Analysis of "August, 1914" by Vera May Brittain

 Poem found here:  "August, 1914" by Vera May Brittain

Close to Terza Rima? I think the form is there, there's the rhyme scheme, and the poem seems also to be in iambic tetrameter.  What the form does to the poem is add a sense of ominous grandeur to a paradox of how God works.  Also note that the date of this poem coincided with the first month of World War I  so I don't know if there is a direct connection there, but based on subject matter, there's a sense of destruction and snark.

God said, "Men have forgotten Me:
The souls that sleep shall wake again,
     And blinded eyes must learn to see."

In God's eyes, people aren't acknowledging him, and in order to gain acknowledgement again "souls that sleep shall wake again," This line is hard to decipher.  Does this mean that the past should drudged up?  This could also mean that past grudges shall be seen.  In either case, "A blinded eyes must learn to see" degrades humanity as blind and God is the way that they can see.

So since redemption comes through pain
He smote the earth with chastening rod,
     And brought destruction's lurid reign;

God brought the pain so people can remember.  "Smote" is a strong word because who are the sinners?  People in general are apparently as their are no distinction between people -- sin is sin, redemption is redemption.  The personification of destruction here makes me wonder what vehicle of destruction would be necessary to create a lurid reign:  war perhaps?  plague?  famine?  The scenario is very Apocalyptic.

But where His desolation trod
The people in their agony 
     Despairing cried, "There is no God." 

I think the interesting thing about these lines is the implication that God isn't everywhere.  God cannot cast judgement and open eyes everywhere and there's repercussions of peace.  The general populous that doesn't have this redemption through destruction believe God doesn't exist.  That in order to believe destruction should be personal.  The snark that people need to be in a negative spiral to believe or not believe.  To be on one side or another.