Stanza 1:
**The leave's end's the first thing he thinks of:
That this is leave, that ends.**
The speaker immediately introduces the idea of the leave's duration as a preoccupation on his mind. The repetition of the word "leave" and its emphasis as "this is leave" highlights the fleeting nature of the respite from war.
Stanza 2:
**They walk all afternoon between the houses
Of his small home town, talking of the war
And girls, and friends who haven't letters come for
Months now. Time they walked all afternoon.**
The speaker mentions walking through his hometown with a companion. Their discussions include the war, girls, and friends who haven't received letters for months. The sense of time passing and the uncertainty surrounding the fates of friends underscore the pervasive fear of war.
Stanza 3:
**And so the days have no shape. And the nights have
But one purpose, only two positions;
And this too is part of war, of the ten-day leave.**
The speaker describes how the days and nights have lost their traditional structure and significance. The emphasis on the nights having a singular purpose suggests the physical and emotional demands of intimacy during wartime. These moments are depicted as part of war and the limited duration of the leave.
Stanza 4:
**And they can tell by how they touch what each is thinking:
The girl of how soon next summer will have come,
The soldier of when to start the trip back there,
How fast and in how many hours. And yet:**
The speaker suggests that the couple can communicate their thoughts through touch. The girl hopes for the arrival of the next summer, while the soldier is focused on when to return to war. Despite their unspoken thoughts, the speaker implies a sense of intimacy and shared understanding.
Stanza 5:
**And all the nights are the same. The days and nights
Are like the leaves' veins to that one purpose,
One purpose only: to the ten days' end
That he remembers all the rest of the year
Each year again, even in peace.**
The speaker reinforces the repetitive nature of the days and nights, with their singular purpose leading to the end of the ten-day leave. This experience becomes a memory that haunts the soldier even after the war, a constant reminder of a bittersweet respite.
"Ten Days Leave" reflects on the transient moments of intimacy, the looming reality of war, and the longing for normalcy amid the chaotic and uncertain backdrop of war. The poem captures the complex emotional state of a soldier during a brief leave, highlighting the tension between the desire for human connection and the inevitability of returning to the horrors of war.