Both poems contain lines of iambic pentameter, in fact in 'The Send Off' lines one three and four of each stanza are written in iambic pentameter. This gives the poem a constant rhythm, much like that of the train the soldiers are traveling in on their way to France. This makes the images of the men being sent of and rushed away secretly stronger for the reader. In contrast, the lines of iambic pentameter in 'Anthem For Doomed Youth' are used in contrast to lines such as 'What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?' which has eleven syllables instead of the usual ten and the line 'Only the monstrous anger of the guns', a trochee, almost the complete opposite of an iambic pentameter. Owen includes many of these variations throughout the poem. He does this to unsettle the reader so they do not grow too comfortable with these rituals of grief either wise they may miss, or feel fewer of the powerful emotions Owen is portraying.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
On the other hand, the poem ‘The Send- Off’ written by Wilfred Owen was set in World War I and is about the departure of soldiers to war. This poem is similar to The Shoe-Horn Sonata as it reflects a shameful image of the operation of war as ‘too few’ will return. Through the use of visual and aural imagery, Owen is able to depict the excited and anxious anticipation of the soldiers at the beginning of the poem through the use of the oxymoron ‘faces grimly gay’. Through the use of juxtaposition, Owen portrays society’s disapproval of sending men off to war to their pointless death; “so secretly, like wrongs hushed up”…
- 1143 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
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.…
- 1020 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
First, Owen uses imagery to helps make the theme clear to the readers. The poems starts with the line “bent double, like old beggars under sacks/Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through the sludge” (Owen 1-2). In this lines shows how exhausted the soldiers are, and how the war…
- 980 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
“In the selection of Owen’s poems, compare the ways in which he reflects on the price paid by soldiers during wartime. You should look for connections across the poems studied, in relation both to the situations and feelings described and the way in which Owen has used language for effect.”…
- 942 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The poem is formed of eight stanzas, each one is six lines long except for the fifth stanza which is an octet. The stanzas are formed of sets of three rhyming couplets in the form AABBCC DDEEFF, the metre is Iambic Tetrameter but each stanza includes a trailing last line which is in Iambic Trimeter. This form of rhyme and pattern of language adds to the effect of the poem in several ways. Normally a poem written in tetrameter, or lines of eight syllables, is lent a briskness or upbeat tempo, poems written in the more formal pentameter seem to carry a more deliberate and precise tone. However the language and the missing foot from the metre of the last line of each stanza helps to give the poem a more measured pace.…
- 1556 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
Poetry comes in many forms such as a sonnet, ode, dramatic monologue, etc. and each form and structure can change or enhance the meaning of the text. For example, through the construction of the free verse poem 'Digging ', written in 1966 in Ireland as the rural economy started to change, the reader is shown the conflicts that arise when the expectations of a father, who represents a generation of rural workers, clashes with the ambitions of an individual. In the poem 'Anthem for Doomed Youth ', written post-WWI, we see the sonnet form used to convey and criticize the events seen during and after a war (particularly with the inadequacy of the responding religious ceremonies) and its repercussions on those affected by it. Both poems achieve a very different effect and convey a completely new message as a result of the way they have been constructed.…
- 1112 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Compare and contrast the attitudes to war as reflected in for the fallen and the send off. ' For the fallen' and 'The Send-off' are poems written demonstrating attitudes towards war. Whilst banyan conveys an idealised, romantic picture of war that depicts the soldiers as heroic and courageous, Owens attitudes towards war are more pessimistic in nature. Owen uses appearance versus reality to show the corruption and misery of war.…
- 1271 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
The poem consists of three stanzas. The first and second stanza, are equal in length and have 8 lines, whereas the last stanza (third) has 12 lines. In the third stanza Owen shares his reflections about the gas attack and the death of the soldier. Owen is very deeply affected by the death of his fellow, and is disgusted at the horrid scene. The poet also communicates to the reader and condemns the encouragement given to young men to enlist in war- the “old Lie”, “Dulce et Decorum Est”. Most lines are of equal length, with the exception of the twenty-third, “Bitter as the Cud” and the final (twenty-eight) “Pro Patria Mori”. Owen has written these lines separately…
- 1729 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Owen uses different poetic techniques including metaphors in the first stanza which convey warning. He describes the men “fitting the clumsy helmets” as “an ecstasy of fumbling” and that many of them had great difficulty in putting their helmets on before being gassed. The prominent themes which are evident throughout the poem are war and death and these are portrayed through both similes and imagery. The emotions that are aroused in the reader are melancholy, trepidation, anguish and disgust. He especially achieves anguish when he portrays the horrific circumstances faced by all soldiers during the…
