An unnamed combatant fighting in World War I who loses his life on the battlefield. Because of the sheer volume of casualties in the war, his death is treated as a routine occurrence. He is denied a proper burial and a traditional mourning period. He represents the tragic erasure of identity that occurs in modern, mechanized warfare.

The narrative voice of the poem, who contemplates the casualties of World War I from a physical distance. Likely a civilian remaining at home, the speaker experiences feelings of helplessness regarding the constant news of destruction. Using a sardonic tone, the speaker critiques the world's apathy toward the massive loss of life and the absence of proper memorials for the dead.