In the first stanza, the poet sets the scene for Vandevue’s death by using the repetition of ‘alone’. The poet also uses, the midnight and the moonlight to try and set the scene for Vandevue’s death. The poet uses the line ‘left by the ebbing tide of the battle’ to try and set the scene for her death. The first line is very important in recognising that the scene is set for the girl soldier’s death. We know that she is left behind in what used to be a battleground.

The feature of M.L.5 suggest that it is set in the future. In our time, M.L.5 doesn’t exist, so this could suggest that it is set in the future. M.L.5 could be a chemical or poison that has been created to take away people’s memory. In the second stanza, it says M.L.5 has left the girl just about alive. We know that M.L.5 has taken her memory away. She has been brainwashed so we could assume she has been drugged or poisoned. We know that M.L.5 has had disastrous effects on people.

The poet uses repetition to create a feeling of sadness in the poem. The poet uses the word ‘alone’ to emphasis the fact that she is alone. The significance of the word ‘alone’ suggest that when she is alone, she is fragile and vulnerable.