Thomas Hardy uses only one linguistic device and that is the personification of war this is important because it makes the poem seem more realistic which adds more tension. Wilfred Owen uses very direct and descriptive language in his poem. He uses alliteration "stuttering rifles' rapid rattle" this is also very direct and straight to the point. The poem is written as a monologue so it seems as though it is anybodys thoughts and feelings.
“Anthem for doomed youth” creates a very negative atmosphere it does this by using negative language such as monstrous and mockeries. This makes you feel bitter and cold so you read it in a sad and slow tone of voice. In “Anthem for doomed youth” Wilfred Owen adopts a narrative voice. He speaks to you the reader in 3rd person. It uses different linguistic devices such as alliteration "rifles' rapid rattle" which emphasis harrowing sounds. He also uses onomatopoeia such as "patter".There are also a lot of strong memorable images in the poem "The shrill demented choirs of wailing shells" words such as demented and wailing add to the negative atmosphere. Also "monstrous anger" is very violent image used to shock the reader. "What candles may be held to speed them all?" gives the idea of a traditional funeral which the soldiers did not get. Repitition is also used in the poem "No, Nor and Not" are all repeated and all these are negative. He also uses similies "what passing bells for those who die as cattle" this makes the soldiers seem inferior animals and also de-humanises them. Metaphors are used aswell "And each slow dusk a drawing down of blinds" is a double metaphor as it could mean drawing blinds or drawing blinds on life. The impact of this is that it is symbolic of death.
A mixture of formal and informal and modern and archaic language is used in "Anthem for Doomed Youth" as this appeals to more readers than just one type of language was used. Thomas Hardy did this to inform people about the truth of war.
“The man he killed” also creates a negative atmosphere in the same way as “Anthem for doomed youth”. In this poem he uses words like shoot and killed this makes you think of death so you feel depressed and upset. Thomas Hardy speaks in 2nd person from his past experiences because of this you know it’s true which makes it even more depressing. Thomas Hardy also uses repitition with the word "Because" this is repeated as the writer has no good reason for killing the man. No similes or metaphors are used in "The Man He Killed" and none are used because it is a thought process and people don't think in similies or metaphors.
‘Anthem for doomed youth’ has the form of a sonnet, which are traditionally about love, but the content, strangely, is about death. The reader is surprised therefore but can see the effect of the use of contrasting themes and structures. The reader can sense the bitterness in Owens tone and therefore realise his anger and resentment towards war. Owens poem has a complicated rhyme scheme ‘ABABCDCDEFFEGG’; this increases the seriousness of the poem and shows the reader Owens determination to get his point across.
‘The man he killed’ has a very rigid form. It has five stanzas, each with four lines. It has an infantile rhyme scheme: ‘ABAB’. This creates a contrast, as the content is very serious and the poem as a whole has a serious rhyme scheme. This gives a bigger impact on the reader because the effect is simpler which makes it easier to understand. Hardy contrasts the form and content by making the form seem simplistic rather than being serious and complicated like the content. This links with the character’s views on war, the character never has a fixed view on war. Instead he describes it in contrasting ways. At first the character describes war in an ‘everyday’ tone and explains that war is just something he has to do. Then towards the end of the poem he reverses his views and describes war negatively, ‘yes; quaint and curious war is’. This gives the reader the impression that the character doesn’t really know what his views on war are and that he doesn’t really mind.
Both poems are themed about the war, and both have similar ideas about war. Whereas Owen actually went to war, his ideas are much more direct and purposeful to the soldiers involved in war. Hardys ideas are more general. Hardy describes his enemy soldiers in a friendly way. He tells us that if the circumstances were different, he would be friendly towards them and would even have a drink with them. However, after he has killed someone, he describes them as his foe, not his enemy, which shows that he is just following his orders.
My personal response to Thomas Hardy's "The Man He Killed" is that he wanted to show people how war affects people, as he says "Had he and I but met By some old ancient inn, We should have set us down to wet Right many a nipperkin! But ranged as infantry, And staring face to face, I shot at him as he at me, And killed him in his place" which means that if he had met this person in a pub when a war was not going on then he would have bought him a drink but due to it being war he had to shoot him.
The poem trys to make the reader think about how meaningless war is although caused by the disagreement of two administrations, affects the people throughout the country. The poet speaks of the man he killed as his foe, but is himself unconvinced that belonging to warring nations makes two men enemies.
I think that Wilfred Owen's poem, "Anthem for Doomed Youth", is a sensitive expression of the sadness and futility which arise as a result of the death of young men on the battlefield. In order to express his theme, Owen mixes the sad, calm images of a funeral with the chaotic, explosive images of a battle.
I feel that the poem trys to make the reader feel saddened over the slaughter of many innocent men which have been sent to their deaths on the battlefield.