At dawn, the ridge emerges massed and dun
In the wild purple of the glow'ring sun.
The poem opens with a beautiful description of nature, emphasizing the colors of the sunrise. This image is then tainted by the smoke of the tanks, which represents the destructive nature of warfare. Essentially, nature is a symbol of innocence, while industrialized weapons are symbols of corruption.
The presence of dawn usually indicates hope and a new beginning, but here it marks the start of a battle. That the huge grayish ridge emerges in the morning light also suggests danger, as the opposing forces are able to locate and target the soldiers.
While time ticks blank and busy on their wrists,
And hope, with furtive eyes and grappling fists,
Flounders in mud. O Jesus, make it stop!
The phrase "time ticks blank" highlights the passing of time and the threat of imminent death for many of the soldiers. This description of time as "blank and busy" also gestures toward the futility of the war effort (Line 11). Hope is described as floundering in the mud, a metaphor that stresses how hopeless and demoralized the men feel. Once they become disillusioned with the war effort, their hope deserts them. The final line is a simple and agonized plea made by the speaker, who is either among the fighting soldiers or is speaking on their behalf.
Men jostle and climb to, meet the bristling fire.
Lines of grey, muttering faces, masked with fear.
The chaos of warfare is apparent in these lines. The speaker describes the men climbing over the trenches, encountering danger wherever they turn. The word bristling means aggressively brisk or tense, but it also evokes the hair of a wild animal. This aligns with the earlier use of the word "roar." The description of the men as "lines of grey, muttering faces" emphasizes their anonymity and lack of personal identity on the battlefield.
