APO 96255 - Larry Rottman

I believe the central theme of this poem, like in TSAR, is that those who are not directly involved in a war can not understand it. In the same hand, they may want to sympathize and claim understanding, but they are incapable of this. In this poem, as the mother begs for information, to support her son, he finally breaks and tells her. The result? She can not take the reality of it. It's "too depressing." I feel like we often react in this way when we hear reports of what our soldiers have done in war. War is something demanded of nearly every country, and often times, we don't agree with our own soldiers' methods. The son in this story is only reaching out for some assistance, some understanding. However, it appears that he also knows how people will react. Thus, in the end, he reverts back to the most basic story he can tell. I think it is a sad poem, and it widely expresses beliefs across the world on war.