Question
Attack At dawn the ridge emerges massed and dun [brownish dark grey] In the wild purple of the glowering [glaring] 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 Jesu, make it stop! __ Siegfried Sassoon, 1918 8. This poem describes events related to which international conflict? 1. World War I 2. World War II 3. Korean War 4. Vietnam War
Solution
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IndieMaster · Tutor for 5 years
Answer
The correct answer is 1. World War I.<br /><br />Several clues point to this conflict:<br /><br />* **Imagery:** The poem describes tanks, trenches, and a barrage, all characteristic of World War I. World War II also had these elements, but the other clues solidify the WWI setting.<br />* **Date:** The poem was written in 1918, during the final year of World War I.<br />* **Tone and Content:** The poem's focus on trench warfare, the desperation of the soldiers ("masked with fear," "hope... flounders in mud"), and the plea to "make it stop" all reflect the brutal, stalemated nature of the Western Front in World War I.<br />
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