Genre
Epic poem
Setting and Context
Set during the First World War.
Narrator and Point of View
This poem is told from the perspective of a third-person narrator.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the poem is moving and tragic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is John Ball, and the antagonist is the war itself.
Major Conflict
The major conflicts of this poem are the events of the First World War.
Climax
The climax of the poem is the Battle of the Somme at the end of the poem.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
Jones alludes to Socrates, an Ancient Greek philosopher.
Imagery
Jones uses imagery to depict the violence and terror of the battlefield, describing the battlefield as being a "Behemoth."
Paradox
The war itself is presented as being paradoxical, as it ultimately led to the loss of many innocent lives.
Parallelism
The officers and soldiers are paralleled, revealing the power dynamic and differences between them.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"Men" is used as a metonym for the soldiers and troops.
Personification
The bombardment is personified as "screaming."
