Spring Offensive
Key words
• Offensive – a military operation which aggressively attacks in order to gain territory or achieve a specific aim.
• Apocalyptic – relating to the end of the world, particularly in a religious sense
What is the poem about?
This is the only poem we’re studying which looks directly at the fighting in the war. The first three stanzas show us the soldiers relaxing before the battle and appreciating the nature around them, before the fighting begins in stanza 4. The men who are left then return to where they came from.
The title itself is quite ironic as spring is a time of new life and growth, and war is obviously a time of death and destruction.
Structure
• The majority of lines are composed of 10 syllables – but not all of them. This breaks the rhythm up, as does the sometimes irregular rhyme scheme – what is the effect of this? – it makes everything sound as though it is a bit disjointed and falling apart – reflecting the destruction and damage of the battle
• The poem is divided into 6 stanzas.
• Each stanza details a different stage of the “offensive”.
Because the poem is very long, I’ve broken it down into stanzas for you.
Stanza 1: Setting the scene
There is a sense of relaxation in this stanza, as the men reach the end of a long march. The words “eased” and “at ease” suggest they have reached some point of safety. They seem exhausted as they “Carelessly slept”, unable to support their own weight anymore: “leaning on the nearest chest or knees”. However, “many” still remain awake and look out at the landscape and “the stark blank sky” – “blank” possible because it holds no answers? (breakdown of religion?) and “stark” because it offers no comfort or shelter? They know “their feet had come to the end of the world” – because they may be about to die in the battle to come. There is also a sense of anticipation because of this.
Nature is celebrated in this stanza: “Marvelling”. Maybe they are trying to take
• Offensive – a military operation which aggressively attacks in order to gain territory or achieve a specific aim.
• Apocalyptic – relating to the end of the world, particularly in a religious sense
What is the poem about?
This is the only poem we’re studying which looks directly at the fighting in the war. The first three stanzas show us the soldiers relaxing before the battle and appreciating the nature around them, before the fighting begins in stanza 4. The men who are left then return to where they came from.
The title itself is quite ironic as spring is a time of new life and growth, and war is obviously a time of death and destruction.
Structure
• The majority of lines are composed of 10 syllables – but not all of them. This breaks the rhythm up, as does the sometimes irregular rhyme scheme – what is the effect of this? – it makes everything sound as though it is a bit disjointed and falling apart – reflecting the destruction and damage of the battle
• The poem is divided into 6 stanzas.
• Each stanza details a different stage of the “offensive”.
Because the poem is very long, I’ve broken it down into stanzas for you.
Stanza 1: Setting the scene
There is a sense of relaxation in this stanza, as the men reach the end of a long march. The words “eased” and “at ease” suggest they have reached some point of safety. They seem exhausted as they “Carelessly slept”, unable to support their own weight anymore: “leaning on the nearest chest or knees”. However, “many” still remain awake and look out at the landscape and “the stark blank sky” – “blank” possible because it holds no answers? (breakdown of religion?) and “stark” because it offers no comfort or shelter? They know “their feet had come to the end of the world” – because they may be about to die in the battle to come. There is also a sense of anticipation because of this.
Nature is celebrated in this stanza: “Marvelling”. Maybe they are trying to take