My own Analysis of We slept with Our Boots On

Evidence	Elaboration
Point of View A soldier fighting a war in a war thorn region -------------------------------------- I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more	The poet's use of these two sentences confirms his participation in the fighting as a trained soldier on the front lines. The “kept pulling”, “reloading”, “pulling more”. This goes to tell us that the man was constantly engaged in the cross-fire, thus showing his presence at the front lines. The emphasis of the last sentence on the trained soldier as the the term “say no more” means that the troops were already trained to do what was needed as no further elaborations were necessary. It may also mean that the soldier was ashamed of having to do what he is going to do such that he does not want to further describe on how they are going to 'kill'.
Situation and Setting Major cross-firing in the country side and they were extremely exhausted and always on high alert -------------------------------------- Bullets are flying I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks, from house to cave, to car to creek Dirty and tired and hungry and scared, we slept with our boots on so we were always prepared	The first extract shows that the soldiers were in a remote region where the highest establishment of civilisation were villages and were in a mountainous region with valleys, clearly showing that the soldiers were in the country side fighting. ‘Bullets are flying’ shows that there were opposition to their presence and that they were under gun fire from the enemy. The soldiers had to fight back vigorously in order to stay alive and prevent being captured shown by the phrase “I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more”, thus showing the great effort to fight back and gain territory. The line “We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks, from house to cave, to car to creek” shows that the soldiers were involved in a major on slaughter of enemy troops that they kept on fighting all around the region even all the way into the caves and creeks, up mountain peaks. It also shows how pervasive war is, it invades every physical setting from the caves to the creeks, to the mountains and so on. There is no refugee against the violence, no 'safe' house from war exists The soldiers' conditions was terrible, they were extremely tired and removed from all comfort and suffered from morning to night, fighting or not shown by “Dirty and tired and hungry and scared, we slept with our boots on so we were always prepared”. The soldier were so tired from fighting but it was not enough they had to suffer from food deprivation and hunger pangs as well as the lost of comfort as the troops had to sleep with their boots and always ready to defend themselves from an ambush attack, every ready to fight again.
Language/ Diction We loaded our ruck’s the LZ is hot I run as fast as I can through the lead rain terror I can’t define only reason I survived that day was divine Who knew hell was so close to God Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire They say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than blood poppy field, the tears, and the mud I spent my time in hell	The use of LZ & ruck instead of landing zone & haversack creates a more fast paced circumstance as well as more military like. LZ and ruck are both shorter than their synonym, making the line shorter and more fast paced. This also allows the poet to connect with the readers familiar with the military vocabulary. Furthermore, the use of metaphor to create a image of lead or bullets falling in the form of rain, helps create a situation of war and unnatural occurrence. The persona also confesses that he is unable to express the type of terror he is going through which shows that it was very chaotic that it was beyond words. The term ‘divine’ to describe the survival of the persona was a miracle. It shows that there was a very slime of chance of anyone surviving and that many troops fell to their graves in the fighting. Furthermore, the use of hell and God’s existence together to express the beautiful scenery and the horrific fighting occurring together, creates a dramatic contrast as good and evil are fused. The use of ‘drank like drunkards’ shows that the troops kept taking in more and more of it and could not stop, showing that there was no stop to the fighting and its mighty contrast with the spectacular scenery. It also shows that the violence of war was an addiction that the soldiers kept pouring into their soul and they begin to lose their right of mind as they become 'drunken' by the violence of war. The writer maybe trying to justify why the soldiers fight on as they are drunk and cannot think straight. The poet is also bitter, realistic and skeptical about life as seen from his challenge against "blood is thicker than water". This as he does not believe that brotherhood is not made by biological but by a more developed friendship. The word 'poppy' also refers to the beauty of a flower and also death. Poppy is known as a flower for making opium which is also a symbol of death. The phrase “Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns” tells us that the persona's feeling towards soldiers and their lives. In addition, the subsequent phrase “washed in blood, and baptized by fire” shows the massive killing and deaths of both sides leave so much death that their blood was sufficient to bath their comrades. The “ baptised in fire” shows that the soldiers’ sins were so great that only great pain could cure. This also implies that their only way to salvation from war and sin is to die in flames so as to receive forgiveness. The use of diction to describe the “lead” to show the thickness of founded brotherhood between friends is stronger than blood-related brothers. This shows that the power of friendship is more powerful than the actual blood related brotherhood. He also uses the metaphor to make earth into living “hell” and says that he had to live through great horror on earth when he lived. This just goes to show the horrific effect of war on men such that they forgo and dismiss all the good experience they had on earth and call it hell.

We slept with our boots on...

They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes

They washed out the blood, we loaded our ruck’s and then took to the skies

Over the mountains, village and valleys we flew

Where we would land we had not a clue

Bullets are flying, the LZ is hot

We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not
30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit
Get ready to go and make it quick
My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins
I run as fast as I can through the lead rain
The noise is tremendous, terror I can’t define
The only reason I survived that day was divine
I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more
You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more
We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks
From house to cave, to car to creek
Dirty and tired and hungry and scared
We slept with our boots on so we were always prepared
Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies
The Hindu Kush has changed so many lives
Up the mountains with heavy loads we trod
Who knew hell was so close to God
Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink
So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think
Good men and bad men, Mothers lost son’s
Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns
Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire
I will never forget those who were called higher
They say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than blood
Brothers aren’t born they’re earned. In the poppy fields, the tears, and the mud
And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell
Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell

Steve Carlsen

"War is a delight only to those who have not experienced it", this poem supports this quote by telling the facts and reality of warfare through his own experience in Afghanistan. When we realize that war is not as it was meant to be, it would be too late for like the poet said, "Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns".

Steve Carlsen, the poet, was a United States Soldier, joining the UN Army in October 2000 and went to Infantry Basic training, Airborne School in FT.Benning, later reporting to his first squad, D Company 1st battalion 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division in Caroline. He was deployed to Kosovo in November 2001, later deployed in the front lines in Afghanistan, December 2002. Later, honorably discharged in 2003. He has written 4++ poems, such as Thunder in the Valley, Death of a Hero and Take Your Pills.

He takes us into his world where life is harder than stone and reveals the horrific conditions in the fronts of war. A soldier at the fronts. He fights but for what? There is a sense of lost of purpose as the poet has forgotten why he stands and fights in this war.

He brings us through his experience and memories of the fighting in Afganistan in the past. He stood to show us that war is not a thing of comfort and glory like the "old lie" preceived it to be.The soldier fights all over Afganistan's country side. He stands for life as he and his 'brothers' fight in the foreign land, fighting all the way from the valleys to mountains, houses to creeks...

He is toused between the horror before his eyes but also the glory and beauty of the scene bestowed before his eyes. He and his comrades just keep taking in the great contrast like drunkards. The man stands to realise that founded brotherhood is much more worth than birthright brotherhood. He stands to say to St. Peter that he live hell on earth shown from his metaphor of earth as Hell.

Source:

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html

http://thejourneytoernie.blogspot.com/2010/05/home-learning-we-slept-with-our-boots.html