The Universal Soldier

The Universal Soldier By: Buffy Sainte-Marie

     

           In the first first stanza the poet talks about different soldiers over the course of time that where different height, age, had different weapons, and their religion/ beliefs where also different. Soldiers know not to kill, but they do it for their families and friends anyway. I think Sainte-Marie is trying to say that war has been going on for thousands of years and many people get involved. When the poet says, "and he knows he shouldn't kill, and he knows he always will," I think it means they don't want to kill, but no mater what, people will always be getting killed in war.

         The second stanza Sainte-Marie is talking about the different countries that have either fought together, or against each other in war. The poet writes, "and he thinks we'll put an end to war this way," the poet is trying to say that people think that they will put an end to war with more war. This isn't a very good idea because the more you do something to someone else, the more they want to do to you, this will keep going until one side stops fighting, or they have no one to fight for them, so they can't fight any more. 

        The poet writes, " He says it's for the peace of all, He is the one how must decide, who's to live and who's to die, and he never sees the writing on the wall," in the third stanza. The soldier that is fighting decides who gets to live and go back to their family, and who dies and never see their family again. I think when the poet says, " and he never sees the writing on the wall," Sainte-Marie is referring to when he says, " He says it's for the peace of all," I don't understand, what is the peace in fighting and war?

        " But without him how would Hitler condemned the Dachau, Without him Caesar would have stood alone," the poet writes this in the fourth stanza. I think this means that without soldiers their would be no war. Later in the fourth stanza Saint-Marie says " he is a universal soldier and he is really to blame," I agree and disagree with this. I agree with this because without soldiers there would be no one to fight, but I disagree because when a country goes to war the soldiers decide go to defend their country and the people they love.

         In the fifth and final stanza the poet writes, " His orders come from far away no more, They come from him and you and me, and brothers can't you see, this is not how we put an end to war." In this final stanza Sainte-Marie means a soldiers  orders to keep killing come from himself, he can choose to stop any time, but he does not. In the last line when he writes " this is not a way to put an end to war," he is saying, in war we are fighting for peace, but where is the peace in fighting?

        

Christina P