'How Sleep the Brave' by William Collins

            The poem 'How Sleep the Brave' was written by the 18th century English writer William Collins. 

      This patriotic poem is about war and soldier. Where soldiers selflessly dies to free their countries from the enemies. The main focus is on the funeral procession of a soldier, because his pyre is now ready for the burial.  

           How sleep the brave who sink to rest
              By all their country’s wishes blest!
           When Spring, with dewy fingers cold,
         Returns the deck their hallow’d mould,
           She there shall dress a sweeter sod
               Than Fancy’s feet have ever trod.

This whole poetry is in the ode form, with two stanzas, each containing of six lines.  In the first stanza,  poet praises the soldier who has been died for the country.  And for that, they are blessed by the country's people. Here poet pays homage to the soldiers by honoring them. As poem progresses, poet compares it with the spring,  as spring symbolizes the 'rise',  same way this holy soldiers are like a spring,  moreover poet considers them as a holy person who has sacrificed his life for the betterment of the country. As per our imagination power we can interpret that,  now poet talks about the cemetery, which  is more delightful than the feet of a fancy.

                 By fair hands their knell is rung,
            By forms unseen their dirge is sung;
            There Honour comes, a pilgrim grey,
           To bless the turf that wraps their clay;
                 And freedom shall a while repair
               To dwell a weeping hermit there. 

      
            In the second stanza, our imagination about the funeral pyre becomes more stronger as poet tells that the sound of the bell will be ring as never before, and that's also accompanied by the mournful song. In addition, poet seems inspiring others to be brave by saying that these soldiers, as they have got this honor, they are now more famous, and pilgrimages will come to their grey to pay their homage.  At the end, poet becomes more emotional by saying that, this freedom will repair the sorrow of the hermit.  

         By concluding the poem,  we can say that this poem is an elegy,  where poet laments for the soldier. In modern context,  it can be possible that, ultimately poet is not happy with the freedom which he got at the cost of his friend, who had been serving to the country.