The Great War was said and expected to be a war to end all wars, thus this increased the number of men wanting to take part in it. War was said to be glorious, honourable and heroic yet it was not after the first couple of months that the truth behind it reached individuals like Owen. It was only over time that he became interested in war and only after his experience at it that he decided to write about the pity of war and attack society with truth.
The early 20th century, promoted war through propaganda which is what …show more content…
No propaganda was needed for such men to sign up in The Great War as to them fighting for their country was a sign of bravery and passion. Reading this poem from such a perspective, one may strongly disagree with Owen as his words are not the same reality; war was not wrong, dull, secretive, nor a mockery, but glorious and heroic.
In “Anthem for Doomed Youth” Owen uses harsher language and more religious connotations, evoking a greater response from the audience. Patriotic citizens would strongly disagree with the way war is described in this poem as to them men did not “die as cattle” and “bells” would still ring upon their noble …show more content…
Propaganda was not always obvious, for instance the young generation of men were easily manipulated and influenced as they knew little or nothing better than what they were exposed to. This though, was only realized too late during the war and even more after it was over. Owen was one of the lucky men who had experienced war and survived it. The war changed his perspective of life and it is in his poetry that he conveyed the reality of society. Unfortunately at his time his poetry was not looked upon at in the same views and it was only after his death and after The Great War that populations realized his talent in conveying such messages through poetry. Owen was constantly angry at society and constantly attacked it in his poetry. In “The Send Off” there is no direct attack but he does make men look like fools and mocks their ceremony. On the contrary, in “Anthem for Doomed Youth” Owen attacks society directly by portraying truth. This poem is an elegy for the dead, pitying youth as no one else did, yet it is his only sonnet. Though it was losing its values at the time, in both poems Owen makes a lot of references to religion and never in positive terms: flowers, wreath, bells, candles and