Symbolism of this poem?

Question

what are the symbols in this poem?

'Oh! Jesus Christ! I'm hit,' he said; and died.

Whether he vainly cursed or prayed indeed,

The Bullets chirped-In vain, vain, vain!

Machine-guns chuckled,-Tut-tut! Tut-tut!

And the Big Gun guffawed.

Another sighed,-'O Mother, -Mother, - Dad!'

Then smiled at nothing, childlike, being dead.

And the lofty Shrapnel-cloud

Leisurely gestured,-Fool!

And the splinters spat, and tittered.

'My Love!' one moaned. Love-languid seemed his mood,

Till slowly lowered, his whole faced kissed the mud.

And the Bayonets' long teeth grinned;

Rabbles of Shells hooted and groaned;

And the Gas hissed.

Answer 1

This sad poem is not to my reading suggesting any symbolic meaning. It is a sad tale of the last words of the dying during the 1914-1918 war, you last line says "And the gas hissed" suggesting this was the "War to end all wars".

If there is any symbolic suggestion at all it could be contained in the lines :"Leisurely gestured - fool!" and "...shells hooted" suggesting that the gun fodder was laughing at the damage it had caused.

I think that your effort will be well rewarded by the vision it captures.

Robert

Answer 2

war

Answer 3

'Oh! Jesus Christ! I'm hit  'My Love!' Tut-tut! Tut-tut! ayonets

Answer 4

I'd say the symbol is WAR .... the death in war and the misery of war and the awfulness of war, the loss of life in war, the ugliness of war.