Rite of Passage

War is an overriding motif throughout the poem, illustrated both in the aggression of the boys’ behavior and the scene in which it is described. There are mentions of war terminology like turrets, boats, battle, and generals, as well as the direct mention of war in the very last line of the poem. The stance that the boys take in the beginning, jostling and skirmishing in small fights, reflects their war-like behavior and represents the overall antagonism and violence already present in the young boys’ lives.

The speaker also compares the boys to both generals, who symbolize aggression and the front lines of war, and bankers, who represent those financing battles. The detail of the boys clearing their throats—which appears twice in the poem, both times when the boys are compared to bankers and generals—is intended both as a humorous action that belies their young age and a slightly sinister one, considering the violent things the boys say and do. Instead of imaginative play, the boys engage in both threats and comparisons, a more childlike version of what often happens as nations prepare and plan for war.