Trace the note of irony in the expression 'at peace'?
Answers
The poem begins almost lazily, with attention to details like the slow pace of the stream, the reflection it makes on the grass, and the ample sunlight. Like the slow stream that passes through the valley, the poem advances to the second stanza. The second stanza brings our eyes to a young soldier who seems to be asleep among the ferns and flowers of the valley. The soldier lies with his mouth slightly opened, as if in deep sleep. The poet compares this to the smile of an infant, which is symbolic of tenderness and innocence. This is perhaps out of ordinary to describe a soldier innocent and gentle like an infant. In this, we see the genius of Rimbaud, who uses unexpected analogies to present harsh reality. One can assume that what he meant by this, was to tell us that soldiers are not the root cause of suffering, that they are not inherently violent individuals; they are merely instruments of war, plied to the ways of the masters of the world. So, in a way, they are innocent of the crimes they commit during a war. Thus, here we already see the beginnings of the Surrealist tradition, where strange juxtapositions are used to present reality.