Mametz Wood by Owen Sheers

Mametz Wood by Owen Sheers is a haunting war poem that explores the aftermath of battle, focusing on the discovery of the remains of soldiers in French woodland.

This study guide is written for students and teachers of English Literature, particularly those studying CCEA’s GCSE English Literature Conflict Anthology. For more study guides from this anthology, check out the Conflict page, or the list of poems in the series at the bottom of this guide.

Mametz Wood

For years afterwards the farmers found them –
the wasted young, turning up under their plough blades
as they tended the land back into itself.

A chit of bone, the china plate of a shoulder blade,
the relic of a finger, the blown
and broken bird’s egg of a skull,

all mimicked now in flint, breaking blue in white
across this field where they were told to walk, not run,
towards the wood and its nesting machine guns.

And even now the earth stands sentinel,
reaching back into itself for reminders of what happened
like a wound working a foreign body to the surface of the skin.

This morning, twenty men buried in one long grave,
a broken mosaic of bone linked arm in arm,
their skeletons paused mid dance-macabre

in boots that outlasted them,
their socketed heads tilted back at an angle
and their jaws, those that have them, dropped open.

As if the notes they had sung
have only now, with this unearthing,
slipped from their absent tongues.

Glossary:

Chit: A small or insignificant piece, or fragment.

Relic: An object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest.

Mimicked: Imitated or copied.

Flint: A hard, sedimentary form of quartz that can be used to produce sparks; here, it refers to fragments resembling bone found in the field.

Sentinel: A guard or watchman; someone or something that stands as a protector.

Mosaic: A picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces, as of tile, glass, or stone.

Macabre: A disturbing and horrifying depiction of death.

What is 'Mametz Wood' about?

Summary of stanza 1

On farm land at Mametz, a part of northern France near the River Somme, farmers work their land, restoring it to fertility after the destruction of WWI. As the soil is turned over by their ploughs, the bodies of soldiers are also turned up from beneath the soil.

Summary of stanza 2

The speaker describes the fragments of bones, using metaphors to describe each different body part. Rather than the delicate way the dead are often remembered, in stanza 2 the speaker dehumanises these soldiers’ bodies by reducing them to individual bones.

Summary of stanza 3

In this stanza, the bones of the soldiers are compared to pieces blue and white china, making the reader think of fragile and breakable everyday items. In the present moment, the bones are scattered over the same land where, many years before, those same soldiers had been given commands to move into the woods where German machine guns were waiting to attack them.

Summary of stanza 4

In stanza four, the speaker creates the image of the earth itself reminding present generations of the sacrifice and destruction of past generations. The image of the body healing itself by pushing dirt and grit to the surface of a wound is created. This helps the reader imagine the earth pushing the bones to the surface to rid itself of the past.

Summary of stanza 5

In stanza five, the speaker tells of the discovery of a mass grave of twenty soldiers whose skeletons were all interlinked, as if frozen in the middle of a dance.

Summary of stanza 6

In stanza six, the fragility and brevity of life is emphasised by the fact that the boots the soldiers wore has decayed less than the soldiers’ bodies. The speaker describes the awful angle of the faces of the soldiers’ bodies, and the fact that not all of the skeletons had jaws, such was the brutality of their deaths.

Summary of stanza 7

The poem finishes with the haunting idea that these soldiers died with unfinished songs, which have only now, in being dug up, been released.

Context of 'Mametz Wood'

Owen Sheers' life, education and career

Owen Sheers was born in 1974 in Fiji. He moved with his family to Abergavenny in South Wales where he grew up, and his strong Welsh roots and interest in the war provide important context for ‘Mametz Wood.’

Sheers attended school at King Henry VIII comprehensive in Abergavenny before completing his degree at New College, Oxford. His career has involved work with radio plays, poetry and theatre. In addition to writing about the industrialisation in South Wales, and the connections between people and the land, Sheers has a keen interest in the poetry of Keith Douglas, a celebrated war poet. Indeed, Sheers write ‘Unicorns, Almost’, a one-man play about the life and work of Douglas, as well as two war plays, one entitled ‘Two Worlds of Charlie F.’ about wounded soldiers, and another called ‘Mametz’, about the Battle of the Somme, which is the subject matter for this poem.

You can read more about Sheers’ work in this interesting 2015 Guardian article, Owen Sheers: an interview with contemporary literature’s renaissance man and here, at his own website owensheers.co.uk/about-owen/biography/.

The poem ‘Mametz Wood’ was written in the early 2000s. The poem is part of his collection titled “Skirrid Hill,” which was published in 2005.

