Ivor Gurney suffered mental health problems before World War One, which would have prevented him joining the war. However he was initially rejected for having poor eyesight.
The first line of the poem continues on from the title. I think 'silence' represents the quietness that comes after death. The barbed wire described in the poem is used to separate the enemy so each side can defend their territory. The barbed wire in No Man's Land is normally cut to prepare for battle. "A noble fool, faithful to his stripes", represents the stripes of a ranking officer. Higher ranking officers are usually detached from the reality of war even though they are in the same brutal environment. In the poem, the commanding officer points to way through the wire which would lead to one certain death yet the soldier refuses to take it. "A finicking accent" describes the a higher ranking officer with an fussy/posh accent. "Hearing bullets whizzing - and thought of music ", the soldier listens in the darkness for signs from the opposition. However Gurney was a composer before the war so this may be referencing his past and the enjoyment he finds in music. The irregular structure is used to convey the chaotic nature of war and Gurney's experience.
