Attack Poem by Siegfried Sassoon

Attack

Rating: 2.9


AT dawn the ridge emerges massed and dun
In the wild purple of the glow'ring sun,
Smouldering through spouts of drifting smoke that shroud
The menacing scarred slope; and, one by one,
Tanks creep and topple forward to the wire.
The barrage roars and lifts. Then, clumsily bowed
With bombs and guns and shovels and battle-gear,
Men jostle and climb to meet the bristling fire.
Lines of grey, muttering faces, masked with fear,
They leave their trenches, going over the top,
While time ticks blank and busy on their wrists,
And hope, with furtive eyes and grappling fists,
Flounders in mud. O Jesus, make it stop!

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Michael Harmon 26 June 2009

This is about as close to feeling what trench warfare is like as I would ever wish to get; the second half of the final line stops you dead in your tracks.

59 26 Reply
Mitch Lloyd 08 February 2016

very intense, i agree Micheal

12 15 Reply
Dr Antony Theodore 04 December 2020

Then, clumsily bowed With bombs and guns and shovels and battle-gear, Men jostle and climb to meet the bristling fire. experience, sadness, terror. tony

0 0 Reply
Dr Antony Theodore 24 November 2018

hen, clumsily bowed With bombs and guns and shovels and battle-gear, Men jostle and climb to meet the bristling fire. Lines of grey, muttering faces, masked with fear, They leave their trenches.........O Jesus make it stop. a fine poen´m. war, pain, fear, suffeirng, faced with death........ tony

0 1 Reply
jeffrey 09 November 2018

aaaaaaaaaaammmmmaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg! ! ! ! ! ! !

0 1 Reply
Sasoon Thebaboon 08 February 2016

great poem.... jks get a life mitch and michael

7 24 Reply
Tamarin 24 August 2021

the ignorance is startling. wether you like the poem or not, please do not feel the need to express your opinion on someone else's trauma or experience.

1 0
Michael Thorpe 27 August 2017

just because you don't agree with them doesn't make their opinions invalid...

1 0
Sasoon Thebaboon 08 February 2016

um... mitch and michlael do not agree get a life

6 22 Reply
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Close
Error Success