The Battle of Mametz Wood was a significant engagement during the larger Somme offensive. Sheers, being a Welsh writer, chose to focus on the involvement of the Welsh Division in this battle, where soldiers from Wales faced intense fighting in the wood near the town of Mametz.

Context of 'Mametz Wood' and the Battle of the Somme

The Battle of the Somme, which took place during World War I from July 1 to November 18, 1916, was one of the largest and bloodiest battles in history. The offensive aimed to break through the German lines on the Western Front and relieve pressure on the French forces at Verdun.

The British and French armies launched a massive assault along a 25-mile front. In this context, the Welsh Division played a crucial role in the Battle of Mametz Wood, part of the Somme offensive. Located near the town of Mametz in northern France, the wood became a fiercely contested battleground where Welsh soldiers faced determined German resistance.

The Battle of Mametz Wood occurred in July 1916 and resulted in significant casualties on both sides. The Welsh Division faced immense challenges in the dense and heavily fortified woodland, engaging in intense and often hand-to-hand combat. The battle holds historical significance as part of the broader Somme campaign, symbolising the brutal and costly nature of trench warfare during World War I.

Line-by-line analysis of 'Mametz Wood'

Stanza 1

For years afterwards the farmers found them –

The use of the past tense and the word ‘found’ introduces a sense of discovery and aftermath.
‘For years’ implies a prolonged duration, emphasising the lasting impact of the war.
The hyphen at the end of the line creates a pause before the enjambment into the next line, creating a conversational tone.
Alliteration in ‘for’, ‘farmers’ and ‘found’ and the consonance in ‘afterwards’ emphasises the conversational tone and the sense of talking about the past.

the wasted young, turning up under their plough blades

The adjective ‘wasted’ carries a poignant connotation, highlighting the senselessness of the deaths. It is reminiscent of Wilfred Owen’s ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’: both poets focus on the youthfulness of so many of the soldiers, and their ‘wasted’ or ‘doomed’ lives.
‘Turning up under their plough blades’ suggesting the earth revealing the remains to the farmers’ tools.
The choice of the word ‘young’ implies these men were valued and innocent, juxtaopsed to the bodies that turn up under blades, which is a dehumanising description.

as they tended the land back into itself.

‘tended the land back into itself’ is a nuturing image, describing the act of cultivation as a tender act.
This line symbolises the cyclical nature of life and death, emphasising the connection between the land and those who fought on it. The bodies enrich the soil as it is turned over, ready for new growth.

Stanza 2

A chit of bone, the china plate of a shoulder blade,

The use of ‘chit’ creates a sense of small, insignificant fragments, emphasising the fragility of life.
In the metaphor comparing human bones to a ‘china plate’, the speaker underscores the delicate nature of the human remains.
Sounds of warfare are highlighted in the short, sharp alliterative sound in ‘chit’ and ‘china’, and the booming, plosive alliteration of ‘bone’ and ‘blade’.

the relic of a finger, the blown

The use of ‘relic’ adds a historical and sacred dimension to the body parts, and reminds the reader that this field is also a burial ground.
Plosive alliteration is again used in ‘blown’ on this line, continuing into the ‘broken bird’s egg’ of the next line, linking lines together and echoing sounds around the poem, as the past seems to echo around into the present in this place.
The metaphor of a ‘blown and broken bird’s egg’ evokes vulnerability and destruction.

and broken bird’s egg of a skull,

The imagery of a skull as a ‘broken bird’s egg’ is an apt metaphor for the ‘wasted young’ of line two. Evoking youth, the reference to the bird’s egg reminds the reader of the opportunities lost in the deaths of so many young people.
This stanza ends with a comma and the sentence continues into the next stanza, creating a sense of breaking through times and spaces, echoing the very presence of these 1916 bones nearly a century later.

Stanza 3

all mimicked now in flint, breaking blue in white

‘Mimicked’ suggests the transformation of organic material into enduring stone, creating a lasting memorial, acting in lieu of a real tomb stone.
Reference to flint also makes the reader think of ancient weaponry.
Colour imagery is used with ‘breaking blue in white’, conveying a vivid depiction of the flint’s appearance in the field. This contrasts to the natural colours of green and brown, typically associated with farm land.
The caesura after ‘flint’ is aptly followed by the harsh verb ‘breaking’, creating a sense of disruption and conflict.

across this field where they were told to walk, not run,

The command to ‘walk, not run’ introduces the theme of obedience and the soldiers’ adherence to orders.
There is a cynical tone here, suggesting that the command was flawed and lead these soldiers striaght to their deaths. This line has echoes of ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade,’ in which poor orders were diligently followed. However, in ‘Mametz Wood,’ the tone is not of the glorious and honourable nature of obedience but rather it is mournful for the waste of lives.
This line sets the stage for the impending danger in the wood, emphasising the tension and anticipation.

towards the wood and its nesting machine guns.

