Anthem for Doomed Youth
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
— Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen is a sonnet that depicts war and the effect war has on young soldier men. In the octet of the sonnet, the writer depicts soldiers and their death in war. Owen starts the poem off by saying, “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” (1). In the first line, Owen utilizes a simile to compare soldiers to the death of cattle. This simile is significant because it portrays the message that the lives of soldiers are treated recklessly. This simile also creates the imagery of the slaughtering of cattle. This imagery gives the reader a tone of bewilderment. The reader is called to attention through the use of a strong imagery and simile of comparing soldiers and cattle. Owen continues to depict the death of the soldiers by stating, “Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle,” (3). Through this line, Owen is able to create alliteration, onomatopoeia, and personification through the actions of a rifle. Through the alliteration and onomatopoeia of the sound r and the personification of the rifle, Owen is able to depict a gruesome death of soldiers in battle. In the sestet of the sonnet, Owen contradicts the blunt tone of the octet with a placid tone in the sestet. The sestet offers a resolution that these men will be remembered by loved ones by stating, “The pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall,” (12). Owen states that although the death of soldiers is bewildering, the loved ones of the soldiers will appreciate these soldiers. Through the use of many rhetorical devices, Owen is able to get across his message about war. Owen is able to show that the death of soldiers is horrendous and bitter. Owen shows that the young men who decided to become soldiers were in fact doomed by their choice to serve their country.
ReplyDeleteAnthem for Doomed Youth, by Wilfred Owen, discusses casualties of young men in war. He asks readers how we choose to remember these men and clearly struggles to justify the war. The poem takes the form of a Petrarchan sonnet, with an octave followed by a sestet of 6 lines. While the rhyme scheme does not follow that of a Petrarchan sonnet (ABABCDCD EFFEFF), the structure is most notable. The poem also uses iambic pentameter in order to make the message more lyrical. This lyrical rhythm contrasts the message of the poem and brings emphasis to the soldiers deaths.
ReplyDeleteOwen utilizes many literary devices to communicate his argument about young men in war. He begins the poem by saying, "What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?" (1). Owen employs a simile to compare the death of young solders to the death of cattle. This simile brings emotion to readers, as cattle are typically thought of to be slaughtered with no regard for their wellbeing. In a similar fashion, the young soldiers are being killed without a second thought. Like the killing of cattle, the death of a young man has become so regular in society that nobody mourns their lives. The use of this simile helps to communicate the message of the poem, which is that society has become grossly accustomed to the death of soldiers.
Owen says, "Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, - / The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells" (6-7). By personifying the sound of bullets as a funeral choir, Owen argues that the only cries heard after the soldiers death is war. He highlights the endless cycle of war and shows that the death of one soldier is mourned with the death of another. Owen also uses alliteration to develop the rhythm of the poem. He says, "rifles' rapid rattle" to communicate the sounds of war. The alliteration makes the sonnet more lyrical, which contrasts the somber mood of the poem. This contrast brings emphasis to the cruelty of war.
Ryan M. 2
Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen discusses the youth in war and the effects that it has on them. The poem is set up in the form of a sonnet, and although it does not have a set form, it follows the English/Petrarchan rhyme scheme in the first octet (ABABCDCD) followed by (EFFEFF) in the following sestet. The rhythm paired with the rhyme scheme allow the reader to hear beating of a marching solder in their mind as they read, which adds to the poem’s purpose of portraying the violence and casualties of war.
ReplyDeleteIn this first line of the sonnet, it asks, “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” (1). In saying this, Owen is comparing the young men in war to cattle. This metaphor is very powerful because when an individual thinks, “cattle,” they think about a young, baby animal that does not yet have much experience in the world that it has been born into. Owen then goes on to personify the guns used in war by talking about the, “monstrous anger of the guns” (2). Personifying the guns as monstrous and angry gives the reader (who may or may not be familiar with guns) a brief understanding of what it was like to face something as frightening and dangerous as a gun. This allows the reader to comprehend what it must be like for a young man at war: both terrifying and treacherous.
Owen’s purpose in this sonnet is to give the reader a sense of just how petrifying and bloodcurdling war is, especially for young men that do not have much experience in the world. The brutality of fighting is bitter, and Owen’s shows that through his vivid, dark imagery of war and death. And in the end, a lot of the men at war end up having to say goodbye at a very early time, laying next to each other as they pass: “Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes/ Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes” (10-11). In the sonnet, the dark, desolate tone prevails throughout, and Owen’s successfully portrays the darkness of war and the ultimate doom that young men who join place themselves into.
Shaniuk, B 7/8
“Anthem for Doomed Youth,” by Wilfred Owen, is a Petrarchan sonnet, with an octave followed by a sestet of 6 lines and a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFFEFF. Owen illustrates the horrors that soldiers must face on the battle field. In line 2, Owen personifies the guns by describing the, “monstrous anger of the guns.” Through the use of personification, readers can feel the terror that the soldiers feel as they witness the “anger” of the enemies’ guns being directed towards them. Sorrow is evoked as readers witness the hopelessness that soldiers feel on the battlefield right before they parish. “Anthem for Doomed Youth,” uses iambic pentameter in order to emphasize the tragic way soldiers die in the war.
ReplyDeleteWilfred Owen starts the poem by stating, "What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?" (line 1). Owen utilizes a simile in order to compare the deaths of solders who die for their country to the death of farm animals. By comparing the death of soldiers to the death of cattle, Owen shows how soldiers are mercilessly slaughtered on the battlefield. Their lives mean nothing in the grand scheme of the war. The rhetorical question causes readers to pause and think about the fact that many soldiers are sent to die with little recognition, or “passing-bells” to honor their sacrifice. A fallen solider, the poem implies, means nothing in the eyes of a desensitized society. The poem’s dark, reflective mood is heightened by Owen’s use of personification, rhetorical questions, and his use of similes.
