# A Military Incident explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

At dawn, a gunner at Fort Douglas prepares to fire the sunrise gun, but the cannon prematurely explodes, blowing off both his arms. The gunner, an Irishman from Ballyshannon, remarks that the sun is a minute late according to the cannon's timing.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mortality and Regret

The gunner's sudden, violent loss of his arms underscores the fragility of life and the absurdity of military routine.

## Character check-ins

### John Jackson

The veteran gunner at Fort Douglas who loses both arms in a premature cannon explosion.

## Key lines

> Dawn heralded the coming sun⁠— Fort Douglas was computing The minute⁠—and the sunrise gun Was manned for his saluting.

At dawn, Fort Douglas prepared for the sunrise ceremony, with a gunner ready to fire the salute.

_Sets the scene for the military ritual._

> The gun went off sublimely, And both his busy arms likewise Went off with it, untimely.

The cannon fired unexpectedly, and the gunner's arms were blown off prematurely.

_Describes the accidental explosion and its gruesome consequence._

> Bedad, the sun’s a minute late, Accardin’ to this cannon!

By the cannon's timing, the sun is a minute behind schedule.

_The gunner's darkly humorous remark after his injury._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/a-military-incident
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters