Close Study of Texts - Wilfred Owen
Alexandra Bucud
How does Owen’s portrayal of the relationship between youth and war move us to a deeper understanding of suffering? As an anti-war poet, Wilfred Owen uses his literary skills to express his perspective on human conflict and the wastage involved with war, the horrors of war, and its negative effects and outcomes. As a young man involved in the war himself, Owen obtained personal objectivity of the dehumanisation of young people during the war, as well as the false glorification that the world has been influenced to deliver to them. These very ideas can be seen in poems such as 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' and 'Dulce ET Decorum EST Pro Patria Mori'. Owen uses a variety of literary techniques to convey his ideas. Wilfred Owen shows a binary comparison of deaths in the war, and a normal funeral in the poem 'Anthem for Doomed Youth'. Through this contrasting, Owen is able to portray notions of horrors and pity of war. This poem is specifically a sonnet, where the sestet includes mournful entities to represent and complete the mock of a funeral for the youth. For instance, the metaphor "not in the hands of boys but in their eyes" referring to the substitution of candles for tears in the friends of the soldiers' eyes instead. As well as the metaphor in "the pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall" which suggests that the coffin is covered by memories of loved ones left behind. The indecent ritual that is given to the people in the war is just one of many true horrors of war Owen aimed to reveal through his writing. Another horrific truth about the war is conveyed in 'Dulce ET Decorum EST Pro Patria Mori'. Wilfred Owen brings attention to such a brutal attack which he personally witnessed; the use of poison gas. "Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!" At this specific point of the poem, there is a change of rhythm where it becomes quicker. This is achieved through the use of short sentences, and gives off an effect of adrenaline rush to the readers to
How does Owen’s portrayal of the relationship between youth and war move us to a deeper understanding of suffering? As an anti-war poet, Wilfred Owen uses his literary skills to express his perspective on human conflict and the wastage involved with war, the horrors of war, and its negative effects and outcomes. As a young man involved in the war himself, Owen obtained personal objectivity of the dehumanisation of young people during the war, as well as the false glorification that the world has been influenced to deliver to them. These very ideas can be seen in poems such as 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' and 'Dulce ET Decorum EST Pro Patria Mori'. Owen uses a variety of literary techniques to convey his ideas. Wilfred Owen shows a binary comparison of deaths in the war, and a normal funeral in the poem 'Anthem for Doomed Youth'. Through this contrasting, Owen is able to portray notions of horrors and pity of war. This poem is specifically a sonnet, where the sestet includes mournful entities to represent and complete the mock of a funeral for the youth. For instance, the metaphor "not in the hands of boys but in their eyes" referring to the substitution of candles for tears in the friends of the soldiers' eyes instead. As well as the metaphor in "the pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall" which suggests that the coffin is covered by memories of loved ones left behind. The indecent ritual that is given to the people in the war is just one of many true horrors of war Owen aimed to reveal through his writing. Another horrific truth about the war is conveyed in 'Dulce ET Decorum EST Pro Patria Mori'. Wilfred Owen brings attention to such a brutal attack which he personally witnessed; the use of poison gas. "Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!" At this specific point of the poem, there is a change of rhythm where it becomes quicker. This is achieved through the use of short sentences, and gives off an effect of adrenaline rush to the readers to