The colonel appears in poetry as a figure of mid-level command, often embodying the bureaucratic and hierarchical structures of military life. Poets use colonels to explore the distance between decision-makers and the soldiers who bear the consequences of their orders. The rank carries connotations of experience and authority, sometimes rendered with irony when contrasted against the suffering of common soldiers under a colonel's command.

A colonel is a senior military officer who typically commands a regiment, ranking above major and below general. The colonel has historically been the officer who personally leads troops into battle, bridging the gap between staff planning and frontline action. In many armies, colonels serve as chiefs of staff, instructors, or commanders of training units. The term derives from "column commander" in the sixteenth century. In poetry, the colonel often represents the authoritative, sometimes distant figure of command—the voice that gives orders and bears responsibility. The famous poem "The Colonel" by Carolyn Forché captures the arbitrary power of military authority. Related terms include captain, major, and general. The lieutenant colonel serves as a senior staff officer or battalion commander.