I have begun to die.
For now at last I know
That there is no escape
From Night. Not any dream
The first line is a declarative, unequivocal statement of the poet’s reality. The reader, at this stage, doesn’t know what the sentence signifies — why has he only  begun  to die — but its abrupt harshness is enough to stimulate interest. The only clue is given in the title, “The Sentry” and the implications of War.
The Sentry