Judele, C 2nd
Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth” implements literary devices to address the proem’s somber take on war. The two sentences introduce the fault of human war: “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?/ - Only the monstrous anger of the guns” (1-2). The first line uses a metaphor to compare the soldiers of war to cattle. Cattle are only seen as livestock, living things that have only one purpose and that is to feed humans. Likewise, the soldiers of war have only one purpose and that is to die for those who declare war. The soldiers are insignificant like cattle. The second line uses personification to describe guns. This literary device gives guns a greater position. Juxtaposing the guns to the soldiers, the guns seem more significant because they are described with human qualities, whereas the soldiers are described as animals. This is the doom for youth. Youth will become inferior soldiers of war whose lives are less important than the guns they use to kill others.
ReplyDeleteThe structure and title are also significant to Owen’s piece as a whole. “Anthem for Doomed Youth” is a Petrarchan sonnet because of the octave, sestet, and iambic pentameter present. The octave presents an observation made by Owen. Through the volta present in seventh and eighth lines shows a transition: “wailing shells/And bugles calling for them from sad shires” (7-8). The setting changes from the battlefield to the field of the funeral. Owen transforms his observation into a consequence for youth. The sestet represents the future, a world of “goodbyes” and the “blinds” of ignorance. The title, “Anthem for Doomed Youth” is ironic because the diction reflects antithesis. An “anthem” is meant to uplift the spirits of others, but “doomed” suggests futility and loss of hope. This title suggests that youth will have to find something out of nothing; all youth has is false hope.
Srivastava R, 2
Anthem for Doomed Youth is an example of a poem depicting the struggles and sorrow associated with war. When the reader first starts the poem, Owen states, “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” (1). This simile is used to compare the people who die in war to the cattle killed everyday. The simile helps address how the soldiers are looked upon. Just like cows, these soldiers are killed without much thought and compassion. For the killer, it becomes routine, just like it is for a farmer who kills his animals for meat.
ReplyDeleteAnother literary device is the rhetorical question used throughout the piece. Towards the end of the poem Owen states, “What candles may be held to speed them all?” (9). By using a rhetorical question, Owen adds another dimension to the piece. Instead of telling the reader what to think, Owen switches it around and asks them how they feel towards the situation. Although he answers it after asking the question, the question sits inside the reader and makes them think deeper.
The structure of the poem is a Petrarchan sonnet that carries an octave at first and then sestet. Although the rhyme scheme does not follow the Petrarchan style, the structure follows the idea. The poem’s division between the octave and the sestet marks a change in emotion and tone between the two sections. The octave takes on more of a dismal tone while the sestet demonstrates a hopefully and steady emotion.
Wasylko, G 7/8th
Wilfred Owens poem, “Anthem for Doomed Youth” is an English sonnet that describes the effects of war on the younger generation and current young soldiers. Owens tells a realistic message portrayed, in which he explains that wars will continue raging no matter how many casualties of the youth. He uses personification to describe the responses of a dead soldier. He explains that there will not be any music in honor of that fallen soldier; rather there will be, “-Only the monstrous anger of the guns” (2). Owens believes that only more violence will truly resolve the conflict.
ReplyDeleteDiction is also a strong tool Owens uses within his poem, specifically in two sections of the poem. Within the first stanza Owens states that there will be sounds of shells, “And bugles calling for them from sad shires,” (8). A bugle is a small brass instrument, whereas a shire is a small, traditional English town. He is saying that the small traditional towns are sad at the idea of war. War has broken the traditions in parts of the world. The youth will be killed and the traditions will never be passed on. Owens makes a sad discovery, realizing that wars kill not only people, but traditional values as well (whatever those traditions may be).
Turnea, D 2nd Period
Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen is a poem that describes soldiers with their hellish experience with war. By personifying weapons and using seemingly misplaced diction, Wilson condemns war by creating a poem that comments on the lack of necessity in war due to its ability to dehumanize. The poem is written somewhat loosely as a Petrarchan sonnet which creates a steady beat and rhythm to the poem to make it read at a consistent pace. This in turn makes this chaos and disorder in the poem more effective. In the second line, the guns are given the human emotion of anger which makes the soldiers not even a thought yet. Continuing into the third line, the guns are personified as stuttering, perhaps from the fear of war. Still, the soldiers are not mentioned, and the violent machines are becoming more human with each line. Wailing shells in line seven are personified as a choir instead of things used in war to kill. The word choice in line seven makes the shells comparable to a children’s choir ‘wailing’ at a concert to support troops. The word choice of ‘cattle’ in line one makes troops’ efforts irrelevant because they are seemingly being lead to slaughter. This word choice in combination with the personification of killing machines makes the image of war less human therefore creating Owen’s Commentary on war. In Anthem for Doomed Youth, Wilfred Owen is making a commentary that war is making humanity less human.
ReplyDeleteM. McGregor 2
Wilfred Owen explains the dangers and misfortunes of war throughout his poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth.” He uses this to poem to tell his readers how horrifying it is to spend your life watching and participating in a war. The simile in the very beginning of the poem helps to support the idea that was is terrible. Owen demands: “What passing-bells for these who dies as cattle” (Line 1). He uses the comparison between soldiers and cattle as a way to outline the dehumanization that men and women in war have to face. Soldiers in war are completely disposable in today’s society, exactly like cattle. This comparison is so significant because Owen shows how careless our society is when it comes to protecting soldiers. There will always be more soldiers to throw into war, just like there will always be more cattle to slaughter.
ReplyDeleteAs well as simile, Owen uses imagery to carry across his purpose of this poem. In the second stanza, he states: “Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes/ Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes” (Lines 10-11). The image of glossy, tear-filled eyes that Owen paints with these words expresses the sorrow war can bring. People lose loved ones to war far too regularly, and the unfair goodbyes that are uttered from the lips of heartbroken parents, siblings, friends, and significant others come too soon and as too much a surprise. Owen expresses how depressing war can truly be through the imagery in lines ten and eleven. As a whole, “Anthem for Doomed Youth” was written with the purpose of illustrating the horrors of war.
In the poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth” Wilfred Owen is showing how young people sent to war do not deserve what fate they often eventually meet. He uses symbolism as well as rhetorical questions to convey this purpose.
