Ode to the Common Soldier - Original

Ode to the Common Soldier

Last year you stood strong atop the tallest mountain of white,
Watching over the lonely gates that defended the civilians and their cattle.
The year after, you marched across a desert of golden light,
A journey so perilous that your armour rotted from constant battle.
But history forgets you, you common warrior.
Even sacrificing your life, you are but another mangled body,
And often your lifeless body will be deemed insignificant enough to be left behind.
When you liberate a city from oppressors it is your commander who is hailed the savior.
It is truly a pity that while kings are adorned with riches so gaudy,
That you, a true hero, are forgotten from the epic story that is mankind.


Explication:
This poem is an ode with the English version rhyme scheme of ABABCDECDE. The idea of the poem is to offer praise to the regular soldiers who fights in renowned battles but are never remembered. The first four lines mostly highlights “the soldier’s” heroic deeds and courage. He had witnessed the full scope of the empire, from snowy mountains to vast dry plains. He had defended the people, as well as invaded into harsh climates. The last six lines laments the unfortunate trend whereby the aforementioned gallantry is forgotten overtime, while all that remains in memory is the history he helped write.
The poem has no rhythm structure, but maintains the strict rhyme pattern. The first line has alliteration with “stood strong.” The second last line has assonance of the “ee” sound, with the words “truly, pity, gaudy.” I tried to create an image of the harsh places the soldier had travelled to, and this was to stress the loyalty of the soldier. Of course, this soldier isn’t a particular person, so speaking to him would be an apostrophe. Lastly a personification is used to describe how “the lonely gates … defended the civilians.”
This fits the theme of war by focusing on an individual participant.