An Analysis of Wilfred Owen’s “Futility”
In “Futility”, Wilfred Owen describes the grievances of losing a companion as well as the worthlessness of war. He provides a sorrowful and desperate tone throughout the poem, which takes place within the battlefields of France during World War I. The speaker is unidentified but is believed to be one of the soldiers mourning over the lifeless body of their associate. Throughout most of the poem, the speaker questions the sun’s ability to provide energy as well as breathe life into the motionless soldier. Owen’s aims throughout the poem are to introduce one of the several possible sorrows of war and effectively define war as a pointless act that will lead to devastation.