How would you describe Owens perception on religion based on "Anthem for Doomed Youth" and "Futility"?

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How would you describe Owen’s perception on religion based on Anthem for Doomed Youth and Futility?

Owen questioned the existence of religion through different ways in both poem. In Anthem for Doomed Youth, he used war related images to replace what a ‘normal’ funeral would have which in contrast shows the absence of religion. For Futility, he questioned the existence of God when it is needed. Both expression suggests he was not a follower of religion instead he has a strong point of view on it. His view on religion could be impacted by the despair that was caused by war.

The tone of the first stanza in Futility was very gentle. The image of the sun suggests light, warmth, hope and even god himself. Owen personified the sun as “old” and “kind” adding warmth to the tone. The warm tone of the first four lines of the poem suggests he once had faith in religion even in “France” which could be a reference to war. “Until” the soldier was killed on this “morning” and this “snow”. The word “morning” sounds like “mourning” creating a sad imagery and “snow” which suggests the cold, the opposite of warmth, the devil. Although the soldier’s life was already taken he still had faith in god, he believed there “might” be a possibility that the sun, the god could bring life from dead again.

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Moving on the second stanza, the change of tone is very obvious. This is suggested through the demanding word “think”. The harsh “k” sound conveys the frustration and desperation the poet has for god. “Seeds” suggests growth and “clays of the cold star” is a biblical imagery because man are made from clay, both suggests the beginning of life. If the sun is the mother of creation why can’t he resurrect this soldier yet God himself rose from the dead? Yet the many stories of God healing man from all sort of diseases are given life again but not ...

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