Ten more minutes! – Say yer prayers,
Read yer Bibles, pass the rum!
Ten more minutes! Strike me dumb,
'Ow they creeps on unawares,
Those blooming minutes. Nine. It's queer,
I'm sorter stunned. It ain't with fear!
Eight. It's like as if a frog
Waddled round in your inside,
Cold as ice-blocks, straddle wide,
Tired o' waiting. Where's the grog?
Seven. I'll play yer pitch and toss –
Six. – I wins, and tails yer loss.
'Nother minute sprinted by
'Fore I knowed it; only Four
(Break 'em into seconds) more
'Twixt us and Eternity.
Every word I've ever said
Seems a-shouting in my head.
Three. Larst night a little star
Fairly shook up in the sky,
Didn't like the lullaby
Rattled by the dogs of War.
Funny thing – that star all white
Saw old Blighty, too, larst night.
Two. I ain't ashamed o' prayers,
They're only wishes sent ter God
Bits o' plants from bloody sod
Trailing up His golden stairs.
Ninety seconds – Well, who cares!
One –
No fife, no blare, no drum –
Over the Top – to Kingdom Come!
Sybil Bristowe
In the poem 'Over The Top' the verse has a constant rhyming scheme to keep a regular beat. In this poem the poet uses exaggeration to describe the impact of war, by using a star to personify the destruction of war and how it can be seen from millions of miles away. By a star. The poet also uses religious connotations, hoping for life after death as Bristowe uses prases such as, 'golden stairs' representing heaven.
ReplyDeleteIn this poem Bristowe uses rhyming couplets to show and reflect the emotions of the soldiers. By using the countdown this also shows the increase of the soldiers heartbeat. Bristowe also uses colloquial language to enable the soldiers to connect with the readers. Similies to convey and compare the nervous feelings of the soldiers 'It's like as if a frog waddled round in your Inside' represents this.
ReplyDeleteIn this poem Bristowe has used great imagery to describe the fear of the soldier "it's like as if a frog waddled round in your insides". This helps Bristowe effectively create a more realistic account as she is only imagining herself in the position of the soldier.
ReplyDeleteBristowe describes the perspective from a soldier before he will head to war, the thoughts of the soldier are portrayed in a countdown formation. 'Two. I ain't ashamed o' prayers, They're only wishes sent ter God', here the soldier becomes doubtful as to whether or not he will survive the war, so he classes his prayers as wishes to God as he doubts they'd come true. 'Nother minute sprinted by 'Fore I knowed it; only Four', the soldier has many thoughts and feelings before the war begins, that he notices how quickly the countdown is, because he had forgotten to address the fifth minute, due to his nervousness.
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