ReplyDeleteOwen uses a “shire” (line 8) to represent a peaceful home front. I connect this to the Shire in the Lord of the Rings trilogy because that is where the survivors returned home to. In the case of this poem, however, it says, “And bugles calling for them from sad shires” (line 8). This indicates that the soldiers have not survived as was the case with the Vietnam War. The bugle represents the playing of taps at the funerals of those who served in the military. The fact that the poem mentions the word “boys” instead of men accents that this may be a commentary on the Vietnam War.
Owen also uses rhetorical questions like, “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” (line 1) and, “What candles may be held to speed them all?” (line 9). These questions are perhaps the very questions that mothers, wives, and families were asking when their young sons, husbands, and brothers were being sent off to fight a losing battle in Vietnam.
Erica Dame 2*
“Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen discusses the horrendous deaths of young men brought about by war. This Petrarchan sonnet does not have a traditional rhyme scheme, but it does have a structure beginning with an octave and ending with a sestet. The use of a Petrarchan sonnet allows Owen to tell the story of the men in war in the octave and the conclusion after their deaths in the sestet. In the very first line of the poem, Owen writes, “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” (1). The use of this simile comparing the soldiers to cattle shows the reader that in war, men are butchered and condemned to death just as cows are for their meat and hides. This shocking first sentence grabs the reader’s attention by giving them the impactful image of soldiers sent to be slaughtered in battle for their country. Owen continues this negative view of war by responding to his previous question. He says, “Only the monstrous anger of the guns. Only the stuttering rifles’ reapid rattle...” (2-3). The personification of the guns gives emotion to the scene. They are angry and looking for blood with each soldier that is shot. The killing is a result of hatred between nations and it is heard within the exchange of fire as the battle goes on. Saying that the gun stutters shows the rapid shots coming from its barrel.The gun is shot over and over. The rapid stutters are some of the last sounds that a dying soldier will hear. They will hear no praise and feel no victory. They only hear the loud pops of a gun being fired and shells that fall to the ground. Owen goes on in saying, “Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes” (10-11). This imagery tells us more than what is happening right at that moment. The readers can picture tear filled eyes of the soldiers and of the people that they left at home.
ReplyDeleteThe soldiers cannot say good bye during their untimely end as they think of their loved ones. The young men were sent to their deaths knowing the anger that comes as a result of war and families are left with the possibility that people they love will not come back home.
Hornung, A. 7/8
In Anthem for Doomed Youth, Wilfred Owen depicts the damage inflicted on young men during times of war. This poem is a Petrarchan sonnet because it is composed of an octave followed by a sestet and includes a transition between the two. A Volta occurs between lines 8 and 9 when Owen disrupts the flow by asking a question and then shifting the tone away from horror and towards mourning.
ReplyDeleteOwen utilizes a strong pathos appeal by writing that the young men “die as cattle,” (1) suggesting that their deaths are meaningless forms of slaughter. This rhetorical device elicits sadness in the reader, who acknowledges that these men are essentially children and have no place on the battlefields of war. Owen also makes use of metaphor by subtly comparing the “drawing-down of blinds” (14) to the closing of eyes and, essentially, an end to life. This metaphor ends the poem with a soft image that contrasts sharply with the horrors of its first eight lines.
Owen’s purpose for writing this poem was to elicit sympathy for the young and innocent who die needlessly in the clutches of war. His use of pathos appeal and metaphor helps him provoke emotions in the reader and illustrate his point that these deaths are not victories, but tragedies.
Keller N 7/8
The purpose of this poem is to convey the doomed youth, and is done so in several ways. One way is through the use of alliteration. Lines such as “rifles’ rapid rattle,” in line 3, show the sounds that the gun makes when fired by the repetition of the “r” sound. The sound is heard clearly and noticed, while giving off the sound in which a gun does make, creating a harsh mood to begin the poem. The authors purpose is to show how the youth is doomed and in which ways, and by hearing the violent sound of the “r,” the mood is felt by the reader.
ReplyDelete“The shrill, demented choirs of raging shells” is a strong quote pulled out of line 7. This line gives a different meaning to the word “choirs.” “Choirs” usually has a positive connotation, and is changed to fit the mood by placing “shrill” and “demented” placed in front of it. Using the word choirs to describe the sound of gun shells is also giving the word a negative connotation it normally does not have.
- Camille
In the poem "Anthem for Doomed Youth" Wilfred Owen describes the atrocities men face in war time. He appeals to the readers' emotions by describing their untimely and undeserving deaths.The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet because it is made up of an octave followed by a sestet and includes a transition in between the two. The volta occurs in lines 8 through 9: "And bugles calling for them from sad shires./What candles may be held to speed them all?" where owen disrupts the overall flow of the poem.
ReplyDeleteOwen uses pathos frequently throughout the poem as the subject he deals with is a very emotionally charged one. He compares the young men to cattle at one point when describing their slaughter (1) insinuating that their deaths are just as meaningless. Owen also uses strong imagery by describing the fire of rifles and the song of bugles. These sensory details make the poem more vivid to the reader and thereby make the poem more relatable.
-Harris, S 2*
Wilfred Owen, the author of Anthem Doomed for Youth, talks about the youth going to war and the closure that they and their families will never have. One of the most obvious literary devices Owen utilizes is alliteration. He describes “rifles’ rapid rattle” (3) and “Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes” (11). He uses the first example to provide emphasis and imagery for the reader and place them in the same setting as the young children in battle. The repetition in the second example provides emphasis, and in doing so, allows the reader to be more sympathetic.
ReplyDeleteIn his poem, Wilfred Owen also takes on the structure of a sonnet. He uses a typical abab cdcd rhyme scheme for the first stanza and then interrupts it with an effe gg pattern to disrupt the flow and cause the reader to slow down and focus on what Owen is trying to say. The second stanza contains a heavier, more impactful message than the first that focused on imagery and placing the reader into the correct mood. He disrupts the pattern the reader has already established to make them aware of a shift in his tone and the weight of his words.
