“In Memoriam” by Ewart Alan Mackintosh: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “In Memoriam” by Ewart Alan Mackintosh

“In Memoriam” by Ewart Alan Mackintosh was initially published in 1917 as part of his collection A Highland Regiment. The poem serves as a poignant elegy for fallen soldiers, demonstrating Mackintosh’s ability to encapsulate both the devastation of war and the enduring resilience of those who served. Through stark yet evocative language and vivid imagery, the poem explores the profound themes of loss and remembrance. Its emotional resonance continues to captivate readers, solidifying its place as a timeless piece of war literature.

Text: “In Memoriam” by Ewart Alan Mackintosh

Private D. Sutherland
killed in action in the German trench, May 16, 1916,
and the others who died

So you were David’s father,
And he was your only son,
And the new-cut peats are rotting
And the work is left undone,
Because of an old man weeping,
Just an old man in pain,
For David, his son David,
That will not come again.

Oh, the letters he wrote you,
And I can see them still,
Not a word of the fighting,
But just the sheep on the hill
And how you should get the crops in
Ere the year get stormier,
And the Bosches have got his body,
And I was his officer.

You were only David’s father,
But I had fifty sons
When we went up in the evening
Under the arch of the guns,
And we came back at twilight –
O God! I heard them call
To me for help and pity
That could not help at all.

Oh, never will I forget you,
My men that trusted me,
More my sons than your fathers’,
For they could only see
The little helpless babies
And the young men in their pride.
They could not see you dying,
And hold you while you died.

Happy and young and gallant,
They saw their first-born go,
But not the strong limbs broken
And the beautiful men brought low,
The piteous writhing bodies,
The screamed ‘Don’t leave me, Sir’,
For they were only your fathers
But I was your officer.

Annotations: “In Memoriam” by Ewart Alan Mackintosh

Text	Annotation
So you were David’s father, / And he was your only son,	Introduces the characters of the poem: David’s father and his only son, David, who has died in the war.
And the new-cut peats are rotting / And the work is left undone,	Illustrates how David’s death has left tasks unfinished and life disrupted for his father.
Because of an old man weeping, / Just an old man in pain,	Emphasizes the sorrow and pain of David’s father mourning his loss.
For David, his son David, / That will not come again.	Reinforces the permanence of David’s death and his father’s grief.
Oh, the letters he wrote you, / And I can see them still,	Reflects on the personal letters David sent to his father, highlighting their bond.
Not a word of the fighting, / But just the sheep on the hill	Shows David’s desire to shield his father from the horrors of war, focusing instead on mundane, peaceful topics.
And how you should get the crops in / Ere the year get stormier,	David’s concern for his father’s well-being and practical matters despite the war.
And the Bosches have got his body, / And I was his officer.	Reveals the harsh reality of David’s death at the hands of the enemy and the officer’s connection to him.
You were only David’s father, / But I had fifty sons	Contrasts the singular loss felt by David’s father with the officer’s responsibility for many soldiers.
When we went up in the evening / Under the arch of the guns,	Describes the soldiers’ movement into battle, highlighting the danger they faced.
And we came back at twilight – / O God! I heard them call	Reflects on the devastating aftermath of battle and the cries of the wounded.
To me for help and pity / That could not help at all.	Expresses the officer’s helplessness and anguish in the face of his soldiers’ suffering.
Oh, never will I forget you, / My men that trusted me,	Shows the deep bond and sense of responsibility the officer feels for his men.
More my sons than your fathers’, / For they could only see	Highlights the officer’s paternal-like connection to his soldiers, deeper than their biological fathers’.
The little helpless babies / And the young men in their pride.	Contrasts the innocent image of the soldiers in their fathers’ eyes with their wartime reality.
They could not see you dying, / And hold you while you died.	Emphasizes the officer’s role in witnessing and tending to his soldiers’ deaths, a painful duty.
Happy and young and gallant, / They saw their first-born go,	Reflects the fathers’ memories of their sons leaving for war, full of pride and hope.
But not the strong limbs broken / And the beautiful men brought low,	Contrasts the fathers’ memories with the grim reality of their sons’ injuries and deaths.
The piteous writhing bodies, / The screamed ‘Don’t leave me, Sir’,	Highlights the graphic and emotional horror of the battlefield.
For they were only your fathers / But I was your officer.	Concludes with the officer reaffirming his deep, paternal-like bond and responsibility for his men, beyond that of their biological fathers.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “In Memoriam” by Ewart Alan Mackintosh

