A.P. Herbert
Soldier, are you afraid of the things to come?
Do you dream of the dawn-and the cold sea’s heave—
And the guns’ blaze and the bullets’ hum—
Do you dream and tremble, and grieve?’
‘I dunno, Mum,
It can’t be much worse, Mum,
Than standing packed in a corridor. Mum,
Seven hours, Mum—
Coming back from leave.’
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Analysis (AI Assisted)
This poem takes a close, intimate look at the emotional experiences of a soldier, focusing on the juxtaposition between the horrors of war and the mundane, often uncomfortable realities of life in-between battles. It’s a powerful commentary on the psychological burden placed on soldiers and the contrast between what civilians may imagine about war and the soldier’s lived experience.
The opening lines introduce a question from a mother or loved one asking if the soldier fears what lies ahead—”Do you dream of the dawn—and the cold sea’s heave—and the guns’ blaze and the bullets’ hum?” These lines conjure classic imagery of war: the chilling arrival of dawn, the harsh sea, and the constant threat of death with the sound of guns and bullets. It presents an environment filled with danger, violence, and fear. For many readers, these images might evoke the grandiosity of war, with its larger-than-life scale and the immense suffering it entails.
However, the soldier’s response immediately shifts the tone. “I dunno, Mum, / It can’t be much worse, Mum, / Than standing packed in a corridor. Mum, / Seven hours, Mum— / Coming back from leave.” In these lines, the soldier, in a near-casual tone, downplays the dramatic imagery of war. The mundane experience of “standing packed in a corridor” for “seven hours” as he returns from leave is framed as equally, if not more, uncomfortable than the dangers of war. The soldier’s lack of fear, and perhaps even his weary resignation, suggests a coping mechanism—war has become so overwhelming and monotonous that the terrifying unknown is no more frightening than the grueling, repetitive discomfort of life in between battles.
The contrast between the idealized, dramatic image of war that the mother imagines and the soldier’s indifference to it highlights the emotional toll of long-term conflict. For the soldier, the threat of death and violence has become something he has grown used to, almost indifferent to, compared to the relentless, dehumanizing experience of waiting and enduring the uncomfortable, exhausting “corridors” of military life. The “seven hours” referenced could symbolize the long stretches of time spent waiting, physically and mentally drained, which are often as traumatic as the fighting itself.
Moreover, the soldier’s response—his repeated use of “Mum”—creates a sense of intimacy and emotional distance at the same time. While he is speaking directly to someone who presumably loves and cares for him, his dispassionate tone reflects the numbing effect that war has on his emotional state. What would once have been a deeply emotional conversation is reduced to simple statements, almost as if he is too worn out to process or share the extent of his trauma.
Ultimately, the poem uses this exchange to explore the ways in which soldiers become desensitized to both the horrors of battle and the discomfort of the home front. The soldier’s lack of fear about the upcoming dangers of war is rooted in the harsh realities he has already faced, where moments of relative peace or “leave” can be just as exhausting and demoralizing as combat. This poem is a stark and poignant reminder that the emotional toll of war isn’t always about grand heroic moments, but often about the quiet, unseen suffering that occurs between them.