2nd Stanza Flashcards
Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime…
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
2nd verse.
“Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!”
short exclamations with one-word increase pace and a sense of panic.
“ecstasy of fumbling”
Normally associated with joy and excitement but here it is total and utter panic.
“clumsy helmets”
The use of transferred epithet emphasises how clumsy the men are - as if the helmets are jumping around in their hands.
“flound’ring”
Struggling in panic.
“like a man in fire or lime”
Gas is corrosive, burning from inside.
“green sea”
Rolling in waves covers a vast area, inescapable.
