... beside them through mirk and through mire," showing great love and loyalty which seems to go unnoticed. On the other hand, the men in this poem seem to have a certain eagerness about leaving to war, "...stepping steadily, only too readily," and are cold and unresponsive in their attitudes towards the women. This control and steadiness gives the impression that the soldiers are putting on a brave face and preparing themselves mentally for the time ahead. Within the poem, an unusual and interesting image takes shape using the structure and language as tools. Within the content, the conflict is between the men and the women, however this appears elsewhere in the poem. The rhythm is very important and influential in this poem. It is very strong, consistent and follows a marching pattern which relates to the content of the poem and mirrors the actions of the soldiers. However, the continuous ...

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