Theme

The main theme of the poem “Suicide in the Trenches” by Siegfried Sassoon is that of war. More exactly, the poet presents what people imagine of war versus the reality of warfare in the trenches. Through this poem, Siegfried Sassoon brings a critique to society and civil activists who supported the war and encouraged men to join the cause of the war, by showing the extreme consequences of war which are misery, psychological distress, and death (in this case through suicide).

Expectations vs. reality in war

The theme of war is explored in the poem by focusing on the contrast between what people imagine of war and the reality of the trenches experienced by soldiers.

The poet manages to explore this issue in a carefully crafted way. Firstly, he presents the newly recruited soldier who seems to be happy and unaware of what awaits him on the front. He is smiling “at life in empty joy” (l. 2) and sleeps “soundly” (l. 3) during dark nights, suggesting his optimism and courage. Through this portr...