Anthem for Doomed Youth: Owen's Poem on War
The poem "Anthem for Doomed Youth" is considered to be war poetry, and its author, Wilfred Owen, a war poet. Wilfred Owen having fought in World War I himself had a special connection to war, and viewed it to be pitiful (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Owen).
The reader feels "Anthem for Doomed Youth" is Owen's way of informing the people that war is not a patriotic, heroic thing, but it is solemn and sad. The poem tells about the doom of the soldiers at war, Owen may have written this to say, "Hey, I know you may not see it, but we're dying out here."
The title of the poem itself holds a gloomy feeling. "Anthem for Doomed Youth." An anthem, which is usually a joyful song of celebration or a religious hymn, is paired with the solemn acceptance of doom. He lays out for the reader the fact that this will not be a patriotic war poem.
"Anthem for Doomed Youth" serves as a reminder to the public that no matter how heroic they make dying at battle seem, no matter how they dress it up, people are losing their sons, brothers, and fathers to war. Too often war is glammed up to discount the actual pain of war, too often we hear about the "heroes" that die in war and forget the fact that someone has lost a loved one. "Anthem for Doomed Youth"portrays to the reader the darker side of war. "What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?/ Only the monstrous anger of the guns." This first line of the poem sets up the rest of the poem by posing an image of people being slaughtered and the nature of war to be full of mass deaths.
Those who die as soldiers have "[n]o mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells...." This quote also shows Owen's distrust of traditional religion and it blatantly mocks the church. It seems that Owen's dispell of religious practice further expresses the soldiers' doom, and possibly his own. Owen did write this poem while participating in the World War I (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Owen).
The reader
The reader feels "Anthem for Doomed Youth" is Owen's way of informing the people that war is not a patriotic, heroic thing, but it is solemn and sad. The poem tells about the doom of the soldiers at war, Owen may have written this to say, "Hey, I know you may not see it, but we're dying out here."
The title of the poem itself holds a gloomy feeling. "Anthem for Doomed Youth." An anthem, which is usually a joyful song of celebration or a religious hymn, is paired with the solemn acceptance of doom. He lays out for the reader the fact that this will not be a patriotic war poem.
"Anthem for Doomed Youth" serves as a reminder to the public that no matter how heroic they make dying at battle seem, no matter how they dress it up, people are losing their sons, brothers, and fathers to war. Too often war is glammed up to discount the actual pain of war, too often we hear about the "heroes" that die in war and forget the fact that someone has lost a loved one. "Anthem for Doomed Youth"portrays to the reader the darker side of war. "What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?/ Only the monstrous anger of the guns." This first line of the poem sets up the rest of the poem by posing an image of people being slaughtered and the nature of war to be full of mass deaths.
Those who die as soldiers have "[n]o mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells...." This quote also shows Owen's distrust of traditional religion and it blatantly mocks the church. It seems that Owen's dispell of religious practice further expresses the soldiers' doom, and possibly his own. Owen did write this poem while participating in the World War I (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Owen).
The reader