A.E Housman (1859-1936)On the idle hill of summer,
Sleepy with the flow of the streams,
Far I hear the steady drummer
Drumming like a noise in dreams
Far and near and low and louder
On the roads of earth go by,
Dear to friends and food for powder,
Soldiers marching, all to die.
East and west on fields forgotten
Bleach the bones of comrades slain,
Lovely lads and dead and rotten;
None that go return again.
Far the calling bugles hollo,
High the screaming fife replies
Gay the files of scarlet follow:
Woman bore me, I will rise.
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My Understanding:
This poem is talking about fighting for/protecting what you believe, in other words, having strong faith. The setting of the idle hill is very peaceful and comforting-it is like a comfort zone, the place a person feels at home, where nothing disrupts the calmness. However, when what the person believes starts to be at risk, the mood gets darker. Even if he is still at the hill, lying away in serenity, he will see people like him fighting with their lives to protect that belief. With dignity and faith, he won’t be able to cower and take refuge in that peaceful place. The person will get up, leave their idleness behind them, and step into danger to prove to the world that their belief is worth risking lives for.
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¿Q?:
① What is the purpose of laying out the setting in the way shown?
② What does the soldiers “marching, all to die” imply?
③ What does the author mean by the last line: “woman bore me, I will rise.”