Device	Example(s)	Explanation & Function
Alliteration	“new-cut peats,” “sheep on the hill,” “strong limbs”	Repetition of initial consonant sounds creates rhythm and emphasis.
Anaphora	“And the…,” “Oh, the…,” “You were only…”	Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses builds intensity and emotional weight.
Apostrophe	“O God!”	Direct address to an absent or imaginary person intensifies emotion and serves as a plea.
Assonance	“new-cut peats,” “sheep on the hill”	Repetition of vowel sounds within words creates internal rhyme and musicality.
Caesura	“And we came back at twilight – O God!”	A pause or break within a line, often marked by punctuation, emphasizes the following words and creates a dramatic effect.
Consonance	“first-born go,” “beautiful men brought low”	Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words creates emphasis and sonic texture.
Diction (Colloquial)	“Bosches,” “Don’t leave me, Sir”	Informal language creates a sense of authenticity and reflects the soldiers’ speech.
Enjambment	“And the Bosches have got his body, / And I was his officer.”	The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line creates a sense of flow and connection between ideas.
Imagery	“new-cut peats,” “sheep on the hill,” “piteous writhing bodies”	Vivid and descriptive language appeals to the senses and creates a powerful emotional impact.
Irony	“Happy and young and gallant”	The contrast between the initial happiness of the soldiers and their ultimate fate creates a sense of tragedy and loss.
Juxtaposition	“little helpless babies” and “young men in their pride”	Placement of contrasting ideas or images highlights their differences and creates a complex emotional landscape.
Metaphor	“My men that trusted me, / More my sons than your fathers'”	Implicit comparison between the speaker and a father figure emphasizes the depth of his connection to his soldiers.
Metonymy	“The arch of the guns”	Substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant creates a condensed and evocative image.
Oxymoron	“beautiful men brought low”	Combination of contradictory terms creates a paradoxical effect and emphasizes the tragedy of war.
Parallelism	“And the…,” “You were only…”	Repetition of a grammatical structure creates a sense of balance and rhythm.
Personification	“the year get stormier”	Attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects creates a vivid and engaging image.
Repetition	“David,” “father,” “son”	Repeating key words emphasizes their significance and creates a sense of unity and focus.
Rhetorical Question	“That will not come again.”	A question asked for effect, not requiring an answer, prompts reflection and emphasizes the finality of death.
Symbolism	“new-cut peats,” “sheep on the hill”	Use of objects or images to represent abstract ideas adds depth and complexity to the poem.

Themes: “In Memoriam” by Ewart Alan Mackintosh

• The Devastation of War on the Home Front: The poem starkly illustrates the far-reaching impact of war beyond the battlefield. It opens with the image of “new-cut peats rotting” and work “left undone” because of David’s death, symbolizing the disruption of daily life and the loss of potential. “Because of an old man weeping, / Just an old man in pain” highlights the profound grief experienced by loved ones left behind.
• The Personal Cost of Leadership: The poem presents a powerful contrast between the officer’s sense of responsibility and the helplessness he feels in the face of his soldiers’ suffering. The lines “They could not see you dying, / And hold you while you died” reveal the emotional burden of leadership, where the officer witnesses the deaths of his men but cannot offer the comfort a father would.
• The Intimate Bond Between Soldiers: The poem emphasizes the unique camaraderie among soldiers, a bond often stronger than familial ties. The officer refers to his men as “More my sons than your fathers'”, highlighting the shared experiences and trust that develop in the trenches. This bond intensifies the pain of loss and the sense of duty to remember the fallen.
• The Importance of Remembrance: “In Memoriam” is a tribute to the fallen and a call to remember their sacrifice. The poem’s title itself, meaning “in memory of,” underscores this theme. The officer’s promise, “Oh, never will I forget you, / My men that trusted me”, is a pledge to keep their memory alive and honor their service. This theme resonates throughout the poem, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the individual lives lost in war.

Literary Theories and “In Memoriam” by Ewart Alan Mackintosh

Literary Theory	Application	Critique	References
Psychoanalytic Theory	This theory can be applied to explore the emotional and psychological depth of the poem. The grief and trauma experienced by David’s father and the officer reflect the profound psychological impact of war. The poem can be analyzed for its depiction of mourning, loss, and the subconscious effects of war trauma.	The poem reveals the inner turmoil of both the father and the officer, highlighting their intense emotional struggles. The officer’s sense of guilt and helplessness can be examined as manifestations of psychological conflict and repressed emotions.	Freud, S. (1917). Mourning and melancholia. In J. Strachey (Ed.), The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 14, pp. 237-258). Hogarth Press.
Marxist Theory	Marxist theory can be used to analyze the socio-economic implications of the poem. The disruption of rural life and labor due to the war reflects the broader impact of war on the working class. The poem can be viewed as a critique of how the lower classes bear the brunt of the war’s consequences.	The poem portrays the stark reality of how the war disrupts the lives of ordinary people, particularly the working class. The father’s unfinished work and the officer’s loss of his “fifty sons” underscore the human cost of war, often borne by the less privileged.	Eagleton, T. (1976). Marxism and Literary Criticism. Routledge.
Feminist Theory	While “In Memoriam” focuses on male characters, a feminist reading can examine the gender dynamics and the roles of masculinity. The poem can be analyzed for its portrayal of men as protectors and providers, and how the war challenges these traditional roles. Additionally, the absence of women in the narrative can be critiqued.	The poem reinforces traditional masculine roles, with men depicted as soldiers and workers. A feminist critique might explore the implications of this portrayal and the emotional burden placed on men to conform to these roles, as well as the silencing of female perspectives in wartime narratives.	Gilbert, S. M., & Gubar, S. (1979). The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. Yale University Press.

