Final answer:
The overwhelming noise of battle, including the roar of guns and the whistling of shells, deeply affects the characters' senses, causing disorientation, fear, and a surreal perception of the world.
Step-by-step explanation:
From the excerpts provided, Paul and other characters experience a profound transformation of their senses due to the intense and relentless noise of warfare. The roar of guns and the whistling of shells have a disorienting and dehumanizing effect, at times causing characters to see the world in a detached, surreal way, reducing the environment to mere colors or to concepts of beauty strangely juxtaposed with the horror surrounding them.
This incessant cacophony dulls their senses, instills a profound fear, and occasionally offers moments of odd tranquility amidst the chaos. The forces of nature become intertwined with the acts of war, as seen in the water stirred by cannon fire and the fan-shaped explosions. Ultimately, the sounds of battle overpower the men's ability to focus on anything else, exemplified by the confusion of the ticking of a watch with the sounds of warfare.