Once upon a time, it matters little when, and in stalwart England, it matters little where, a fierce battle was fought. It was fought upon a long summer day when the waving grass was green. Many a wild flower formed by the Almighty Hand to be a perfumed goblet for the dew, felt its enamelled cup filled high with blood that day, and shrinking dropped. Many an insect deriving its delicate colour from harmless leaves and herbs, was stained anew that day by dying men, and marked its frightened way with an unnatural track. The painted butterfly took blood into the air upon the edges of its wings. The stream ran red. The trodden ground became a quagmire, whence, from sullen pools collected in the prints of human feet and horses’ hoofs, the one prevailing hue still lowered and glimmered at the sun.
Heaven keep us from a knowledge of the sights the moon beheld upon that field, when, coming up above the black line of distant rising–ground, softened and blurred at the edge by trees, she rose into the sky and looked upon the plain, strewn with upturned faces that had once at mothers’ breasts sought mothers’ eyes, or slumbered happily. Heaven keep us from a knowledge of the secrets whispered afterwards upon the tainted wind that blew across the scene of that day’s work and that night’s death and suffering! Many a lonely moon was bright upon the battle–ground, and many a star kept mournful watch upon it, and many a wind from every quarter of the earth blew over it, before the traces of the fight were worn away. [...]
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- CHAPTER I – Part The First
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The objective of this preview is to provide a comprehensive overview of the early chapters of Charles Dickens' "The Battle of Life," focusing on key themes and narrative elements without revealing major plot points or the conclusion. The preview aims to showcase the author's style and the work's essence for academic analysis.
- The passage of time and the obliteration of memory
- The contrast between the violent past and the peaceful present of a battleground
- The depiction of natural beauty and human joy
- The observation of human behavior and social interaction
- The ephemeral nature of conflict and its lasting impact on the landscape
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Chapter I – Part The First: This chapter sets the scene by describing a long-ago fierce battle fought on a summer day. It details the immediate aftermath and the gradual fading of the violent traces over time as nature reclaims the land. The passage focuses on the contrast between the brutal reality of war and the serene beauty of the restored landscape, highlighting the enduring presence of the past even as it fades from memory. The description then shifts to a lively autumn scene in a once war-torn orchard, where two girls dance merrily, underscoring the sharp contrast between the past and the present.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Key words and concepts explored in this work include: battlefield, memory, nature, time, contrast, beauty, joy, human behavior, social interaction, landscape, restoration, and the passage of time.
- Quote paper
- Charles Dickens (Author), 2008, The Battle of Life, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/120175
