PART B: Which detail from the poem best supports the answer to Part A?

Young soldiers don't know what they're getting into when they sign up for war.

A

"What a smile! One large lamp for a face,/smaller lanterns where skin stretches over" (Lines 1-2)

B

"involuntary shudders/when someone, somewhere, steps over/his shallow, unmarked, mass grave." (Lines 10-12)

C

"But his smile remains undimmed / inviting, not knowing what hit him," (Lines 13-14)

D

"and a face just like/his figures like him to stop all action / with a flick of finger on the trigger." (Lines 16-18)

C. "But his smile remains undimmed / inviting, not knowing what hit him," (Lines 13-14)

Explanation:

The question above is related to a poem entitled "Boy Soldier," written by Fred D'Aguiar. It talks about "young soldiers" or "child soldiers" who sign up for war, yet they don't really know what awaits them ahead.

The answer to PART A is "Young soldiers don't know what they're getting into when they sign up for war." This is evidently supported by "But his smile remains undimmed/inviting, not knowing what hit him."

The answer clearly shows that even if young soldiers get hit in a war or die, they don't have any idea why they got hit. It clearly shows that children enter into war to become soldiers without the proper knowledge about the war, the war materials they are going to use and why the war is happening. They are simply very young to understand and have no proper training.

So, this explains the answer.