Gettle, B 2
“Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen is a poem that depicts the sorrowful reality of war for young people by using various literary devices. The first line, "What passing-bells for these who die as cattle" (1), is a metaphor comparing soldiers to cattle--it is meant to exentuate the control these men lack in their own fate. Their only purpose in life is to die in war, and they cannot change that fate. This metaphor is used to bring sympathy for the readers at the thought of young men being so carelessly sacrificed. Owen stresses how little these lives seem to matter to the majority in the line "No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells/ Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs" (5-6), and even then the choirs are compared to "wailing shells" (7). This only brings it to a full circle of war.
ReplyDeleteThe poem is also Petrarchan sonnet that uses iambic pantameter. This is important because of the way it affects how the poem is read--almost lyrically. With this structure, the overall tone of the poem is somber and dark, as if the words themselves are a song for the dead young soldiers it speaks of.
In Anthem for Doomed Youth, Wilfred Owen incorporates many rhetorical devises to convey his message. His poem is a sonnet. This sonnet is divided into two parts. The first part, the octave, is about soldiers and war. Owen writes about soldier’s lives in battle. He begins his poem by using a rhetorical question: “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” (1). This rhetorical question forces the reader to think about cattle and the way they are killed. As the poem goes on, the reader realizes that the cattle are metaphors for soldiers who are killed in battle. They are unjustly slayed, praying while they die. Owen describes that the guns are very loud and they drown out the prayers of the “cattle.” Owen personifies the guns when he describes them as having “monstrous anger.” This anger does not come from the guns, but rather from the men who operate these machines of destruction. In the second part of the sonnet, Owen focuses on the lives of the families that are affected by the deaths of the soldiers. Owen writes, “Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes/ Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes” (10-11). Owen describes that the candles that the boys light mean nothing without the light itself, for it is the light that shows the boys’ sorrow. Owen also writes, “The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall” (12). Owen asserts that the unhealthy paleness of the girls’ faces will be the cause of their own deaths. Overall, he second stanza focuses on how the war impacts children and their families. In this sonnet, Owen writes about the ramifications of war.
ReplyDeletePatel D 2
The structure of the sonnet is Petrarchan. It flows with Iambic pentameter and contains an octave and sestet. In the poem "Anthem for Doomed Youth" Wilfred Owen talks about the savagery that war brings to young men and their families. The first literary device that I saw was in line 1: "What passing-bells for these who dies as cattle/-only the monstrous anger of the guns". Owen uses a simile to compare the men dying to cattle. Now, we associate cattle with slaughter so right off the bat, Owen paints a gruesome picture of the men at war. Another literary device that Owen uses is personification to describe the gun shells that are constantly going off: "The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells". Obviously guns shells don't wail, but by saying that Owen creates an unpleasant image of guns firing and the horrid sound of the boom that they make. Finally, but definitely not the last one, Owen uses alliteration in line 3 to create imagery that appeals to the hearing senses: "Only the stuttering rifles' rapid fire". Overall the imagery was very powerful and evoked a sense of horror.
ReplyDeleteGalvan, E 2nd
The purpose of Owen’s Anthem of Doomed Youth is to show the dishonor and loneliness of death by war. This is enhanced through imagery and the author’s tone.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, Owen describes a scene in the trenches where the rave fighters are dying. The harsh words prove it is a violent senseless death, with no time to absolve your sins or to play for deliverance: “Only the stuttering rifle’s rapid rattle/Can patter out their hasty orisons” (lines 3-4). There will be no time to look back on your life, no peace in which to pray. Since most people wish to die a simple, painless death, and to be absolved of their sins before they go, this description of death would be considered dishonorable and unholy. It is also stated that no one will miss the youths when they are gone, save the bugles calling them to fight again. This creates a sense that the life of a solider is lonely; that loneliness is never more obvious then when they die, thinking of the people they wish they were with, “but in their eyes/Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes” (lines 10-11). No one, not even the war-crazed, wants to die alone, and Owen hopes this image will deter those youths that are eager to go to war to choose a simpler, fuller life. The tone of the piece, supported by the haunting imagery and direct diction, is one of mourning and pain, again a deterrent to the young. There is an undercurrent of anger, too: “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” (line 1). Perhaps Owen knew someone, or was himself in the army; he may have seen others he loved die this way, and would not have wished such pain on anyone else, especially not one so young.
Maslach, K 2
“Anthem for Doomed Youth” is a Petrarchan sonnet by Wilfred Owen, discussing the lives and deaths of soldiers. The first stanza, called the octave because it has eight lines, speaks of the soldiers in battle and has a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCD. Owen uses an alliteration in line 3, stating, “Only the shuttering rifles’ rapid rattle,” in order to create a sound in the mind of the reader of the rattling guns. Owen also uses anaphora in the octave, “No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells; / Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs” (5-6). The repetition of “no” and “nor” allows the reader to understand that when soldiers go into battle, they are stripped of luxuries such as prayers and bells and voices of mourning. They have very few connections to home. The second stanza, called the sestet that contains the remaining six lines, speaks of what happens after the soldiers’ deaths and has a rhyme scheme of EFFEFF. This paints a somewhat somber picture and uses a metaphor to relate “their flowers” to the “tenderness of patient minds” (13). This metaphor allows Owen to depict death as calm and fragile, similar to a flower. The two stanzas are so conflicting, showing life in battle as chaotic and death after battle as peaceful. He achieves his purpose of making the reader reflect on the difficulties of battle and on the futures of soldiers’ lives.
ReplyDelete-Dushek, K 2˚
Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen discusses the experiences and casualties of young men in war. The structure of the poem is loosely based upon Petrachan sonnet (ABABCDCD EFFEFF) and uses iambic pentameter. The poem forces the readers into glimpses of the battlefield and the aftermath that directly affect the young men in battle. There is a struggle for justification of the actions on the young men. Using strong imagery assists in putting the reader in the battlefield itself with phrases like “monstrous anger of the guns” and “stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle”. Using these descriptive phrases makes the piece more real for the reader which helps with the overall message of the poem.
