The End

After the blast of lightning from the east,
The flourish of loud clouds, the Chariot throne,
After the drums of time have rolled and ceased
And from the bronze west long retreat is blown,

Shall Life renew these bodies? Of a truth
All death will he annul, all tears assuage?
Or fill these void veins full again with youth
And wash with an immortal water age?

When I do ask white Age, he saith not so, -- -
"My head hangs weighed with snow."
And when I hearken to the Earth she saith
My fiery heart sinks aching. It is death.
Mine ancient scars shall not be glorified
Nor my titanic tears the seas be dried."


Analysis/Commentary

In this poem W.O. is describing the death of a soldier and the ending of a battle. We can understand that it is a battle from the first 2 stanzas; in the first the poet tells us that the enemyartillery ceased fire and started to retreat unable to continue the assault; in the second Owen is thinking of all the dead soldiers left on the ground and desiresthat they are brought back to life by God. In the third and last stanza he is describing the death of a soldier very cruently, because it makes very clear that no one will actually remembr him, but he sacrificed his life fot the country.