"These are they whose youth was violently severed by war and death; a word on the telephone, a scribbled line on paper, and their future ceased. They have built up their lives again, but their safety is not absolute, their fortress not impregnable"

Winifred Holtby's quote strongly catches the tragic disruption that war inflicts on the lives of young people. The passage reviews the abrupt shift from a promising future to one of devastation and uncertainty due to the destructive forces of war and death.

The expression "these are they whose youth was violently severed" recommends a whole generation whose developmental years were suddenly interrupted. War, often glorified in regards to honor and victory, here is represented as a harsh force that irreversibly interrupts the lives of young people, removing them of their possible and hopes. "A word on the telephone, a scribbled line on paper" signifies the stark simplicity with which life-altering news is typically interacted during wartime-- impersonal and cold. This images underscores how, immediately, a mere message or note can cast a long shadow over their future, stressing the vulnerable nature of life during such tumultuous times.

Regardless of this violent upheaval, Holtby acknowledges resilience in the human spirit: "They have developed their lives once again". Here, she recognizes the strength and decision of those impacted by war to reconstruct their lives even after experiencing profound loss. Yet, there is an acknowledgment of their continuous vulnerability, indicated by the phrase "their security is not outright, their fortress not impregnable". This indicates that even as they look for to rebuild and gain back stability, the specters of previous injuries and the danger of potential future conflicts stick around. Their newly found lives, though rebuilt, stay under the shadow of what they have withstood, and the fortifications they erect around their hearts and futures are always potentially at risk of being breached.

Overall, Holtby's quote is a poignant reflection on the long-lasting effect of war on young lives-- it not just interrupts their present but likewise casts a long and inevitable shadow over their future, continuously evaluating their resilience and capability to recover.