ReplyDeleteWilfred Owen starts the poem by stating, "What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?" (line 1). Owen utilizes a simile in order to compare the deaths of solders to the death of farm animals. In doing this, Owen shows displays how soldiers are mercilessly slaughtered on the battlefield. Their lives are seemingly insignificant to the ones deploying them in the grand scheme of the war. The comparison enunciates on the fact that many soldiers are sent to die with little recognition, or “passing-bells” to honor their death. The use of comparison effectively draws attention to Owen’s purpose for the piece.
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ReplyDeleteStraying away from the literary standard of glorifying war, Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth” portrays war as it actually is; violent and shocking, and discusses how people react to the death of soldiers. Owen personifies weaponry, saying “Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle/Can patter out their hasty orisons,” (3-4), which gives the rifles and weapons an interesting quality; Owen makes it sound as though the rifles are the soldiers’ “last hope,” after all, the word “orisons” means to pray, so it’s as though the rifles their only possible means of survival, which is quite accurate. Also, Owen uses the idea of the pallor of a girl’s brow being the cover on a coffin (the “pall”), so basically, the mourning is the metaphorical pall on the coffin.
ReplyDeleteThe imagery of “drawing down blinds” in the last line is excellent, comparing the drawing of blinds in a house to the drawing of blinds over one’s eyes, which was commonplace when captured soldiers were about to executed. The structure is quite apparent and thoroughly discussed by my fellow classmates; it is an ABABCDCD EFFEFF pattern like that of a Petrarchan sonnet, though the subject matter is way different than that of a traditional sonnet. Owen’s imagery, metaphors, and personification adequately describe the emotional torment, and physical torment, for that matter, that is experienced by soldiers and by those back at home.
Crow, M 7/8
Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen is a sonnet that depicts how war can affect people. Owen starts off the sonnet by using rhetorical questions to make the reader question what they think war does to those involved. It also reveals that Owen is questioning what he thinks as well and tries to justify war. The rhyme scheme and structure used is unique, Owen uses iambic pentameter to make the poem more lyrical and flow easier.
ReplyDeleteOwen also utilizes multiple rhetorical devices throughout the poem. A rhetorical device that he uses is personification. On line 2 Owen personifies the guns, “monstrous anger of the guns.” By doing this he allows the reader to relate to what the soldiers are feeling. The terror they feel when they stare down a barrel of a gun and the anger that soldiers feel of what they are being forced to do.
Another rhetorical device that Owen utilizes is pathos. On line 1 he writes, “who die as cattle?”. This is meant to show that the soldiers who die are meaningless that they are just like cattle being slaughtered. They can be replaced. This makes the reader feel sadness because these soldiers are not meaningless and so many shouldn’t die on the battlefield.
In this poem Owen uses rhetorical devices to show the tragedy of war and it’s cruelty. These men are more than just numbers on the battlefield.
The point of this poem is to explain the vicious, cyclical nature of war and how in war, we never find the respect, the perseverance that we would expect considering the loss of so many lives. The author conveys this through three literary devices: symbolism, allusion and rhyme scheme.
ReplyDeleteThrough symbolism, the author hints at the facets of war, being “shells”, “blood”, “shrines” and so many other violent and maleficent things. It is through diction and symbols such as this that we recognize the determent of our behavior. These objects depict imagery of destruction and loss, and makes the reader feel sick and uneasy.
To further this, the author also relies on allusions. He alludes to the flowers, the boys and the tenderness in the second stanza to make war feel real. Using tender and innocence objects such as these makes the reader feel the true dread and impact of war. We no longer see war as destructive of strange men in an unknown land, these lines bring war home. They highlight the naivety and the innocence that we send to the front lines and causes us, as an audience, to feel the emotional impact of what war truly is.
The author finishes the poem with the rhyming lines “eyes/goodbyes” and “minds/blinds”. In this section of the work, this is the author’s last comment to the audience. He expresses not only the innocence that we send to war, but how we close our “eyes” and draw our “blinds” in its very face. Overall, the author uses the structure of the work as well as diction, symbolism, allusion and other deep tendencies to make the reader see the detriment and the multi-faceted horror of war. These last lines guilt the reader, telling them to open the blinds to the world around them.
Megan Lear 2nd
Anthem for Doomed Youth, written by Alfred Owen, is a poem that focuses in on the deaths of young men in war. Owen wants to bring attention on how the readers remember the soldiers and the reality of war. The structure of this poem is a sonnet. The iambic pentameter that this poem contains allows the text to flow more rapidly. This helps to bring out the idea that lives in war are taken so quickly, but need to be cherished for a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteIn his attempt to bring forth this idea, he uses many literary devices. He opens the poem with a simile, comparing soldiers to cattle. “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle” (Line 1). Cattle die often. Comparing cattle to soldiers in war shows just how often death comes. Owen is showing that it is not unusual for young men to die. However, that does not mean that it is to be taken lightly.
Imagery alongside an alliteration is utilized in the poem to show the audience how horrifying death in war can be. He states: “only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle” (Line 3). The repetition of the r sound in rapid rattle shows how often it is that shots are fired. This is reality of war. The imagery in this sentence speaks to readers and shows them the facts about death of the young men in war.
Personification of the weapons in this poem helps to depict the death of the soldiers. Owen writes, “Only the monstrous anger of the guns” (Line 2) to portray to the audience how awful these weapons are. It also brings out a somber but anger filled tone. The tone is also brought forth when Owen states: Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs / the shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells” (Lines 6-7). The personification of the shells is being compared to a funeral choir. This adds a great deal of sadness to the tone of the poem. It also helps readers to see that when the life of a solider is taken, the last thing they are left with is more gun shots. This again, shows the reality of war as well.
Alfred Owen speaks passionately about causalities in war. He shows the audience the reality of death in war and how common it is. This is emphasized by the many literary devices used, impacting the tone as well as the purpose of the poem.
