Siegfried Loraine Sassoon, CBE, MC (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was

an English poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading
poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches and satirised the patriotic
pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's view, were responsible for a jingoism-fuelled war. Sassoon became a
focal point for dissent within the armed forces when he made a lone protest against the continuation of the war
in his "Soldier's Declaration" of 1917, culminating in his admission to a military psychiatric hospital; this
resulted in his forming a friendship with Wilfred Owen, who was greatly influenced by him. Sassoon later won
acclaim for his prose work, notably his three-volume fictionalised autobiography, collectively known as the
"Sherston trilogy".

Dreamers

BY SIEGFRIED SASSOON

Soldiers are citizens of death's grey land,

Drawing no dividend from time's to-morrows.

In the great hour of destiny they stand,

Each with his feuds, and jealousies, and sorrows.

Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win

Some flaming, fatal climax with their lives.

Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin

They think of firelit homes, clean beds and wives.

I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,

And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,

Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,

And mocked by hopeless longing to regain

Bank-holidays, and picture shows, and spats,

And going to the office in the train.

Dreamers

PRIN SASSOON SIEGFRIED

Soldații sunt cetățeni ai pământului cenușiu al morții,

Nu trage dividend din zilele următoare.

În marea oră a destinului stau,

Fiecare cu feudele sale, geloziile și întristările.

Soldații sunt jurați la acțiune; trebuie să câștige

Unele clime aprinse, fatale, cu viața lor.

Soldații sunt visători; când pornesc armele

Ei se gândesc la case cu foc, paturi curate și soții.

Îi văd în săpături dezgropate, zdrobite de șobolani,

Și în șanțurile stricate, pline de ploaie,

Visând lucruri pe care le-au făcut cu bile și lilieci,

Și batjocorit de dorul fără speranță de a recâștiga

Sărbători bancare și spectacole de imagine și spații,

Și mergând la birou în tren.

‘Dreamers’ by Siegfried Sassoon speakers on the inner lives of soldiers fighting in the trenches of
World War I.
The poem begins with the speaker describing how soldiers reside in the land of death and how their
profession makes them subject to a more certain destiny. Throughout the first stanza the speaker describes the
horrors of war, the lack of hope for the future, and the dreams which occupy the minds of soldiers. While the
guns go off around them they are dreaming of their homes.
In the second stanza the speaker expands on the points he made in the first set of lines. He is attempting
to engage a reader’s empty in regard to the suffering of these men by describing the mundane activities they
miss. The soldiers long for the things they once took for granted at home, going to work and playing with “balls
and bats.”
Theme
The general theme of this poem is WAR- love and dedication. Society frequently depicts war as an
exciting adventure offering opportunities to prove one’s mettle and win glory. But, Sassoon says that war is a
brutal ordeal for soldiers in muddy, rat-ridden trenches facing bullets and artillery bombardment and the sight
of bloody uniforms, torn limbs and twitching bodies.
Stylistic devices
Metaphors: Sassoon describes soldiers as *citizens of death’s grey land* and *dreamers*. It helps to
portray the soldiers as victims of the war that wich they could go home, as opposed to heroes thata are happy to
fight to the end.
Repetition:
Soldiers are citizens of death's grey land,…

Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win

Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin

It means that the accent is on soldiers. This repetition of *soldiers are* is effective as it makes this line
echo in a lot of listeners’ head and makes them think deeper about the topic.

For my poetic analytical essay I have chosen to write about the poem “Dreamers”, composed by
Siegfried Sassoon. This poem speaks to the daily struggle that men specifically during World War I, but
possibly even relatable to today, yearn for and miss. As well as things that keep them going, things that make
them want to return home and continue living their lives as they once were. This poem is full of imagery as well
as a couple instances of metaphorical language. All of which are used to help declare and show the meaning that
Sassoon is conveying. In my opinion the theme of this poem, even though not explicitly stated is love and
dedication, continuing to do something knowing that with hope, at the end of it there will be something great.
Also, it seems that a smaller but obviously present message or idea would be the power of the hopeful versus
the hopeless. The poem states, “Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats, And mocked by hopeless
longing to regain” (11-12). This line shows how some soldiers have lost hope and take out their despair on the
men who still have some remaining. All in an effort to “regain” the hope they once lost, the thing that kept them
alive, and kept them yearning for the love they felt at home.