Anonymous asked 8 years ago
What qualities of the soldier make him stand apart? / Give a character sketch of the soldier boy.
The solider boy was brave,intelligent, courageous boy. He fought all day and night long and sat down for his small pain in his chest. Even in His dying hour he is energetic and smiles a sweet smile which is termed ‘the brightest smile’ by the poet. He doesn’t blame anyone for his death though it was for no fault of his. He happily accepts the situation,but just pleads the poet by expression over why people fight. He tells the poet about his family that his wife and his mother will be ashamed as he sat under a tree for a small pain in his chest.
The soldier bears the qualities of a good human being and a good soldier that make him stand apart. At the beginning we see that the soldier boy is humble enough to ask for help politely. He also expresses his gratefulness to the narrator for his help. When he describes how they fought without any rest and how he tried his best, we get the indication that the boy is true to his duty.
Throughout the conversation we get the impression that he is happy with this life. The narrator repeatedly mentions his smiling face even with his fatal injury. The soldier boy’s optimistic attitude reflects all around. He calls his injury “a small pain” and tells the narrator it is “not much” to worry about. He also wants to “travel on” after some rest. The soldier boy also thinks himself luckier than his fellow warriors who had died in the battle. All these add to his positive outlook towards life and also indicates his mental strength.
The soldier boy has shown his attachment to his family members. While sitting injured in the battlefield, he is thinking of what his mother and his wife would think of him, had they seen him in that condition. This also shows his manly nature that he regards himself a man of vim and zest, and it’s a shame to be sitting there with that “small pain” in his chest. And finally, I see the soldier’s great insight in thinking that war is not a good reason to die. So it seemed silly to him to be there in that condition.