Critical Questions about “In Memoriam” by Ewart Alan Mackintosh

• How does the poem’s use of language and imagery contribute to its emotional impact and overall message?
• Mackintosh’s choice of simple, direct language and vivid imagery creates a visceral connection to the experiences of loss and grief. The “new-cut peats rotting” symbolize the wasted potential of a young life, while the “piteous writhing bodies” and the plea “Don’t leave me, Sir” evoke the raw horror of the battlefield. This stark portrayal forces readers to confront the human cost of war.
• What is the significance of the officer’s perspective in the poem, and how does it shape our understanding of the war experience?
• By focusing on the officer’s voice, the poem offers a unique perspective on the burden of leadership and the emotional toll of witnessing the deaths of one’s men. The officer’s guilt and helplessness, expressed in lines like “That could not help at all,” reveal the psychological scars of war often hidden from view. This perspective challenges the romanticized image of war and highlights the complex emotions experienced by those in command.
• How does the poem explore the themes of fatherhood and familial relationships in the context of war?
• The poem contrasts the biological father-son relationship with the surrogate father-son bond between the officer and his men. The lines “More my sons than your fathers'” emphasize the deep connection formed in the face of shared danger, while the image of the “old man weeping” for his “only son” highlights the profound personal loss experienced by families. This exploration of different forms of paternal love adds another layer of complexity to the poem’s portrayal of grief and loss.
• To what extent does “In Memoriam” serve as a commentary on the social and political realities of war?
• While the poem focuses on personal experiences of grief and loss, it also subtly critiques the systems that perpetuate war. The repetition of “officer” and “father” hints at the societal structures that send young men to their deaths. The officer’s inability to protect his men could be interpreted as a condemnation of the futility of war. By focusing on individual stories, the poem implicitly questions the broader social and political forces that drive conflict.

Literary Works Similar to “In Memoriam” by Ewart Alan Mackintosh

1. “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen: A poignant war poem that vividly captures the horrors of World War I, challenging notions of patriotism and heroism.
2. “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen: A Critical Analysis“Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen: Another powerful war poem that explores the brutal realities of war and its impact on young soldiers.
3. “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke: Reflects on the nobility of dying for one’s country, contrasting with the gritty realism often portrayed in other war poems.
4. “For the Fallen” by Laurence Binyon: Honors those who died in World War I with solemnity and reverence, capturing the collective grief and sacrifice of war.
5. “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae: A war poem that uses vivid imagery of poppies to symbolize fallen soldiers, urging remembrance and reflection.

Suggested Readings: “In Memoriam” by Ewart Alan Mackintosh

• Books:
• Knight, Max. The Poetry of the First World War. Penguin Books, 2013.
• Gardiner, Michael. The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry. Penguin Classics, 2014.
• Weblinks:
• Poetry Foundation: This website provides a biography of Ewart Alan Mackintosh and a collection of his poems, including “In Memoriam.” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/
• The Great War Archive: This archive includes digitized versions of historical documents related to World War I, providing context for understanding Mackintosh’s poem. https://greatwar.nl/books/books.html

Representative Quotations of “In Memoriam” by Ewart Alan Mackintosh

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective (in bold)
“So you were David’s father, / And he was your only son,”	Introduces the central relationship between David’s father and his deceased son, setting the emotional tone of the poem.	Psychoanalytic Theory: This quotation reveals the deep emotional bond and loss experienced by David’s father, exploring grief and mourning.
“And the Bosches have got his body, / And I was his officer.”	Describes the harsh reality of David’s death in combat and the officer’s connection to him as a commanding officer.	Marxist Theory: This line can be analyzed for its portrayal of the consequences of war on individuals and the broader socio-economic impact of conflict.
“You were only David’s father, / But I had fifty sons”	Contrasts the singular loss felt by David’s father with the officer’s responsibility for many soldiers under his command.	Feminist Theory: This quotation can be examined for its depiction of masculinity and paternal roles, highlighting societal expectations and gender dynamics.
“Oh, never will I forget you, / My men that trusted me,”	Expresses the officer’s deep bond and sense of responsibility towards his soldiers who trusted him in battle.	Psychoanalytic Theory: This line reveals the psychological weight and trauma experienced by the officer, exploring themes of trust and leadership.
“For they were only your fathers / But I was your officer.”	Concludes with the officer reaffirming his paternal-like bond and responsibility for his soldiers beyond that of their biological fathers.	Marxist Theory: This quotation can be critiqued for its portrayal of authority and hierarchy within a military context, reflecting on power dynamics and social class.