There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom
England bore, shaped, made aware […]
In this poem, which is written from the perspective of a British solider, the narrator reflects upon the sanctity of death in war. He explains that the deceased British soldiers shall remain in the ground and ultimately turn to dust, which will become as one with the soil. In this stanza, the narrator—presumably a British solider, himself—explains that the dust of deceased soldiers will mix with the British soil and make it richer and more valuable. In short, this stanza captures the fact that life, especially in death, is valued and precious. When the remnants of human life mix with the earth and sole that first bore it, it becomes far more valuable and protected.
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
In this closing stanza, the narrator pays homage to the country—Britain—that he was born to and died for. The narrator shows great respect for his home country, even though it was in battle for her that he and many others lost their lives. The narrator suggests that, returning home to her soils and ground, is a tremendous honor, for they will always reside in an “English heaven.”
These hearts were woven of human joys and cares,
Washed marvellously with sorrow, swift to mirth.
The years had given them kindness.
Dawn was theirs,
And sunset, and the colours of the earth.
The narrator of this poem reflects upon the ways in which British soldiers should be revered for their bravery and high spirits. In this stanza, the narrator reflects upon the fact that British soldiers had tremendous hearts and high spirits, even in the face of terrible tragedies and violent deaths. He—the narrator—references the kindness of these soldiers and explains that they had the entire world at their feet. The Earth was theirs to claim and re-claim and they knew it. In this way, this stanza captures the boisterous personalities that all British soldiers needed to maintain to keep their spirits high and bravery near.
There are waters blown by changing winds to laughter
And lit by the rich skies, all day.
And after,
Frost, with a gesture, stays the waves that dance
And wandering loveliness.
The narrator uses this stanza as a dark parallel to the first stanza, which spoke of the soldiers’ bravery and high spirits. Here, the narrator explains that their laughter was blown away by the Frost, which represents the cold-hearted, violent, and brutal nature of war. The narrator explains that, despite the soldiers’ high spirits and kind-hearted natures, the brutality of war could not be overcome by all. Many lost their lives and, with it, their spirit and laughter. In this way, this stanza captures the brutality and sorrow of war and death.
