Glory Of Women Analysis

You love us when we're heroes, home on leave,
Or wounded in a mentionable place.
You worship decorations; you believe
That chivalry redeems the war's disgrace.
You make us shells. You listen with delight,
By tales of dirt and danger fondly thrilled.
You crown our distant ardours while we fight,
And mourn our laurelled memories when we're killed.
You can't believe that British troops 'retire'
When hell's last horror breaks them, and they run,
Trampling the terrible corpses--blind with blood.
O German mother dreaming by the fire,
While you are knitting socks to send your son
His face is trodden deeper in the mud.


Submitted by MrMosey

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Irony in “laurelled” (to honor with marks of distinction), assonance - “And mourn our laurelled memories when we’re killed” à Honour achievements, Connotations that the “pride” of the men makes their memories a valouring one even though they don’t deserve such positive praise for killing others. Hence the ‘irony’ à Highlights objectification of soldiers.

| Posted on 2009-08-06 | by a guest

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why is it that everyone is commenting on how 'his face is trodden deeper in the mud'? let us all take it metaphorically; probably it holds links toward humiliation in the dirt, how the men, as warriors, are left in the warfront being humiliated with loss, disease or injury. My above interpretation can be linked towards 'That chivalry redeems the war's disgrace'.
Personally, i feel that this poem does not provide room for deeper understanding. The poem does not seem as complex in terms of phrasing, word usage and such. Correct me if i'm wrong.
However, i realised that Siegfried Sassoon harbours a fascination towards alliteration various literary techniques. I urge the rest of you to read up his other poems to familiarize yourselves better with his style, hope to make more insightful interpretations and submit them.
I sincerely apologize if my comments seem in any way offensive.

| Posted on 2009-07-19 | by a guest

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I believe the quotation 'they love us when we're heroes' implies the fact that the women in the home front only love them when they were honorable heroes but would they love them when they come back home weak and in 'weelchairs'? Emphasising that the enemy is not the Germans as they are suffering the same way that they are, infact, the enemy is the women in the homefront as their love is only temporary and conditional.

| Posted on 2009-06-06 | by a guest

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I think this poem is about how now matter what happenes during war the women as if wifes and mothers will allows be there and to hear your crys and stories. But while there at home doing whatever they do there man is out there fighting. "with his face in the mud"

| Posted on 2009-06-03 | by a guest

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"O German mother...while you are knitting socks to send your son his face is trodden deeper in the mud". This particular quotation taken from the poem is in fact vastly ironic of maternal duty. These women of war, British and German, have been subdued to a propaganda evoked society whilst their beloved sons have been fighting on the frontline. Therefore these uninformed women are clueless to the realities of war bestowed upon their sons. In addition these identified British soldiers who have trodden on this man's face have in fact, probably trodden on his face with the socks there mothers have knitten for them! You can also link the poem 'Socks' written by Jessie Pope as it is certainly comparable to the particular issue, yet is obviously representative of a more-over womenly perspective of what war may be like, and what war is like for the women on the home front. Nevertheless, i have chosen to mention this poem in particular as it has a major relevance to the socks and mothering complex i have already portrayed. "Knitt 2, Catch 2, Knitt, Turn"
I have an exam 'AS' exam tommorrow more and simply chose to use this site for revision.
I hope that you can find this imformation useful.
Liam Cross

| Posted on 2009-05-19 | by a guest

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I have to find out when this poem was written and if it uses alliteration, onomatopoeia and metaphors. Can anyone tell me if any of these are used in this poem

| Posted on 2008-06-27 | by a guest

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this poem by sasoon is very emotive. infact its one of the only poems that have stopped me, and really made me think about the war. it think it may be due to the refrence of the german mother. there are two sides to every war and it was painful for all mothers. this poems specifically focuses on glorification that is placed upon soldiers by the woman.
"you love us when we're heroes home on leave"
this portrayal of gallant men is due to the propaganda force fed to the woman and civillians, the only people who know the 'truth' are the soldiers and if it were up to them the would not want this attention. yes, they were heroes but it wasn't as easy as the media made out, this is what sassoon is trying to emphasise, the horors of war were not publicised and they should have been. soldiers were left shell shocked with images of dying men in mud. this poem is about irony. the irony of a german mother knitting socks for her son when he is lying in mud being trodden on by other soldiers who were already wearing the socks that their mothers had sent them.
i have an exam on war poetry tomoro. this wasnt really written to help anyone but myself but if it did hope its ok. wish me luck.

| Posted on 2008-06-05 | by a guest