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Introduction

Show how Wilfred Owen uses poetry to convey his feelings about war Wilfred Owen was once a soldier and a poet who despised war. Being a soldier he had real life experience of the full horrors of war. He used words in the form of poetry to make known his strong feelings and opposition to war. Reading his poems one can immediately identify his anger and bitterness towards war, and its advocates. His poems make use of vivid depictions and vocabulary. Through out his poems we discover that the themes of death, sacrifice and suffering inflict upon people. When the war broke out, Owen felt completely disconnected and did not comprehend the futility of war. Eventually he felt guilty of his inactivity and neglect towards his country and felt pressured by the propaganda to become a soldier and also he felt selfish as he said his goodbyes to his fellow companions going to fight at war, he returned to England and volunteered to fight on 21st October 1915. He trained in England for over a year and enjoyed the attention and envy he received from the public, whilst wearing his soldier's uniform and expressing his nationalistic perception, he was full of boyish high spirits. He was sent to France on the last day of 1916, and within days was enduring the reality of war on the western front. ...read more.

Middle

'Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle can patter out their hasty orisons', these two lines are very effective lines that imply that instead of prayers, the soldiers received the firing of bullets. The 'stuttering' of the rifle emulates the sound of the guns going off, the guns are not only alliterated but also to emphasise the sound of destruction that were occurring it also implies that the sound was not fluent. It is also onomatopoeic to add to the sound in the image that is formed in the readers mind. The imagery of children is created with the word 'patter', this word and the imagery it creates is associated with innocence. Yet it is used to symbolise the speed of the bullets of war and death. The contrast between the word 'patter' and 'orisons' is the sound it creates. "Patter" creates a soft sound whereas the latter quote creates a hard throbbing sound which suggests nature's desperation to conduct its own funeral. This also reflects the gruesome reality of war. 'No mockeries no prayers nor bells nor choirs' is the opening to the second quatrain and illustrates the horrific way in which these soldiers depart from this world and that they do not even receive basic objects that would be expected in a traditional ceremony, the irony is the fact that there is "no mockeries no prayers nor bells nor choirs" except the "monstrous anger of the guns and the "stuttering rifles' rapid rattle". ...read more.

Conclusion

At home the blinds are hypocritically drawn as a sign of respect for those dead in battle, again this 'Each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds' yet again nature is also expressing its feelings as a sign of respect, by the day turning into night, the 'drawing- down of blinds' could maybe be symbolic of the secrets that the darkness has witnessed and could also mean that each day people are drawing-down their blinds as a sign of respect because everyday another family are receiving news of one of their loved ones being killed, the deaths of the young boys also reflects the horrific consequences of war. In conclusion we notice that through out the poem 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' Wilfred Owen conveys his feelings of resentment and bitterness by referring back to his own experience of war on the front line, and he also gives the impression that he is rueful and does not want other young boys to go through the same horrific experience that he went through, he wants people to see that the more they encourage young men to volunteer to fight, the more they will "draw-down" their blinds, and as a result, more of their loved ones will be killed, he also sounds as if he would like to abolish the propaganda and deceit which also made him fantasise about adventure and fun and maybe then the young men will actually take some thought into what they are committing their lives to. ...read more.

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our AS and A Level War Poetry section.