The poem is written about how the staff officers of the British Army (referred to as scarlet majors) send soldiers off to the war front to be killed, while they stay at the Base “Guzzling and gulping in the best hotel” and sending “glum heroes up the line to death”.
Similarly, what type of poem is base details?
‘Base Details’ is a passionate attack on the majors in World War One. It is a short poem but the poet’s use of language makes it very hard-hitting. Even the title is full of meaning. The poet employs a pun on the word ?base? as it refers to the base camp of the soldiers as well as base in a low moral sense.
Also, what poetic techniques are used in base details? Alliteration scattered throughout the poem, such as “puffy petulant face” and “guzzling and gulping” also draw attention to the characteristics Sassoon dislikes most in the officers. Short, direct, “Base Details” stands testament not only to the speaker’s disdain of the war’s commanders, but to Sassoon’s as well.
Also to know is, what is the tone of the poem base details?
Tone/Mood: Sassoon is bitter and angry at the officers. He mocks them, their appearance. The tone is extremely ironic. He speaks in the tone of an army major, or pretending he wants to be one.
When was base details written?
1918,
2 Related Question Answers Found
Does it matter Sassoon?
Siegfried Sassoon’s poem ‘Does It Matter? ‘ is a sensitive poem of which questions society of issues from war. This can be seen in the line, “There’s such splendid work for the blind” indicating that they are suppose to continue with lives like it was before the war even if they become blind.
What means base details?
The title of the poem “Base Details”- Base possibly meaning a military base and Details could be a command assignment, someone or something lowly. “fierce; and bald, and short of breath” this would be a stereotypical World War I officer. “Glum heroes” refer to the heroes by dying they are unhappy.