Question

What does the poet mean by “haunted nights’ cowed subjection ..... dreams that drip with murder”?

Answer 1

The phrase describes the soldiers’ torment after battle. Their nights are haunted by memories of dead comrades and the violence they witnessed or took part in. They feel “cowed” or dominated by these memories, and their dreams repeatedly bring back scenes of killing. The war may be over, but its terror continues in their minds.