In Dulce Decorum
Echoes of War: A Poignant Tale of Loss and Reflection
Lyrics
Dear mother how I will write this line
Expressing difficulty in conveying a message to the mother.
When I know I'm counting time
Awareness of limited time, possibly implying impending danger.
I'm tired and I'm scared
Feelings of exhaustion and fear.
I'm waiting and death's my friend
Anticipating death as a companion in the waiting process.
To say in God we trust not for this
Rejecting blind trust in God in the face of the current situation.
Oh the death and glory boys not for this
Expressing disappointment in the contrast between death and glory.
Dear beloved try to write to you
Attempting to communicate amidst the senseless deaths of many soldiers.
Through the senseless deaths of a million troops
Highlighting the scale of casualties in the conflict.
I'm waiting my time is near
Implying imminent danger and the approach of a critical moment.
As my tears wash away my years
Tears symbolizing the passage of time and emotional weight.
To say in God we trust not for this
Reiterating skepticism about trusting in God given the circumstances.
Oh the death and glory boys not for this
Disapproval of the juxtaposition of death and glory in war.
Where I walk where I see
Describing the surroundings and experiences during the conflict.
The haunting flares where my friends bleed
Observing distressing moments where friends are wounded.
I see the face of the enemy
Seeing the face of the enemy, recognizing their shared humanity.
Of a man or boy who is just like me
Noting the commonality between the speaker and the perceived enemy.
Now you're not there
Expressing the absence of a familiar presence.
All the tears we bled
Highlighting the emotional toll through the metaphor of bleeding tears.
Cut through like winters rain
Comparing emotional pain to the cutting effect of winter rain.
Can't you feel the pain
An appeal to acknowledge and share in the felt pain.
And if I could ever sleep again
Expressing difficulty in finding peace and restful sleep.
I know till the end of time I'd hear
Expecting to be haunted by the screams of pain indefinitely.
Their screams of pain
Reiteration of the lasting impact of the painful experiences.
Dulce dulce decorum
Latin phrase "Dulce decorum" suggesting the bitterness of the experience.
Dulce dulce decorum
Repetition of the Latin phrase for emphasis on the bitterness.
Dulce
Continuation of the Latin phrase, emphasizing the bitterness of war.
Dear mother I'll write to you
Returning to the theme of writing to the mother amidst the hardships.
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