He dropped,—more sullenly than wearily,
Lay stupid like a cod, heavy like meat,
And none of us could kick him to his feet;
Just blinked at my revolver, blearily;
The poem begins abruptly, a ‘hook’ to draw the reader in. The spare, uncluttered language resembles the soldiers own speech. 
 The adjective ‘sullenly’ indicates that soldiers have lost their enthusiasm for fighting; the reality of suffering has defeated idealism and patriotism. 
