2. Is the analogy an effective comparison? why? Yes, life is a constant struggle to succeed as is war.
3. Purple is a color associated with blood shed in battle (Purple Heart). Purple is also a color associated with royalty or nobility. What is the "purple Host" in line 5? The dead soldiers are the purple host.
4. Whose ear is mentioned in line 10? What is the ear forbidden to hear? The forbidden ear is losing. The ear is forbidden to hear defeat.
5. Describe the image you see in the last stanza. We see a soldier dying while listening to the sounds of victory.