He then goes on to write about the small differences that he had notices such as churches in strange style showing “monument to wars of which the Tommies knew nothing.” Using the word “Tommies” is a use of colloquial language to describe the British soldiers. He then carries on listing a few of the noticeable differences between the France and Britain, drawing contrasts between the two, which suggests that he misses home as he remembers it so vividly. “The fields were larger than in Britain”, “single-storey buildings arranged into a defensive square”, by describing the building arrangement as a “defensive square” gives the imagery of them being used or intended to be used to defend or protect the country.
He only writes a few short lines of the differences but straight away goes back to drawing parallels to rural England and the Somme giving again the impression of nostalgia. The way he describes the landscape in detail gives the feeling that he has come to terms with the fact that its going to be destroyed, but it’s what they are fighting for, to keep England and it’s landscape free. Brown goes on to say “this was a country that invited rather than repelled and in which there was much to appreciate, even enjoy”. By using the word “invited” it gives the impression of the Somme being a friendly atmosphere, something that could be enjoyed, a place they were willing to go. “This was a place at ease with itself, comfortable”, describing the Somme as “comfortable” Brown suggests that it provided a physical ease and relaxation for many of the men that were there.
“If the British had to fight in a foreign field, this was as decent and companionable a one as they could wish for”, here he allows us to see that he has come to understand that this war is really happening and the British soldiers will fight, he shows his understanding when saying that the Somme “was a decent and companionable” place to battle. Using the word “companionable” gives the imagery of a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere which could be friendly and sociable at the same time; not something you would usually associate with war. Brown goes on to describe the landscape as “fresh and appealing”, again not a visual aspect you would associate with war, “Fresh” gives the imagery of something clean or pure.
Brown has placed an extract from how a soldier described the Somme, he like Brown, describes it “as if it were home”. He uses descriptive language to create a visual image of his first sight of the Somme. “Delightful hills”, “chalky slopes undulating”, “it was a sumptuous new world”. Describing the landscape as a place that reminds him of home again shows the nostalgia that all the men felt towards England, but having a landscape that reminds them of home would make them feel more comfortable but also remind them of what they were fighting for. Using the word “sumptuous” to describe the Somme allows the reader to imagine a splendid, palatial, luxurious landscape compared to “the flat mud of Flanders”.
In the last paragraph of the extract Brown writes about other people who have see the Somme and compared it to England, people who were not necessarily English either. South African, Private Willie Robins, in a letter to his family could “state that in parts it is very much like England”. This makes the reader understand that the British soldiers weren’t just looking for some hope to grasp onto, something to remind them of home; the Somme looked and reminded everyone, not just the British, of England. Other quotes from this paragraph all describe the Somme as a reminder of England, “it might be Ken if it wasn’t Picardy”, “all the same as England”.
The final line of the extract expresses how Lieutenant Charles Carrington felt, “It’s a find country for fighting in, but finer for Peace, and Quiet”. Saying this gives a reminder to the reader of what the soldiers were fighting for. They wanted peace for the country. They wanted to have that “Peace and Quiet” and be able to enjoy in freely.
Throughout the extract Brown has used only four paragraphs, each of them describing huge amounts of landscape and giving vivid, visual images of what the Somme looked like. He draws parallels to rural England and the Somme, he also included quotes from many other soldier who fought in the war giving his descriptions more accuracy, including an extract from a soldier first sight of the Somme. It is obvious from the way he speaks about how the Somme reminds him of home that he is extremely nostalgic, but is also accepting of the war. He has come to realize that this is going to happen and what better place to do it than in a beautiful landscape that reminds him so much of home.