What does coughing like hags mean?
The simile ‘coughing like hags’ was used. because the men who went into battle were relatively young, yet after. battle they looked old and ugly, hence hags. With this one sentence. Owen implies health conditions that no one at home would ever dream.
Is coughing like hags a metaphor?
Owen has used many self-explanatory similes in this poem such as,” Bent double, like old beggars under sacks”, “Knock-kneed, coughing like hags”, “like a man in fire or lime” and “like a devil’s sick of sin.” Metaphor: There is only one metaphor used in this poem.
Why are the soldiers knock-kneed and coughing like hags?
The men are knock-kneed and coughing like hags because they are exhausted and battle weary from being at the front. They are “drunk with fatigue,” yet they have to plunge on through sludge to get to their place of rest. Some have lost their boots and are walking on bloody feet.
Is coughing like hags a simile?
In line 2, another simile is used to describe the soldiers as “coughing like hags.” Here the simile seems more intense and disturbing than the first one. To be “coughing” implies that one is sick or at least physically troubled – that one is having trouble breathing.
Do hags cough?
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
What is a cough that sounds like a bark?
When the upper airway is infected with the virus that causes croup, tissues around the voice box (larynx) and the windpipe (trachea) will swell. When a cough forces air through this narrowed passageway, it may sound like a seal barking.
What are haunting flares?
The phrase “haunting flares” is almost an oxymoron, combining the fiery, vivid flare with the gray ghostliness of haunting. However, a flare is primarily a distress signal, and the visually contradictory phrase describes how the soldiers are haunted by the distress of war, even when they turn their backs on it.
What does like a devil’s sick of sin mean?
Owen describes the “hanging” face of one soldier as “like a devil’s sick of sin.” He is implying that the soldier looks so horrified and mangled by what he has suffered that he appears devilish, as if he is “sick of sin” which should surely be impossible for a devil.
What hags mean?
1 : an ugly, slatternly, or evil-looking old woman. 2 archaic. a : a female demon. b : an evil or frightening spirit : hobgoblin. 3 : witch.
What does a cardiac cough sound like?
You may experience a persistent cough or wheezing (a whistling sound in the lungs or laboured breathing) due to your heart failure.
What does a bronchial cough sound like?
Symptoms of Acute Bronchitis Coughing — you may cough up a lot of mucus that’s clear, white, yellow, or green. Shortness of breath. Wheezing or a whistling sound when you breathe.
What does his hanging face like a devil’s sick of sin mean?