How far and in what ways does Owen present the youth in Anthem for Doomed Youth? Pay close attention to the language, tone and form of the poem. Remember to consider the poem in light of other poems by Owen.

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“...for these who die as cattle.” How far and in what ways does Owen present the youth in “Anthem for Doomed Youth”? Pay close attention to the language, tone and form of the poem. Remember to consider the poem in light of other poems by Owen and in view of the context in which he was writing.

War in literature has been previously discussed as a wonderful, glorious triumph in the name of England. Wilfred Owen is one example of the majority of the soldiers who abhorred this idea, challenging the very belief that glory can be attained by death on the battlefield and verbally attacking those who promoted this view. Owen used his poetry as a medium to expose the barbaric nature of war and the lies that were being indoctrinated into the youth of the society, convincing them that they were fighting for a worthy cause. He highlights the emotional reality of war through his presentation of youth and the horrors they encountered on the battlefield in ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth.’ It concentrates more on the consequences of war and how the young soldiers are neglected when they are dead.

Anthem for Doomed Youth is a sonnet and starts off with a quicker pace. However, by using a sonnet for the structure of his poem, Owen introduces a touch of irony as it is a traditional vehicle for the expression of emotion, love, romance and personal feelings. Yet, in this poem the young male population have so much patriotic love, and are so eager to serve, but this love turns sour. Not only are their lives wasted, gone without the holy rite of funeral, but the lives of their loved ones at home are also ruined. Similarly, the title of the poem, itself, is satirical as Owen contrasts the dignity of a funeral with the barbarity of the battlefront. An "Anthem" usually associated with patriotic love and passion refers to a hymn of praise, devotion or patriotism and Owen uses the title ironically to challenge what acknowledgement or reverence is accorded to the young soldiers. The technique of irony is also employed in Dulce et Decorum est as the title states that it is sweet and proper to die for your country. Yet the poem is deeply ironic as it solely talks about the horrors of war and the trauma suffered by the youthful soldiers. The title of the poem initially read: Anthem for Dead Youth and was edited by Sassoon, Owen’s closest friend during the war period. They met while convalescing in Edinburgh’s Craiglockhart Hospital in August 1917, marking a turning point in Owen’s life as a poet. This change to the title has a more shocking impact on the reader as it creates a sense of inevitability that no one involved in the war has any control over. It encompasses all the soldiers and not just the ‘dead ones’ hence the word ‘doomed’ has a greater impact within the readers mind. It presents to the reader that the youth of the soldiers has been taken away due to the horrific events that they will encounter whilst at war. The extent of loss that the soldiers have suffered can be seen here as youth signifies a time of happiness.

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The first stanza of the poem - the ‘octave’- makes the comparison between the funeral the fallen in battle deserve and the funeral the limitations of being on the front line give them. His disgust and pity towards the unreasonable loss of lives is expressed without hesitation throughout the poem.  He begins by rhetorically asking the reader, “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” which raises the issue that there is no funeral knell to mark the deaths of the soldiers. The question takes an important turn before it finishes, turning the mind away from church and into war ...

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