Cika, M 2
In the sonnet “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen uses imagery, tone and pathos frequently to show the consequences of war. It shows what soldiers give up, physically and mentally, for the war they participate in. When writing “the shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells/ and the bugles calling for them from sad shires”, Owen is giving the reader a mental picture of gun shells being blown away from all the shooting. Owen uses a dark and glum tone to compliment the images he puts into our heads. Soldiers sacrifice their innocence more than they do their time. Which is why I believe the title to include “doomed youth”, for it causes young men to turn into dark and abused.
ReplyDeleteThe death waged by war is substantial, and comes with a heavy price. Many lives are lost every day. When Owen writes, “what passing –bells for these die as cattle” he refers to the mass death that occurs. The way he incorporates pathos is through sadness. Any reader who is patriotic or anti-war will be affected emotionally through this poem. It will, in return, promote the thanks given to soldiers or the push to end war. This sonnet shows the reality of soldiers at battle, which is a scene not common to the average citizen. And with including a glum tone, dark imagery and pathos, Owen creates a mixture of despair and reality.
The poem "Anthem for Doomed Youth" discusses war and the careless death that is left in it's wake. The text uses personification of the weapons, such as the riffles, to show how the machines used for war, are cold and inhumane. The only emotion that they posses is frantic anger, seen in "Only the monstrous anger of the guns. Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
ReplyDeleteCan patter out their hasty orisons. "(2-4). The violent nature of the machines is the only thing that can draw the attention away from the actions those machines are creating. The soldiers are refereed to as cattle that is being slaughtered in halo of frantic gunfire. the metaphor of cattle gives a new meaning to its use. cattle are often bred, raised and killed with a specific intent. to refer to the soldiers as cattle means that their entire life was planned out, at least from the moment that they enlisted, that they were to be fattened up with knowledge of how to fight, trained to live a certain way and then sent off to their death on the battle field. It shows how minuscule each person is made to be, since they do not receive attention for their sacrifice: "No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells; Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs" (5-6). the passage is meant to portray how lonely and meaningless it is to be a soldier in the system- as there will always be more that will be trained and sent off - one right after the other.
Supina, R, 2
In “Anthem for Doomed Youth” Wilfred Owen explains the horrors that soldiers live through and deal with in war, and the lack of necessity that there is for them. He uses rhetorical devices to do so, such as personification, and similes. He says that the guns are “stuttering”. That gives the guns a human quality, and almost makes it seem as if there should be hesitation from the guns, yet there is not. The personification is continued when it says that there are “wailing” shells, once again adding human qualities to the weapons of war. A simile is used when he says “for these who die as cattle” he is saying that our soldiers are being slaughtered as if they were cattle, and as if they were as insignificant as cattle. Through the use of his simile and personification he is highlighting how cruel war can be and how horrible it is for the soldiers.
ReplyDeleteBunting Anna 2nd
I think the authors purpose is commentary on coming of age of how boys can't handle what men can and everyone is confused for while they are young. After scrolling back up to the top of the page to get back to the text every single person is talking about soldiers, so let's try this again.
ReplyDeleteI believe the authors purpose of the text is to talk about soldiers in war, the gruesome way of saying goodbye because so many soldiers die when sacrificing themselves. Anthem for the Doomed really does suit the poem, the title works so well, and is almost bone-chilling. Once I realized the meaning, it was very powerful. People that are willing to sacrifice so much for their country are incredible.
Westphal 2nd
Wilfred Owens created a violent sonnet in "Anthem for Doomed Youth". This is a Petrarchian Sonnet due to the presence of an octave and a sestet. There is a haunting rhyme at the end of each line that unites the poem and helps the particularly intelligent words flow. The rhyme scheme is: ABABCDCD EFFEFF. I felt that the presence of this rhyme scheme really allows the greusomeness of the subject matter to stand out among the childish like-sounding lines. Sonnets are usually square. However, this sonnet is broken and misshapen. This is symbolic of the broken and shortened lives of the young soldiers who've lost their lives in the war.
ReplyDeleteAlliteration is used on multiple occasions in this sonnet. For example, Owens uses "rifles' rapid rattle" (3), "shall shine" (11), "glimmers of goodbyes" (11), "dusk a drawing-down" (14), and many instances of assonance and consonance to make most of the sonnet sit strangely in the mouth of the speaker as if the words were a tongue-twister. This helps to define the meaning of the poem and its violent themes as cocophonic and out of place, exactly as the themes of war and death are out of place in a sonnet that should be about love.
- Bahr, S. 7/8*
The Petrarchan sonnet, “Anthem for Doomed Youth,” depicts the worries about war that the poet has for the younger generation. Owen starts off by using a simile, which says, “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” This shows the massive amounts of soldiers that die everyday just as cattle do. However, there is no thought or sympathy for the cattle because it happens so frequently to the point that it is a common habit. Also, Owen uses imagery by saying, “Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds, and each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.” He later takes his descriptions of “monstrous anger of guns” and “rifles rapid rattle” to reflect the future of the youth. The “flowers” representing innocence will slowly close it blinds and the idea of doom will be exposed to the youth depicted in the poem.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen, Owen portrays through the use of personification and simile the doomed fate that young men come to from being drafted into war.
ReplyDelete“What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” (Line 1), having this simile open the poem with such power by comparing soldiers to cattle helps emphasize the point that these men are just herded together and die on the line of duty for our country. They are drafted and gathered together to travel places with their death being of no importance, when these young men are doing the most important thing: protecting our country. Cattle eventually receive the same fate that these men might also: being shot and killed.
With the power of these “monstrous anger of the guns” (Line 2) being shot, this personification entails the horror that comes from the guns. They are the monsters we should be afraid of and the anger of their sounds “can patter out thir hasty orisons” (Line 4). They cover up the mens quickened prayers to stay alive and hopes to come home. They depend on their prayers to lead them home. That their prayers are their only comfort while being in this situation of war.
