1st Stanza Flashcards
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares, we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.
1st verse
“Bent double”
Instead of young, strong fighters they seem prematurely weakened and can’t bear the weight - probably carrying dead comrade’s weight.
“old beggars”
Worn out, dirty, dishevelled results of hardships faced.
“coughing like hags”
unhealthy, frail, aged because of the conditions.
“sludge”
thick difficult muddy terrain churned up with all of the shelling (bombing).
“distant rest”
Still, have a long way to go.
“trudge”
Laboured progress, moving slowly and with difficulty.
“Men marched asleep”
like zombies, emphasises their exhaustion, on autopilot they’ve lost humanity.
“blood-shod”
dried, congealed blood became shoes.
“Drunk with fatigue”
Not capable of controlled movement, senses have been clouded.
“All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots”
loss of senses, unaware.
