Reality of war
The propaganda to recruit men into the war was very different to the realities of war, and this poem seems to highlight this. Ball describes the journey as being difficult, having to face unfavorable conditions and long marches. He describes the Front as being both incredibly boring with little to do but also terrifying when the fighting begins.
Comradeship
The poem follows the journey of Private John Ball as he embarks on his infantry service in a mixed English-Welsh regiment. Ball forms strong friendships with the other soldiers during his time training and marching to the Front. He even ends up attending social events and forming closer bonds with them as the poem goes on. When his friends die in the battle, Ball is shocked and devastated.
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme was one of the deadliest battles in human history, having killed one million of the three million soldiers that fought. The poem seems to lead up all the sections to the bloodshed of the battle. The build-up is through the march of the soldiers – as each section passes, the soldiers get closer and closer to the battle until eventually they are witness to the bloody violence.
