Pinctuation In 'Attack' By Siegfried Sassoon

'Attack ', by Siegfried Sassoon, written on the First World War, is a poem considered by many to make a lasting impression of the brutality and chaos of war. Sassoon was a strong opposer of the war; after its completion, he went on to lecture on pacifism, and to become involved in the politics linked to that topic. Writing at a time when much of the poetry being written of the war was heavily romanticised, his poetry was criticised by some as "unpatriotic" or found his graphic depictions of war too extreme. His work still sold well, despite this. These graphic depictions are one of the many things that make this poem have such an impact; the imagery is extremely vivid throughout, and everything, down to the structure of the poem itself create

This creates very subtle emphases on words, giving a very different feel to the poem from what would be there if it was removed. The most common technique is enjambment; a line without any terminating punctuation at the end of the line, "running on" to the next, and creating an emphasis on the words at the end of the first and start of the second lines. This is used on the very first line: "[...] the ridge emerges massed and DUN / in the WILD PURPLE [...]" (emphasis mine) to create effect on the word "dun", which is a strong juxtaposition against the "wild purple" of the next line; this effect conveys the sense of chaos and contrast. This already strong effect is enhanced significantly by the emphasis the enjambment creates. The punctuation, however, can also create strong effects on its own, as in "Men jostle and climb to, meet the bristling fire." The comma in the middle of this line affects the rhythm of this line, creating a short pause, which almost causes suspense in that short instant, and mirrors the actual rhythm of what 's being described; this combination of multiple effects is used all throughout by Sassoon 's use of punctuation, and to great effect; it creates a very strong, lasting

The rhyming scheme throughout, while present, and impactful on its own, is irregular and patchy; the structure is a "corruption" of a sonnet, a form often used in poems romanticising the war. This creates a very strong sense of chaos, and the idea of him "rebelling" against these poems that had come before. Aside from the rhyming scheme, the poem is also actually one line short; this is likely to add effect to the "O Jesus, make it stop!" of the line before, implying that it was "cut short" here. Whether this refers to a soldier narrating the poem falling, or Sassoon, possibly convalescing in hospital, shaking himself out of his trance, is up to interpretation. This last line especially is very memorable, creating a strong, lasting impression on the reader.

Overall, these techniques create a vivid, lasting impression. They 're used very effectively throughout, and carefully emphasise each other, creating intense images and impressions of chaos and