The General by Siegfried Sassoon

‘Good-morning; good-morning   ‘Good-morning; good-morning!’ the General said When we met him last week on our way to the line. Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of ’em dead, And we’re cursing his staff for incompetent swine. ‘He’s a cheery old card,’ grunted Harry to Jack As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack. . . . . But he did for them both by his plan of attack.

Overview A short, two stanza piece in which Sassoon again attacks the establishment – in this case, the hierarchy of the military by implying both the naivety of the average soldier and the ruthless duplicity of the titular General.

Overview Short poems are often more difficult to write about than their longer counterparts.

Subject & Theme Form and Structure Make a list under each heading. What is the poem’s form and structure?

Language In pairs, pick three key quotes. Explain very carefully why you have chosen them.

Context Pick out at least one thing that satisfies AO4 – contextual detail.