Dead on the field lie ten soldiers in white, Felled by three eyes, black as night. What happened?

Why this works

This riddle uses clever imagery to describe a game of bowling. The "ten soldiers in white" refer to the ten white pins set up at the end of the bowling lane, while "three eyes, black as night" describes the three holes (or "eyes") in a typical black bowling ball. The phrase "felled by" indicates that the bowling ball rolled down the lane and knocked over the pins, creating a vivid scene that captures the action of the sport in a poetic way.