Into Battle - Julian Grenfell

Form:
- Octet, followed by a sestet, then the rest of the poem is structured into quatrains, hinting that the poet’s thoughts are becoming more structured and organised as time passes – unlike war.
- Regular rhyme scheme allows emphasis and purpose to the poet’s thoughts.

Language:
- Includes a euphemism on the last line: “And Night shall fold him in soft wings”, this presents quite an idealised and also glamourised death.
- Grenfell frequently uses personification throughout the poem – therefore suggesting the soldier’s connection and familiarity with nature.

Structure:
- The comma’s in the middle of lines help to slow the pace, which therefore, helps to generate a romanticised feel to the poem.
- The exclamation mark in the line: “O patient hearts, courageous hearts!”, puts emphasis on the poet’s feelings.
- Full stop on the very last line makes it blunt and final; therefore it helps to convey that death is inevitable.

Tone :
- Romanticised tone, which is reinforced by the personification of nature, and the euphemism of death.
- Pro-war as it shows nature working with man; they go hand in hand to create victory.

Reader responses:
 - Modern readers may feel sympathetic that the poet believed he would have a peaceful, idealised death, when in reality it would be brutal and painful.
- Other soldiers may agree and associate with the poet’s connection with nature; they’ve been out at war for so long, it’s what they’re used to.

Links:
- Frequent personification: ‘Happy Is England Now’ by John Freeman.
- Nature-based imagery: ‘Untitled (All the hills and vales along)’ by C.H.Sorley.
- Euphemism of death: ‘Rendezvous’ by Alan Seeger.