In the satirical poem "Base Details-, the speaker exposes the hypocrisy and callousness of the majors in charge of sending men to war. By comically imagining himself as a major, the speaker reveals the privileged, carefree life that they live. He depicts himself as "fierce, bald and short of breath-(1), showing the irony of the men in charge "old and out of shape "who boss their subordinates around into doing tasks they themselves would be easily exhausted from. Playing the role of a scarlet major "which indicates the major as a murderer "he would "speed glum heroes up the line to death-(3), doing this quickly to the reluctant soldiers, while he would be "guzzling and gulping in the best hotel-(5) "oblivious to the predicament that his troops are in "contrasting a major's luxurious lifestyle, with the soldiers' plight. Even when the time comes to honor the soldiers who died fighting for his cause, the speaker sees himself belittling their sacrifice: "Yes, we've lost heavily in this last scrap-(8), referring to it as if it were a playground fight. Seeking attention for himself, he would try "to no avail "to express grief when he nonchalantly says, " Poor young chap, I used to know his father well- (6-7); which begs the question, if he feels bad about it, then why would he continue to send other soldiers out to fight? After the war ends, when most of his men are "stone dead-(9), the major would "toddle safely home to die "in bed-(10) bearing resemblance to a big baby showing that the major is free from all burdens and spoiled by his gluttonous lifestyle. The last line of the poem is a blunt line that reveals the peaceful end of the major, in the comfort of his own home and after a long life, as opposed to his soldiers who die painfully at the beginning of theirs. .