Futility Wilfred Owen

There are an abundant number of poems in the selection that do convey the futility of war and some that do not at all. Wilfred Owens 'Futility' and 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' are examples where pointlessness of war is addressed. On the contrary, 'The Dead' differs with the question given as it exalts the dead and affirms that war is a place where one can die with honour.
In the poem 'Futility' by Wilfred Owen, he emphasises that war is pointless and stresses that the soldiers that have died in the war would not come back to life. He illustrates this by comparing nature with life. In the first stanza, Owen personifies the sun and makes it seem like the sun is the one who is waking the soldier up - " Move him into the sun- Gently its touch awoke him once..." This quote from the first stanza contradicts the last stanza as it starts with: "Think how it wakes the seeds - Woke once the clays of a cold star." This verse is implying that one day the sun woke the clays of a cold star - the word 'once' is in the past tense which hints to the reader that the sun, at this point, is a failure to do its duty which is waking the soldier up. Also, when comparing with the first stanza we can evidently see that in the second stanza, the sun has failed to wake that soldier up because of its inability and its degree of power. The rhetorical
question, "... too hard to stir?", creates a sense of urge, confusion and perplexity. The use of commas and a question mark between "Are limbs..." and "...too hard to stir?" generates a sense of bleakness and disorientation and makes the narrator feel mystified as to how the sun can accomplish inexplicable things yet cannot waken only one person.
Moving on, Wilfred Owen utilises biblical references in order to make the reader think philosophically. "Clay" is referring to mankind. The use of allusion enables the reader to think philosophically as to who created the world and mankind. Owen's use of allusion is very tactful as it enables the reader to re-read the stanza and triggers a series of questions about the sun and its power. Allusion also enables Owen to portray his heavy emotions. The use of biblical references permits the reader to emphasise and assert the importance of the soldier. It may also specify that the dead soldier was dear to him and very close which yet again makes us comprehend that Owen wants the soldier to re-gain life.
Similarly, 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' induces pity as the word 'Doomed' flaunts this.
The poem is disembodied as Owen is not there to experience any of the horrific incidents yet he closely collaborates himself with the terror and horror that the soldiers are going through. The title alone stimulates mercy. The word 'doomed' implies that the poem is going to talk about something tragic and the fact that Owen concentrates on the 'youth' implies that their young years are over. Moreover, anthems is a positive thing but the contradiction between anthem and doomed makes us question why he chose those particular words when in fact it is a
dirge. Owen creates an impression that the way the soldiers died was heinous because in the first stanza it starts with "What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?". The word 'cattle' implies that the soldiers died like animals. It also illustrates the mass deaths of people on the front line and trench warfare. Wilfred Owen is trying to put across that ceremonies and rituals that are being taken out on behalf of the soldiers cannot compare to the intimidation of the war. Owen is also trying to address that the rituals carried out cannot compare to the ordeal of the war. "The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells..."This contradicts the normal ceremony that a deceased person will have. Owen submerges the sound of artillery with the rituals in the ceremony to make it realistic as to how war felt like. The simultaneous sounds makes it impossible for the reader to comprehend the Great War.
Contradictorily, 'The Dead' by Rupert Brooks displays pride. This petrarchan sonnet is a tribute to the British soldiers who have served and fought for their country. Brooke addresses that because the soldiers have made a sacrifice, they deserve to be noticed and honoured for it is not easy to give your life away to serve your country. The title gives a notion that the poem is going to be talking about the dead. The title also expresses the sacrifice the British soldiers have made.
In the first stanza it commences with "Blow out your bugles, over the rich Dead" this implies that the soldiers need to be honoured with their sacrifice. The capitalised 'D' in 'Dead' shows the respect Brooke has for the deceased soldiers. "...rich..." Suggests that they are highly valued and commended for what they have done. “None of these so lonely and poor… made us rarer gifts than gold" this paradox implies that even the poorest of the deceased soldiers are rich for what they have gone through, to put it into simple terms, it gives the poorest of them nobility. "Blow, bugles, blow" is a repetition of the first stanza. This suggests the importance of them and that the soldiers do need to be recognised. This poem is contradicting the poems: 'Futility' and 'Anthem for doomed youth'. Rupert Brooks was a very patriotic poet who believed that if you died for your country then it is honourable.
'In time of the Breaking of nations' is a poem that does not show pride nor pity. Therefore this poem does not convey the futility of war. Hardy was asked to scribe this poem in order to reassure the nation about the war because the public were turning against war and its attributes. Although this talks about a farmer and a couple, the title portrays the world changing nature of war. Hardy uses rural life to ambiguously talk about the war. The use of three stanzas suggests that war has many sides to it. The line "Half sleep as they walk' suggests that the farmers life was slow but it could also imply that the mentality of the soldiers was quite slow because of the change of environment and shell shock. "Ere their story dies" implies that the love between the couple has died in that exact place. On the other hand because of the ambiguity of the poem, the verse may also suggest that the war will end one day and that the "ere" is England therefore victory will be England's.