- 1149 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Both ‘Attack’ and ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ portray war negatively, revealing the brutality and indignity of death on the battlefield. ‘Attack’ explores the shock and anger during war suggesting the desperation of the soldiers whereas ‘Anthem’ has a calmer approach expressing the melancholic side of war. Siegried Sassoon uses lists and strong adjectives to convey the despair and horror in ‘Attack’ as well as writing from the point of view of a frustrated onlooker which constructs an uncomfortable atmosphere. Wilfred Owen, however, reflects on the deaths and draws comparison using metaphors.…
- 918 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
As the opening stanza develops we can see that the men are injured but ‘limped on blood-shod.’ This shows that the soldiers are injured and that they have to keep marching forward with wounds that are sealed with dried up blood. This image gives us a very graphic account of how hard life was in war and our sympathy develops. At this point Owen builds anger in the reader as we are shocked by the horrible conditions that the soldiers are forced to endure. The exhaustion of the soldiers is clearly conveyed as they are described as being ‘drunk with fatigue.’ This shows that they are so exhausted that they cannot even walk in a straight line. The opening stanza clearly conveys the horrible conditions the soldiers lived in and allows us to feel great sympathy for them.…
- 1118 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
In ‘Disabled’ the veteran notices how the women’s eyes ‘passed from him to the strong men who were whole’. The ‘strong men’ act as a juxtaposition for his present condition, clarifying his fragile and weak state. Also the simile ‘like some queer disease’ make him seen like an outcast from society because he is unable to walk let alone carry out menial tasks. Confined to his wheelchair, he becomes increasing isolated, as more women avert their gazes to more physically able men. Conversely, in Anthem For Doomed Youth, the home front are more passive and contrite towards the soldiers’ disabilities. The boys express their anguish through the ‘holy glimmers of goodbyes’. The euphemism of goodbyes can be taken as giving a final farewell to the deceased. It can also be interpreted as a final farewell to the former lives of joy the soldier’s had prior to the war. In both poems, the soldiers are no longer treated as equals and can never fully integrate themselves back into society’s…
- 1002 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
In Owen’s poem “Anthem” he removes the common Romantic concepts of glory and triumph that were associated with war from the early 20th century and realistically explores the truly unpatriotic nature of the battlefield. His ideals contrasted the Romantic ideals of glory as well as the government and the media who exhibited war as valiant and fitting for the youth of the early 20th century. Instantly, Owen’s title of the poem contradicts the reader’s belief in the common war values where he pairs the terms “Anthem” and “Doomed Youth” juxtaposing with a gloomy and depressing description of the youth in war. Owen then compares the youth who “died as cattle” to an abattoir by using metaphor, emphasising the sheer amount of death that occurs on the battlefield, also suggesting that the youth are indiscriminately dying with no justification. Likewise, Owen uses juxtaposition to describe the sounds of war, in which he subverts the calming…
- 965 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is one of the most well known tragedies of all time. Two star-crossed lovers, driven apart through the hate between their families, die tragic deaths when they can’t be together. People can interpret the play in countless ways. There have been many versions made throughout the years. Through movies and art form this play has been adapted and changed. In 1997, Baz Luhrmann directs his own modernized version, “Romeo + Juliet”. This movie uses the original text, omitting some parts. Baz Luhrmann puts his own take on the story changing how the viewer sees the play. The modern adaptations in Baz Luhrmann’s version of Romeo and Juliet cause the viewer to have a different perspective on different scenes of the play specifically the prologue, party scene and in the tomb.…
- 2423 Words
- 10 Pages
Good Essays -
The very title that Wilfred Owen chose for his war poem, 'Anthem for Doomed Youth ' is an apt representation of what he wanted the poem to encapsulate and the emotions he wanted to evoke in the readers. The word 'anthem ' and 'doomed youth ' is a stark juxtaposition when placed in the same sentence. An anthem is supposed to be something revered, something that represents the glory of a country and is bursting with national pride. However, when placed right before the words 'doomed youth ' we get the impression that Owen is indirectly trying to question the glory and honour that most associate with war. Is it really right that we would strip youth of their lives, their dignity and their future on the pretext of defending the country? In fact. the very phrase doomed youth is a juxtaposition in itself as youth is supposed to be the prime of one 's life. It is supposed to be filled with life, hope and endless possibilities. Instead this phrase paints a grim picture of a non-existent future for youth, stamped out by the violence and horrors of war. This thought-provoking poem deals with the delicate balance between what reality is and what it should be.…
- 1154 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays