innocence to confusion, togetherness to loneliness and nature to human power.

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