Explore the different ways Owen presents the war in Anthem for Doomed Youth
Explore the different ways Owen presents the war in Anthem for Doomed Youth’ and ‘The Send-Off’
Wilfred Owen uses emotive language to present death in both poems. In the first stanza of Anthem for Doomed Youth, Owen writes “What passing-bells for those who die as cattle? – Only the monstrous anger of the guns” Here, Owen presents the soldiers to be unregarded and of no concern to anyone at their funerals when not even playing a single tune. Owen’s use of diction when describing the soldiers as “cattle” is disquieting. The “cattle” represents large groups of soldiers that were used for the war, but they die in large groups. Owen proceeds with the theme of war when describing the soldier’s only concern to be of the “monstrous anger of the guns”. Owen implies that there is no hope for the soldiers. During world war one, conscription was brought into Britain, meaning that unexperienced or skilled men were entering the army without a choice, thus their lives were taken immediately. Owen uses emotive language to emphasise this by describing the war to be of no mercy and it’s “anger” is personified to indicate that the men’s efforts are useless. Similarly, in The Send-Off, Owen describes the large groups of soldiers who “lined the train with faces grimly gay” to be sent to the battlefield. In this poem, Owen however describes the men to be sent away. As both poems contradict each other in this sense, Owen presents both groups of soldiers to face their destiny of being dead. Owen uses juxtaposition to also set a disquieting tone to the poem when describing the soldier’s faces to be “grimly gay”. This suggests that the soldiers are distressed because of where they are being sent whilst also having a small content feeling. Unlike Anthem for Doomed Youth, the soldiers seem to be either calming themselves down because they believe that their futures will be devastated or because they are fighting for their country.
In Anthem of Doomed Youth, Owen presents war through
Wilfred Owen uses emotive language to present death in both poems. In the first stanza of Anthem for Doomed Youth, Owen writes “What passing-bells for those who die as cattle? – Only the monstrous anger of the guns” Here, Owen presents the soldiers to be unregarded and of no concern to anyone at their funerals when not even playing a single tune. Owen’s use of diction when describing the soldiers as “cattle” is disquieting. The “cattle” represents large groups of soldiers that were used for the war, but they die in large groups. Owen proceeds with the theme of war when describing the soldier’s only concern to be of the “monstrous anger of the guns”. Owen implies that there is no hope for the soldiers. During world war one, conscription was brought into Britain, meaning that unexperienced or skilled men were entering the army without a choice, thus their lives were taken immediately. Owen uses emotive language to emphasise this by describing the war to be of no mercy and it’s “anger” is personified to indicate that the men’s efforts are useless. Similarly, in The Send-Off, Owen describes the large groups of soldiers who “lined the train with faces grimly gay” to be sent to the battlefield. In this poem, Owen however describes the men to be sent away. As both poems contradict each other in this sense, Owen presents both groups of soldiers to face their destiny of being dead. Owen uses juxtaposition to also set a disquieting tone to the poem when describing the soldier’s faces to be “grimly gay”. This suggests that the soldiers are distressed because of where they are being sent whilst also having a small content feeling. Unlike Anthem for Doomed Youth, the soldiers seem to be either calming themselves down because they believe that their futures will be devastated or because they are fighting for their country.
In Anthem of Doomed Youth, Owen presents war through