Suicide in the Trenches Essay Questions

How does Sassoon emphasize the soldier's innocence?

Sassoon emphasizes the soldier's innocence in the first stanza, describing him as a "simple soldier boy" (Line 1). This highlights the boy's youth and naivety. This description is further developed when the speaker tells us that the soldier was a happy person who "grinned at life in empty joy," suggesting an ignorant kind of bliss (Line 2). The boy also "slept soundly through the lonesome dark" and "whistled early with the lark," showing an easeful connection with nature and the rhythms of life (Lines 3-4). These qualities all emphasize the innocence of the soldier, who didn't deserve the horrors he endured during the war.

What is the impact of telling us about the soldier before he went to war?

The difference in the stanzas that depict the soldier's youth, naivety, and joy and describe the horrific conditions leading to his death help the reader understand how the young soldier was changed by his experience of war. Sassoon does not linger on details in this poem, and the fast transition from idyllic existence to suicide serves to shock the reader. The sharp contrast between the two stanzas also reflects how quickly the boy himself was affected by war.

What is Sassoon's message in the last stanza?

In the last stanza of the poem, Sassoon appeals to the "smug-faced crowds with kindling eye" who "cheer when soldier lads walk by" (Lines 9-10). The message is that the British public does not know about the traumatic experiences endured by soldiers on the battlefield. These are referred to as "the hell where youth and laughter go" (Line 12). Though Sassoon is informing the public about these horrors through his poetry, he tells those who are ignorant that they ought to pray to never really experience warfare first-hand. This is a powerful message, where Sassoon is emphasizing the true horrors of war behind the patriotic facade.