"Vergissmeinnicht" was written by Keith Douglas, one of the most celebrated poets of WWII, and is loosely based on his experiences fighting in the British Army. The poem follows the speaker and his fellow soldiers as they come across the rotting body of a German, who, only a few weeks prior, had hit their tank with his artillery gun. They also find a photograph of the German's sweetheart, Steffi, on which she had written "vergissmeinnicht" ("forget me not"). The speaker describes the gruesome scene matter-of-factly, feeling "almost content" at the sight of an enemy soldier's body while also noting that Steffi would "weep" to know what had become of her beloved. The poem conveys both the horrific violence of war as well as the way it invariably changes and dehumanizes all who experience it.

• Read the full text of “Vergissmeinnicht”

• “Vergissmeinnicht” Summary

• “Vergissmeinnicht” Themes

  • 

    The Horror and Dehumanization of War

    Where this theme appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-24
  • 

    Humanity vs. Technology

    Where this theme appears in the poem:

    • Lines 5-8
    • Lines 13-16
  • 

    War, Love, and Suffering

    Where this theme appears in the poem:

    • Lines 9-12
    • Lines 17-24

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Vergissmeinnicht”

  • Lines 1-4

    Three weeks gone ...
    ... in the sun.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 5-8

    The frowning barrel ...
    ... of a demon.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 9-12

    Look. Here in ...
    ... copybook gothic script.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 13-16

    We see him ...
    ... when he's decayed.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 17-20

    But she would ...
    ... like a cave.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 21-24

    For here the ...
    ... lover mortal hurt.

    

    

    

    

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• “Vergissmeinnicht” Symbols

  • 

    The Dead Man's Gun

    Where this symbol appears in the poem:

    • Lines 5-6: “The frowning barrel of his gun / overshadowing.”
    • Lines 15-16: “mocked at by his own equipment / that's hard and good when he's decayed.”
  • 

    Steffi's Picture

    Where this symbol appears in the poem:

    • Lines 9-12: “Here in the gunpit spoil / the dishonoured picture of his girl / who has put: Steffi. Vergissmeinnicht. / in a copybook gothic script.”

• “Vergissmeinnicht” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

  • Alliteration

    

    

    

    

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    Where alliteration appears in the poem:

    • Line 4: “soldier sprawling,” “sun”
    • Line 7: “day”
    • Line 8: “demon”
    • Line 9: “spoil”
    • Line 10: “picture”
    • Line 11: “put,” “Steffi”
    • Line 12: “script”
    • Line 17: “would weep,” “see”
    • Line 18: “skin,” “swart”
    • Line 23: “soldier singled”

  • Imagery

    

    

    

    

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    Where imagery appears in the poem:

    • Lines 3-6: “found / the soldier sprawling in the sun. / The frowning barrel of his gun / overshadowing.”
    • Lines 7-8: “he hit my tank with one / like the entry of a demon.”
    • Line 12: “in a copybook gothic script.”
    • Lines 18-20: “how on his skin the swart flies move; / the dust upon the paper eye / and the burst stomach like a cave.”

  • Juxtaposition

    

    

    

    

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    Where juxtaposition appears in the poem:

    • Lines 4-6
    • Lines 9-24

  • Personification

    

    

    

    

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    Where personification appears in the poem:

    • Lines 5-6: “The frowning barrel of his gun / overshadowing.”
    • Lines 15-16: “mocked at by his own equipment / that's hard and good when he's decayed.”
    • Lines 23-24: “And death who had the soldier singled / has done the lover mortal hurt.”

• “Vergissmeinnicht” Vocabulary

  Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

  • Combatants
  • Came on
  • Gunpit spoil
  • Vergissmeinnicht
  • Copybook gothic script
  • Abased
  • Content
  • Swart
  • Mingled
  • (Location in poem: Line 1: “Three weeks gone and the combatants gone”)

• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Vergissmeinnicht”

  • Form

  • Meter

  • Rhyme Scheme

• “Vergissmeinnicht” Speaker

• “Vergissmeinnicht” Setting

• Literary and Historical Context of “Vergissmeinnicht”

• More “Vergissmeinnicht” Resources

  • External Resources

    • The Poem Out Loud — Listening to a reading of "Vergissmeinnicht" by John Gielgud, one of England's acting greats. 

    • Keith Douglas's Biography — Read more about Douglas's short life over at the Poetry Foundation.  

    • A Radio Documentary About the Poet — Listen to this BBC programme examining Douglas's poetry and wartime experiences.  

    • The Battle of El Alamein — Learn more about the major battle in Egypt, during which Douglas served as a tank operator. 

    • A Poet's Perspective — Listen to thoughts on Douglas from one of the foremost figures in contemporary poetry, Seamus Heaney. 

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