O what is that sound

O what are they doing with all that gear, What are they doing this morning, this morning? Only their usual manoeuvres, dear. Or perhaps a warning. O why have they left the road down there, Why are they suddenly wheeling, wheeling? Perhaps a change in their orders, dear. Why are you kneeling? Why, they are none of them wounded, dear. The poem uses the question and answer pattern that occurs so frequently in the ballads, and presents a situation of balad-like drama and simplicity.

The poem has a lot of psychological content. We find that we are inside the myth-world, looking around. No commentator from outside tells us what we are looking at or its significance.

The poem is a well-known example of the popular style. It is a much compelling ballad. The poem has a music of its own; the folk-song style upon which it is based was of course developed tor singing to a fixed accompaniment and the convention of being written for singing to such accompaniment is essential to the style of this poem. O What is That Sound Summary Stanza-1 In the first stanza the situation is that a soldier intends going to war, but he is persuaded by his beloved to stay with her.

The whole poem is in the form of dialogue between the soldier and the beloved. The soldier hears the sound of the military land and asks his beloved to what is that sound of "drumming down in the valley, which so thrills his ears?

His beloved puts him off by saying that there are only a few soldiers dressed in the scarlet uniform. Stanza-2 The soldier then wants to know the flashing light being seen by him from a distance. The beloved replies that it is the sun shining on their swords, while the soldiers are doing march practice. Stanza-3 The soldier-lover then asks as to what those soldiers are doing with their armour this morning. The beloved makes her to understand that it is their usual practice, or perhaps a warning to the enemy.

Stanza-4 The soldier then wants to know as to why have they left that road down there, and the beloved tries to satisfy him by saying that perhaps they have been ordered to go that way. Then the soldier bends a little to see them from a distance. Stanza-5 The soldier-lover sees the marching soldiers stopping near the doctor's house, and asks his beloved as to why have they reined their horses there?

The girl says that none of the soldiers is wounded, and there is nothing serious. Stanza-6 Then the soldiers are seen stopping by the parson's house. But the beloved says that they are just passing his gate-way. Stanza-7 In the seventh stanza the soldier again sees them stopping by the farmer's house, and wants to know its reason.

The beloved again replies that they have passed the farmyard and are running. Stanza-8 In this stanza it is said that the soldler-lover can no longer ha stopped by his beloved. He must join other soldiers. The girl wants him to stay with her, and when she finds that she cannot stop him, she charges him with being false in his promises to love her. The soldier points out that he did promise to love her, but not at the cost of his public duty.

So he is duty bound and ready to leave her. Stanza-9 The soldier is tempted to go to war. Nothing can stop him now. He is bound to perform his public duty. So he feels an urge to join his regiment and marches on to some unknown frontier.

Perhaps a change in their orders, dear, Why are you kneeling? O haven't they stopped for the doctor's care, Haven't they reined their horses, horses? Why, they are none of them wounded, dear, None of these forces.

O is it the parson they want, with white hair, Is it the parson, is it, is it? No, they are passing his gateway, dear, Without a visit. O it must be the farmer that lives so near. It must be the farmer so cunning, so cunning? They have passed the farmyard already, dear, And now they are running. O where are you going? Stay with me here! Were the vows you swore deceiving, deceiving? No, I promised to love you, dear, But I must be leaving.