S. Güt7/8
The poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen seems to be referring to the deaths of young soldiers in war (after doing a bit of research on the history of the poem and discovering that it was written in 1917, I believe it is referring to World War I). The poem, seems to be written in Petrarchan sonnet form with a stanza of eight lines (the octet of ABABCDCD), followed by the stanza of six lines (the sestet of EFFEGG). Though it does not follow the rhyme scheme of a Petrarchan poem exactly, it still share a likeness enough to consider this poem a Petrarchan sonnet. The poem is also in iambic pentameter, which makes the poem flow with more fluidity, which emphasizes what he is trying to say about the deaths of the young soldiers in World War I.
ReplyDeleteOwen starts his commentary on war with a simile of dead soldiers to cattle, as can be seen in line one when he says “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” The simile used strengthens his argument on the brutality of war though comparing the precious fathers, husbands, sons, nephews, and friends that could be these fallen soldiers to something that gets brutally slaughtered in order for it to be hacked apart and eaten. As morbid as the thought is, it strengthens his argument that war is not honorable, and that young brave soldiers are just getting slaughtered like cattle in a slaughterhouse.
The poem also uses the literary device of personification to emphasize his point when he says, “And bugles calling for them from sad shires” (line 8). Bugles are played at the funeral of soldiers that have died in war, and shires refer to the English counties and countryside that many of the soldiers from World War I would have hailed from. By making the personification of the bugles calling for the dead soldiers from their homes, the poem depicts the sadness and loss that families feel as they have to listen to the funeral music be played on the bugle for their lost loved ones. By depicting these emotions, Owen is able to strengthen his poem to argue about the horrid and depressing side of war that some may try to cover by saying war is honorable.
Using this poem, Owen has painted a picture of war that shows that war is dangerous, depressing, and brutal. He shows that there is nothing honorable about dying in war, that it is more like a cow in a slaughterhouse: they will be killed without remorse or mercy. Owen hopes to persuade people to be enraged at war and the deaths that are caused by it. Thus, his poem becomes an effective, well-written tool to show how horrid war is and persuade against it.
~C. Lenhoff 2nd period
Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen is a sonnet that haunts the reader with a ghastly depiction of the honesty of war. This piece can be classified as a Petrarchan sonnet which allows the imagery to flow quickly, with much depth. Owen’s tone speaks to the frankness of war, yet his descriptions of men as cattle, and “the shrill, demented choirs” almost scare the reader. He dehumanizes the young soldiers to show the death of their innocence of war, and to describe the masses; as this is a relevant memory to many families with young ones in war. His diction changed starting at line 11 where while still somber, focuses on delicate words such as “holy glimmers,” and “their flowers the tenderness of patient minds.” Owen starts both stanzas with rhetorical questions to order to speak directly to reader and have them form a bond with the situations- this use of pathos intensifies any emotion the reader feels while reacting to his words. The alliteration that ends the poem: “dusk a drawing-down of blinds” gives a feel of resolution and peace among the previous talk of weaponry and harsh diction.
ReplyDelete-Grabowski, H. 7/8
In the poem, Anthem for Doomed Youth, by Wilfred Owens, he writes this for the purpose of showing just how lonely and dismal life as a soldier is. The only sounds are the sounds of death. In the moment of being a soldier, there is no one to hold your hand, or mourn your death. In those moments, terror is real and solitary.
ReplyDeleteThe structure is clearly of a petrarchan sonnet in the form of ABABCDCD EFFEFF. Owen uses metaphors to project how soldiers are objectified by war. He writes, "what passing - bells for them who die as cattle?- only the monstrous anger of the guns". Soldiers are killed like cattle. Meaning they die for no purpose. Not my or the authors opinion but that of those who objectify war. The only bells that toll for their losses are the guns that continue to fire. Ignoring those losses.
He ends the poem with the line, "and each slow dusk a drawing - down of blinds". This is meant to say that after each day death still comes. It comes slowly and there seems to be an ending but the fight is not over. It is simply being drawn for the moment. The blinds will always open.
Sarah Palmer 7/8
In the petrarchan sonnet Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen describes the effect that war leaves on the youth that is in it. Owen uses the literary devices of simile, personification, and rhetorical questions to enhance his descriptions of the youth in war. In the beginning Owen writes, “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle” (1). Owen uses the simile of the soldier being “cattle” showing that the lives of these people who lay down their lives are treated with little respect, just like cattle waiting to be slaughtered. Owen also personifies the guns in saying, “Only the monstrous anger of guns” (2). This draws the reader’s attention to the fact that these battle are not for a good reason and anger and hatred can usually be found, which results in death, more than likely by a gun. Also by saying the gun is “monstrous” depicts the idea of how inhumane war is. Owen also asks, “What candles may be held to speed them all” (9). He wants the reader to think and question themselves about what happens when these soldiers die. While some are remembered others are forgotten. While that may be the end for some there are still others that are “cattle” waiting to be slaughtered. Owen wants the reader to understand how inhumane and awful war is and how it has effected the young.
ReplyDeleteLoDolce, A 7/8
In Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth” Owen shows the costly consequence of war as they truly are. The poem is a sonnet, fitting best under the Petrarchian rhyme scheme, with the first octet ABABCDCD and the second sestet EFFEFF. This combined with the iambic pentameter gives the poem a very rhythmic feeling as though it has a beat like a song. The comparison of soldiers to cattle in the very first line immediately sets the tone for the poem. By comparing the soldier’s lives to the lives of cattle Owen suggests that the soldiers are not only blindly obedient like cattle let to slaughter, but also their lives are as disposable as cattle. Owen’s use of alliteration in line 3 with the phrase “rifles’ rapid rattle” gives the poem a very harsh tone, as the “r” sound is very rough and has cacophony. This also occurs in lines 8 and 11, in the phrases “sad shires” and “glimmers of goodbyes”. The rough sounds these examples of alliteration give off emphasize the brutality of war and fit the message Owen is trying to convey. Owen also uses pathos as a technique to cause the reader to truly sympathize with the horrors of war. The emotional imagery in line14, “and each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds” literally describes the end of a day like the end of a life. Owen uses a plethora of literary devices to convey his purpose. He expresses his hatred for the violence of war through emotional description, biting alliteration and brutally honest comparisions.
