Winifred M. Letts
There was a man, – don’t mind his name,
Whom Fear had dogged by night and day.
He could not face the German guns
And so he turned and ran away.
Just that – he turned and ran away,
But who can judge him, you or I ?
God makes a man of flesh and blood
Who yearns to live and not to die.
And this man when he feared to die
Was scared as any frightened child,
His knees were shaking under him,
His breath came fast, his eyes were wild.
I’ve seen a hare with eyes as wild,
With throbbing heart and sobbing breath.
But oh ! it shames one’s soul to see
A man in abject fear of death,
But fear had gripped him, so had death;
His number had gone up that day,
They might not heed his frightened eyes,
They shot him when the dawn was grey.
Blindfolded, when the dawn was grey,
He stood there in a place apart,
The shots rang out and down he fell,
An English bullet in his heart.
An English bullet in his heart !
But here’s the irony of life, –
His mother thinks he fought and fell
A hero, foremost in the strife.
So she goes proudly; to the strife
Her best, her hero son she gave.
O well for her she does not know
He lies in a deserter’s grave.
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Analysis (AI Assisted)
This poem delves into the harsh and complex reality of fear, shame, and judgment in the context of war. The central figure is a man who, when confronted by the terror of battle, succumbs to his fear and runs away from the front lines. His actions — turning and fleeing — seem simple, but the poem explores their deeper emotional and psychological ramifications, forcing the reader to question how fear, survival instinct, and the consequences of such choices intertwine.
The man’s fear is portrayed as a deeply human reaction. The poet highlights how fear, which can be seen as a natural response to the threat of death, is also a source of shame in a war context. This is where the poem challenges the reader’s sense of justice and morality. The line “God makes a man of flesh and blood / Who yearns to live and not to die” is key in reminding us that while the man’s actions may appear cowardly, they are also rooted in the primal desire to survive. The man is not portrayed as a villain but as someone overwhelmed by fear, much like the natural reaction of a frightened animal. The comparison of the man to a “hare with eyes as wild” with “throbbing heart and sobbing breath” underscores the universality of fear — it is not exclusive to soldiers or heroes, but a basic instinct shared by all living beings.
The poem shifts dramatically when the man is caught, judged, and executed. He faces the firing squad, “blindfolded, when the dawn was grey,” and the very bullet that represents his punishment also highlights the cruel irony of war. The English soldier is killed by his own people — “An English bullet in his heart!” This line is a stark reminder of the senselessness of the war, where soldiers from the same nation are pitted against each other, and a man’s fear can lead to his death. This irony is compounded by the fact that, to his mother, he is still a hero — someone who “fought and fell / A hero, foremost in the strife.” She proudly carries on her life, believing in her son’s noble sacrifice, unaware that her son’s end came as a result of fear and desertion, not bravery and honor.
The contrast between the mother’s belief and the reality of her son’s death adds another layer of emotional weight to the poem. It underscores the tragic nature of war, where the truth often gets obscured by myth, pride, and nationalistic narratives. The mother’s ignorance of the true circumstances of her son’s death is not presented with malice but with a tragic sense of innocence. The poet evokes sympathy for both the mother, who holds onto a false image of her son, and for the man, whose fear led to his death in a way that would forever be misinterpreted.
At its core, the poem is about the conflict between personal survival instincts and societal expectations of heroism. It asks the uncomfortable question: who is to blame for the man’s desertion? Is it the soldier himself, who is merely responding to the overwhelming terror of battle? Or is it the society that places such unrealistic demands on individuals, labeling them heroes or cowards based on actions that might be beyond their control?
The poem also touches on the theme of the judgment of others. The line “But who can judge him, you or I?” invites the reader to reflect on the complex nature of judgment, especially in the context of war. It questions the idea of heroism and cowardice, showing how these labels are often oversimplifications that fail to account for the deeper, more complicated realities of human behavior in extreme circumstances.
Overall, the poem forces the reader to confront uncomfortable truths about war, fear, and heroism. Through its depiction of a man who falters in the face of death, the poem humanizes the concept of desertion, making it clear that it is not an act of cowardice but one driven by the raw, unfiltered instinct to survive. It also critiques the false narratives that arise from the glorification of war, where truth is often overshadowed by myth and the painful realities of individual experiences are forgotten or ignored. This stark, emotional portrayal of the man’s fate challenges the reader to consider the true cost of war — not just in terms of lives lost, but in the stories that remain untold.