The soldiers are resting and enjoying the summer beauty of their surroundings, preparing themselves for the upcoming battle. When they reach the top of a hill, they are exposed to machine gun fire from the enemy. The soldiers face extreme situations in war, such as having to run up the hill while exposed to enemy fire. Both the soldiers and the poet feel the suffering of war, with the soldiers feeling like their feet have come to the end of the world and the poet feeling sorrow for the soldiers.