"Suicide in the Trenches," written by World War I poet Siegfried Sassoon, challenges patriotic portrayals of war by offering a stark and contrasting reality. Beginning with a description of a young and optimistic soldier, the speaker describes how he was worn down by the horrors of warfare.
With the arrival of winter, life in the trenches became unbearable for the soldier. In response to the horrific conditions, he commits suicide. In the last stanza, the speaker addresses the smug, war-frenzied crowds who cheer when soldiers march by, but who know nothing of the horrors of war.