Animal imagery is used in the metaphor of ‘nesting machine guns’, creating an unsettling image of danger and death.
The choice of the verb ‘nesting’ implies a natural, yet destructive, presence in the wood, rather than the animals or birds that usually nest in woods.

Stanza 4

And even now the earth stands sentinel,

The past is brought into the present in this line in the phrase ‘even now’, reminding the reader that the events of WWI are over but not forgotten.
Earth is personified in the metaphor ‘the earth stands sentinel’, painting a picture of the earth as a vigilant guardian or witness to the events.
This line conveys the idea that the land holds memories and reveals them over time.
The sibilance of ‘stands sentinel’ magnifies the emotion of the line and lends a tone of admiration for these soldiers.

reaching back into itself for reminders of what happened

The personification of the earth ‘reaching back into itself’ suggests a deep connection between the land and its history.
‘Reminders of what happened’ conveys the ongoing impact and significance of the past not just on the inhabitants of Mametz in the present day, but the very earth itself is still struggling to comprehend the past.

like a wound working a foreign body to the surface of the skin.

The simile ‘like a wound’ suggests that the earth’s role in revealing the remains is akin to a healing but painful process.
‘Working a foreign body to the surface of the skin’ employs personification, depicting the earth as an active agent bringing buried remains to light.
This line contributes to the overarching theme of the land holding memories and gradually disclosing the impact of past events.
Again, the emotion of the line is highlighted by the use of sibilance in ‘surface’ and ‘skin’.

Stanza 5

This morning, twenty men buried in one long grave,

The phrase ‘This morning’ creates a sense of immediacy, contrasting with the historical discovery, bringing the reader back to the present moment.
‘Twenty men buried in one long grave’ evokes a collective burial, emphasising the scale of loss.

a broken mosaic of bone linked arm in arm,

The metaphor of a ‘broken mosaic of bone’ suggests fragmentation, disruption and disorder, and yet also there is beauty is a mosaic. The juxtaposition of beauty and chaos is present, adding emotion.
‘Linked arm in arm’ conveys a sense of the unity of these soldiers even in death, emphasising their camaraderie.

their skeletons paused mid dance-macabre

Imagery of ‘skeletons paused mid dance-macabre’ introduces a dance of death, highlighting the eerie and tragic aftermath of war.
The term ‘macabre’ suggests a grim, death-related theme, contributing to the overall somber tone.

Stanza 6

in boots that outlasted them,

There is tragic irony in the personification of ‘boots that outlasted them’, giving the footwear a sense of endurance which outlives the soldiers.
This line underscores the lasting impact of inanimate objects as witnesses to the passage of time, in the same way as the earth is also a witness to past events.

their socketed heads tilted back at an angle

The use of ‘socketed heads’ refers to the skulls, giving them an almost mechanical quality, adding to the dehumanising impact of the descriptions of the bodies.
‘Tilted back at an angle’ suggests a sense of frozen movement or pause, adding to the visual imagery of the scene.

and their jaws, those that have them, dropped open.

‘Jaws dropped open’ creates a haunting image, possibly symbolising the silenced voices of the deceased.
The use of ‘those that have them’ is another dehumanising description, hammering home the brutality of their deaths.

Stanza 7

As if the notes they had sung

The speaker allows himself a moment to imagine and to attempt to find some closure; that the release of these soldiers’ songs gives meaning to the almost cruel unearthing of their corpses.
‘The notes they had sung’ implies a musical aspect to their existence, possibly referring to songs of camaraderie or war.

have only now, with this unearthing,

The phrase ‘only now, with this unearthing’ emphasises the delayed revelation of the soldiers’ voices.
This line suggests that the discovery of their remains brings forth the echoes of their songs.

slipped from their absent tongues.

The metaphor ‘slipped from their absent tongues’ conveys the idea that the voices are no longer present.
‘Absent tongues’ underscores the silence and absence of the soldiers, creating a poignant and haunting conclusion to the poem.

