“War broke…”
The opening line of the poem is straight to the point, simple and abrupt. The two words, aside from their literal meaning, have an explosive quality, which correlates to the violence and the harshness of the remainder of the stanza. The phrase also implies finality and hopelessness of war, nothing can no longer be done.
“Rending the sails of progress…”
The harshness in the musicality of the first stanza is present through its entirety. “Rending” is a word that implies destruction, in both its meaning and explosiveness of the actual word. The “ship” metaphor used in this line is used to describe technological and intellectual advancement. Ships are metaphorically often linked to progress, movement and discovery, so in this case that progress has been disrupted, destroyed.
“…and the need
Of sowings for new Spring.”
The second stanza and the final lines are inspiring hope and light that comes after and is needed after the destruction of war. The metaphor of harvest is used to imply life and moving forward. Spring is often metaphorically used as a birth of new life, a symbol of life and growth.
