Question

How does the poem 'Small Pain in my Chest' depict the Horrors of War

Answer 1

“Small pain in my chest” gives us a vivid account about the brutal side of war. Nothing influences a soldier in the battlefield than the fear of being killed and the task of killing the enemy. They have no space for emotion, feelings, sympathy or leisure. To live and to kill are what they follow. Food, rest, recreation etc. become baffling to them. We find a dying soldier asking for aid from the narrator. He is injured and about to meet the horn of death. He finds himself lucky as his injury is not severe as he is alive in comparison to those who met their death already. He goes on describing the last night’s horrible battle. How two hundred of them climbed hill and on reaching at the top he got a small pain in his chest for an explosion. We find at last how the young soldier because of heavy loss of blood died and gives us a feeling of pang.