Analysis of form and structure

Verse structure

‘Mametz Wood’ is organised in regular tercets (three-line stanzas). Despite this regular verse structure, the poem feels conversational and informal. This is due, in part, to the differing line lengths and the disruptive use of enjambment and caesura. These structural features cause the reader to pause mid-line rather than at the end of the line, or read on through the end of one line into another, creating disruption to the line length and flow.

The unpredictable patterns observed in the form and structure of the verse perhaps reflect the unpredicatable nature of the bones being discovered here and there, without warning. The earth seems to ignore the regular pattern of time, with history coming back to haunt the landscape. Similarly, the sentence structure seems to ignore the end of the line or the end of the verse.

Rhyme

‘Mametz Wood’ does not have a regular rhyme scheme. There are isolated cases of rhyme, but no regular pattern. As with the verse structure analysis above, the rhyme seems unpredictable and almost in defiance of structure or organisation.

Rhythm

As with rhyme, ‘Mametz Wood’ does not have a regular rhythm or meter. Instead, it is written in free verse, with lines of different syllable counts and lengths. The variation in line length and use of enjambment and caesura create a conversational tone, giving a sense of retelling stories from the past. In this case, the stories are those belonging to the earth, which reveals its secrets sporadically and even recently as is the case in stanza five (‘This morning …’).

Themes in 'Mametz Wood' by Owen Sheers

Memory and remembrance

‘Mametz Wood’ reflects on the passage of time and the ways in which individual casualties of the war are preserved. It explores how the landscape holds the echoes of the past and serves as a store for the memory of the soldiers who fought and died there. In this way, it compares well to ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth‘ in which Wilfred Owen challenges the ways in which young soldiers are honoured and remembered for their sacrifice, finding the traditional methods of funerals and church services empty and meaningless.

Nature

Sheers contrasts the natural landscape with the horrors of war. The farmers of Mametz work the land to make it productive, in contrast to the death and destruction that occurred there during the Battle of the Somme. There are some connections to ‘Bayonet Charge’ by Ted Hughes in terms of the descriptions of nature, and the impact of war on the land.

Death at war

The poem addresses the theme of loss, not only in terms of the soldiers who lost their lives but also in the impact on the families and communities who live on in those places. The idea of sacrifice for a greater cause is examined in the context of the war.

Legacy of war

The poem considers the enduring impact of war on the land and its people. It suggests that the consequences of conflict extend far beyond the immediate time and place of battle, leaving a lasting imprint on the landscape and the collective consciousness. In Requiem for the Croppies, Heaney writes of how the croppies are remembered each year in August when the barley grows. The Irish landscape has grown around their graves. In contrast, in ‘Mametz Wood’, the land rejects and expels the bones of the soldiers as foreign bodies.

Comprehension Questions on 'Mametz Wood' by Owen Sheers:

What do the farmers find in the fields ‘for years afterwards’?
Describe the various fragments of human remains mentioned in the poem. What poetic devices are used in Sheers’ descriptions?
How does the poet convey the idea that the earth is a witness to the events described in the poem?
In what way is flint mentioned in the poem, and what does it symbolise?
What instructions were given to the soldiers as they approached the wood, and how does that contribute to the poem’s atmosphere?
How is the concept of time portrayed in the poem, especially in relation to the soldiers’ remains?
Discuss the imagery and symbolism associated with the soldiers’ skeletons and their boots.
Explain the significance of the phrase “dance-macabre” in the context of the poem.
What is the effect of the soldiers’ open jaws, and what might the poet be suggesting about their silenced voices?
How does the poem explore the theme of memory and the impact of unearthing the past?
Which poem from the CCEA Conflict Anthology (or any other anthology you are studying) would you choose to compare and contrast with ‘Mametz Wood’?

Other poems from the CCEA Conflict Anthology to pair with 'Poem Name'

Vergissmeinnicht by Keith Douglas

Honouring the legacy of those who died in war is the subject matter for both ‘Mametz Wood’ and ‘Vergessmeinnicht‘. Both poems explore the humanising and dehumanising of the dead soldiers, and the cost of war on both people and the landscape. The poems are also connected through the interest of the poet Sheers in the life and work of the poet Douglas.

Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen

‘Anthem for Doomed Youth‘ provides a contrasting perspective to ‘Mametz Wood’ as Wilfred Owen witnessed and experienced war first-hand, while Sheers writes long after the war. ‘Anthem’ condemns of the way the soldiers are honoured at home, while Sheers is more subtle in considering the upturning of bodies. Both poets focus on the youthfulness of the dead soldiers, but there is plenty for students to contrast in terms of the verse structure, rhyme and rhythm,