Tone Of Absolution By Siegfried Sassoon

War, no matter how large or small, always has some consequences. World War I was no exception, and the greater the war, the greater the consequences. While every person may experience unique consequences, every circumstance provides both positive and negative repercussions. In Siegfried Sassoon’s Absolution, the speaker attempts to depict both the positive and negative outcomes of World War I. Sassoon uses metaphors to convey the speaker’s tone of acknowledgment, matured perspective, and wisdom. As previously mentioned, war always brings about destruction and negatives of some kind. In Absolution, the speaker does not avoid such topics, stating, “War is our scourge” (line 3) and, “Horror of wounds and anger at the foe, / And loss of things desired” (lines 5-6) to describe war and its effects. When Sassoon writes that’ “War is our scourge” (line 3), he is using a metaphor. War, though it does cause a great amount of physical damage, is more so a great threat to the mind. Assuming the speaker is a veteran, the combat he experienced left behind much more of a mental and emotional scar than a physical one. While many solders were killed, he still generalizes this statement, as it applies to anyone affected by the war. Sassoon is not afraid
One important thing that the war gave him was a matured perspective, specifically a perspective of war. This veteran most likely hated war when he was in the midst of it. However, as Absolution depicts, he grew to understand war and its role in the world. When Sassoon writes, “Time’s but a golden wind that shakes the grass” (line 8), he is implying that through time, the speaker’s awful experiences have become polished memories that now appear justified. In the time since the war he has been able to think about what he witnessed, and because he has been able to see the outcome of the war, the veteran has found vindication in the war