Hardy drying his sock over a candle (Visual)
At the beginning of the play, Captain Hardy is alone on stage, drying his damp sock over the flame of a candle. This visual image illustrates the miserable conditions in which the soldiers live in the trench, where there is nowhere to escape the rainwater that forms pools and saturates the soldier's socks.
Raleigh's body entombed (Visual)
The play ends with Raleigh's lifeless body lying in the dugout after the entrance collapses from heavy shelling. This final visual image draws a parallel between the dugout and a tomb, suggesting that the men's living quarters have been little more than a pre-dug grave.
Little bird singing (Auditory)
At the beginning of the second act, Trotter tells Osborne that he heard a bird singing while he was in the trench. Amid the persistent sound of guns and bombs, Trotter finds this example of auditory imagery strange and unfamiliar. The optimistic and healthful sign of spring that the birdsong represents contrasts sharply against the miserable conditions in which the men live.
Smells of bacon (Olfactory)
In an example of olfactory imagery, the second act begins with multiple characters commenting on the strong aroma of cooked bacon which lingers in the dugout. The suggestion evokes the typical breakfast smell for the audience, contributing a sense of verisimilitude to the scene.
