I am a little confused with this question.
Base Details
If I were fierce, and bald, and short of breath,
I'd live with scarlet Majors at the Base,
And speed glum heroes up the line to death.
You'd see me with my puffy petulant face,
Guzzling and gulping in the best hotel,
Reading the Roll of Honour. ‘Poor young chap,’
I'd say---‘I used to know his father well;
Yes, we've lost heavily in this last scrap.’
And when the war is done and youth stone dead,
I'd toddle safely home and die---in bed.
–Siegfried Sassoon
Question 2
The word 'details' is ironic (says one thing but means another) because:
I am not sure if the correct answer is the second or third one.
It explains all the little tasks that the soldiers have to do
It trivializes (makes it seem insignificant) the fact that young men are dying
It makes it seem like the older soldiers have done nothing to win the war
It focuses on clerks and not on soldiers
As I said before, the second answer is best.
To determine the correct answer to this question, we need to analyze the poem "Base Details" by Siegfried Sassoon and understand the overall tone and message. Let's break down the options:
1. It explains all the little tasks that the soldiers have to do.
The word "details" in the poem does not refer to the specific tasks that soldiers perform. Instead, it refers to the title of the poem, which is ironic in nature.
2. It trivializes (makes it seem insignificant) the fact that young men are dying.
This is the correct answer. The word "details" in the title of the poem is ironic because it trivializes the gravity of war and the sacrifice of young soldiers. The poem describes the luxurious lifestyle of the older officers at the base, who are detached from the realities of battle and view the deaths of the young soldiers as mere numbers on a list ("Reading the Roll of Honour"). It underscores the disconnect between the soldiers fighting on the front lines and the higher-ranking officers living comfortably behind them.
3. It makes it seem like the older soldiers have done nothing to win the war.
While the poem criticizes the older officers for their detachment and lack of empathy, it does not claim that they have done nothing to win the war. It focuses more on their apathy towards the suffering of the young soldiers.
4. It focuses on clerks and not on soldiers.
The poem does not specifically address clerks or their role in the war. It primarily focuses on the contrast between the young soldiers risking their lives and the older officers living comfortably at the base.
Therefore, the correct answer is option 2: It trivializes the fact that young men are dying.