God's Abandonment Motif
The men in the poem do not seem resentful or even scared anymore in the trenches. They seem to be resigned to their fate. They still believe in God, but think that for some reason God has given up on them, because the place they are in is godless, and God's promises of a happy and pleasant life are out of their reach.There are several references in the poem to their abandonment by God, and this leaves them feeling spiritually exposed.
Terrible Living Conditions Motif
Througout the poem we learn of the elements that the men are exposed to. The weather is an almost unbeatable foe; the sun comes up but does not warm them. The rain pounds down into the trenches and floods, making the stench of death even worse.The snow is even harsher, and during a snowstorm many men will freeze to death - literally dying from exposure.
Weather Symbol
The weather is a symbol of the unseen enemy, and of the fact that, even if they are able to beat the enemy, they still face unimaginable odds in order to survive. The speaker likens the weather conditions that they face to the enemy soldiers shooting them, tormenting them and emerging victorious over them.
Sunshine and Flowers Symbol
The men find themselves thinking, or dreaming, of lying in a grassy pasture, with the sun shining on them, and the pleasant smell of flowers on the breeze. They imagine that this vision means that they are dying, and this symbolizes the fact that at this point in the war they consider death to be a blessed relief and much preferable to the existence they are enduring.
Another Death Goes Unremarked Symbol
The deaths in the trench go unremarked on which symbolizes the new normality of the men's lives; young men die every minute of the day, and in this case, freeze to death, which should be something that is remarked upon, or at the very least, considered something out of the ordinary or tragic. The fact that a soldier freezing to death overnight is not remarked upon symbolizes the way in which the men now accept this as the way their lives are, and also symbolizes the lack of interest the generals have in the wellbeing of their troops.
