Come On, Come Back - This is by far the hardest poem in the whole Anthology, and if we get this in the exam, we are screwed. It is a massive poem, and as such, there is a lot to say about it, so you will have to pick and choose the points you include in your answer. Simply, this is the haunting tale of a female soldier who goes swimming and drowns. Contextually, the field of 'Austerlitz' is in reference to the site of one of the largest battles in the Napoleonic Wars, and the Memel Conference is in reference to the Treaty of Versailles, with the poet suggesting that the decisions of massive organisations can affect everyone including a solitary soldier. Even before the reader is introduced to the lake/river, there is imagery of water, such as 'the ebbing tide of battle'. The use of the phrase 'girl soldier' as opposed to 'female soldier' is important as it suggests a fragility and sense of youth in the soldier, with a contrast between a child and a warrior. The poet repeats the phrase 'round, flat stone', possibly using it as a reference to a gravestone. One thing to note is the question on the humanity of warfare, particularly chemical warfare. This is seen when the chemical weapon, M.L.5, is said to be 'graded first' meaning it is the most effective. That throws up the question of why the girl soldier Vaudevue has been left alive by this weapon, as it is supposed to be extremely effective. One thing I haven't understood the significance of in this poem is when the poet says the 'margin of the lake' as opposed to 'edge'. It may be significant of her insanity, as she conceptually muddles up words, but I am not sure. In the third stanza, the phrase 'waves beat' is used, and this could be suggestive of the marching music listened to by soldiers when going to war. Then there is a rather arthurian piece of imagery (arthurian = King Arthur), as Vaudevue enters the lake it brings to mind the legend of the Lady in the Lake. Also, there is a contrast between the...