Can anyone tell me if the scansion I have down so far to this poem is correct?
If is correct, then how do I fill in the blanks to figure out the actual feet and meter so that it makes since? Or does this poem change? And finally, what is this poem about? I think it has something to do with war, but what? Who is telling the "story" and who could he possibly be talking to? Is there any symbolism in it? All this info would be great to know, but specifically the scansion. Thanks so much.

The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarrell

From my moTHER'S sleep I fell into the State,

And I hunched in its BElly till my wet fur froze.

Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,

I woke to black flak and the NIGHTmare FIghters.

When I died they washed me out of the TUrret with a hose.

Its a WW11 poem. The ball turret is the clear dome on the underside of a bomber containing a gun. The gunner sits in this to fire the gun and defend the bomber against the fighters trying to shoot it down. He wears a sheepskin jacket for warmth (they are flying six miles up and its cold.) He was semidozing because of the cold and dark, didn't spot the fighters closing in until it was too late and was shot to pieces, so many pieces that the ground crew had to clean out the turret by hosing it down to remove all the blood and gore. The dead gunner is telling the story to the comrades he didn't defend, the officers he would normally report to, other gunners as a warning not to repeat his mistake, anyone who will listen?

Try to read it with five stresses per line.

From my MOTHer's SLEEP i fell inTO the STATE,
And i HUNCHED in its BELLy till my WET FUR FROZE.
Six MILES from EARTH LOOSED from its DREAM of LIFE,
i WOKE to BLACK FLAK and the NIGHTmare FIGHTers.
When i DIED they WASHED me OUT of the TURRet with a HOSE.

Tsk.

From my MOTHer's SLEEP i FELL inTO the STATE,