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I cant understand the poem in the prologue so can someone help me. Its very inportant for my assignment -

You captains, tell the drums to slacken

And give your infanteers a break:

It's Mother Courage with her waggon

Full on the finest boots they make.

With crawling lice and looted cattle,

With lumbering guns and straggling kit -

How can u flog them into battle

Unless you get them boots that fit?

The new years come. The watchmen shout.

The thaw sets in. the dead remain.

Whereever life has not died out

It staggers to its feet again.

Captains, how can you make them face it -

Marching to death without a brew?

Courage has rum with which to lace it

And boil their souls, and bodies through.

Their musket primed, their stomach hollow -

Captains, your men don't look so well.

So feed them up and let them follow

While you command them into hell.

The new years come. The watchmen shout.

The thaw sets in. the dead remain.

Whereever life has not died out

It staggers to its feet again.