The glory of women

You love us when we’re heroes, home on leave,
Or wounded in a mentionable place.
You worship decorations, you believe
That chivalry redeems the war’s disgrace.
You make us shells. You listen with delight,
By tales of dirt and danger fondly thrilled.
You crown our distant ardourswhile we fight ,
And mourn our larelled memories when we’re killed.
You can’t believe that British troups ‘retire’
When hell’s last horror breaks them, and they run,
Trampling the terrible corpses – blind with blood.
O German mother dreaming by the fire,
While you are knitting socks to send your son
His face is trodden deeper in the mud

Onore delle donne

Voi ci amate quando noi siamo eroi, a casa, in licenza,
O feriti in qualche posto importante.
Voi amate le onorificenze, credete
Che la cavalleria redima dalla disgrazia della guerra.
Ci rendete bombe. Ascoltate con piacere,
Storie di sporcizia e pericolo teneramente emozionate,
Voi onorate i nostri lontani impeti mentre noi combattiamo,
E piangete le nostre memorie coronate d’alloro quando veniamo uccisi.
Non potete credere che le truppe britanniche “si ritirano”
Quando l’ultimo orrore infernale le spezza, e loro corrono,
calpestando i corpi terribili – accecati dal sangue.
O madre tedesca che stai sognando vicino al camino,
Mentre stai facendo le calze da mandare a tuo figlio
Il suo viso è calpestato più profondamente nel fango

The poem is a sonnet and it follows the Petrarchan structure. After reading “They” the intelligent reader knows the poem doesn’t glorify women. The narrator uses Irony to deliver a poem. The speaking voiceis a soldier who has experienced sufferings of war and he speaks to all women, who stay at home, fantasizing about their husbands’, sons’ etc.. for their bravery in the war. The speaking voice says women only love soldiers who return back from war as heroes.

Lines 11and 14 give some pictures of the aftermaths of war, (“trampling the terrible corpses – blind with blood,”) and (“hisface is trodden deeper into the mud.”). The poet wants the reader to have a clear image of how terrible war is.