ReplyDeleteE Florek 7/8
The poem Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen is a sonnet comprised in fourteen lines and two stanzas. It starts off with an “ABAB” rhyme scheme in the first stanza, transition to a “EFFEGG” rhyme to end in a couplet. The poem depicts the harsh realities of war for a young soldier. In the beginning of the poem, he says “for those who die as cattle?”, the comparison of people to cattle struck me when reading this. Cattle are used for what they produce, and can be slaughtered and disposed of. Comparing a soldier to something so disposable sets the tone off right away as morbid. The alliteration of “rifles rapid rattle” create the ringing sound of gun shots and “sad shires” shows the sad soft sounds the poem talks about. Wilfred Owen wrote this poem to show the harsh realities of war and the feelings it creates, the way war changes a person.
ReplyDeleteC Parey 7/8
This unique poem, “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen features the narrator questioning the death rituals of those who die in battle. While this somber poem tells a somber story, it is done through iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter tends to have a very upbeat sound to it. Five iambs in a line flows nicely with the ear. For Owen to use iambic pentameter in his melancholic poem discerns his desire to make the poem sound more, for a lack of a better term, poetic. Similarly, Owen makes use of a rhyme scheme (ABABCDCD EFFEFF). Rhyme scheme, like iambic pentameter, tends to have a lighter, more upbeat tone. By making the choice to use both a solid rhyme scheme and iambic pentameter reveals that the poem may not be intended to be taken as heavily as his words may indicate.
ReplyDeleteOwen also uses two rhetorical devices throughout his poem, “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” (1) and “What candles may be held to speed them all?” (9). These questions indicate a desire of Owen to ensure that this poem may be thought-provoking. It is through these questions that Owen establishes a need for the reader to understand the atrocity of these deaths.
-Kett, J 2
Wilfred Owen’s poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth” is a sonnet about war. One literary device used by Owen is a simile, found in the first line: “…these who die as cattle” (1). He compares the death of young soldiers to the death of animals- not a peaceful scene. A second literary device, in the second stanza, is a metaphor: “The pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall” (12). In this line, the females, assumed to not be fighting, hold an unhealthy appearance that acts as a funeral veil for “their” deaths; “their” referring back to the boys that died in battle (10). These two devices support the author’s purpose, which is summed up in the title of the poem: that the youth of the war’s generation are “doomed”. The males lose their lives and the females live with loss.
ReplyDeleteK Brav 7/8*
Anthem for Dommed Youth by Wilfred Owen depicts the struggles of incorporating young men into the battles of war. The poem shows how detrimental the casualties of war can be on solider, particularly on those that are still children. The structure of the poem is important to its understanding. The poem is set like a sonnet, specifically an English sonnet although it does not fit perfectly. The rhyme scheme however matches the English sonnet with a scheme of ABABCDCD EFFEFF. This contributes to both the flow of the poem and its contents. Using a basic rhyme scheme such as the one outlined above, helps to keep the harsh subject almost juvenile. At the same time however we are listening to a poem about war, war is never something that is a light subject to deal with. These too contrasting components are similar to that of youth and war. Yet the world still tries to put the two in one another. All together the rhyme scheme adds emphasis to the words of the poem.
ReplyDeleteAnother way that authors commonly draw attention to certain sections of their poems is through alliteration. The reader sees Owen using alliteration in multiple sections of his poem. The first time that alliteration is used is when Owen says “ Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle”. The repetition is done by using the R sound, which imitates the guns sounding. This is vital to the poem because it draws attention to the fact that children are being exposed to the violence of guns in war. The author is trying to make his reader think about how hearing and seeing others being shot would affect the naive and innocent children. Similarly he uses it at the end of the poem stating “ Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes”. This really tells the reader flat out what putting children in war does to them. Although it may not always physically change the boys, the scars it leaves mentally can never be undone.
Using the literary devices Wilfred Owen is able to show the immense affect putting children in the sight of war does.
Sansone A. 2
The poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen is about the horrors of war for youth. The poem is broken up into two sections. The octet that starts the poem speaks to the horrors of war, while the sestet focuses on the aftermath of war and the how the deaths affect the boys at war and the girls at home. Owen uses this poem to show that war is not something to be glorified: it is brutal and the youth of the nation are suffering on account of it.
ReplyDeleteOwen uses personification to highlight aspects of the war. He says that the “anger of the guns” (2) is what makes “the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle”(3) that drowns out the prayers of all of those hoping for the safety of their loved ones. The word “anger” shows that there is no compassion or any form of positivity in war. “Stuttering” may refer to a problem often seen in younger children. As children grow older, they are worked with to fix speech impediments. Saying that the rifles are stuttering may be speaking to the fact the war has become a childish way to solve problems.
Owen uses a metaphor for the funerals that are inevitable after a war to close his poem: “The pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall;/Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,/And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds” (12-14). The sickly faces of the girls represent the coffin of the dead soldier. The pain and agony they experienced in war is held, emotionally, in the face of the young girls, while the body is physically held in the coffin. The flowers surrounding the coffin represent the growth that was cut short by the unfair death: something beautiful was destroyed by the war. And finally, the end of the day and the blinds are symbolizing the closing of one’s eyes for the last time as they take their final breath. Owen uses all of these metaphors and symbols to strengthen his message that was is detrimental to youth and that nothing good will come out if it for them. There is only death for those involved and pain for those who witness it.
Woods, L 2
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ReplyDeleteWilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth” depicts the repercussions of war and violence and how it creates an atmosphere of sorrow through the lives it takes. This poem, a Petrarchan sonnet, is divided into an octet, being the first eight lines, and a sestet, being the last six lines. Both stanzas start with a rhetorical question. Each question sets the tone for the rest of the stanza by questioning whether the sacrifice of young men is worth the end result. Owen uses personification when saying, “Only the monstrous anger of the guns/ Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle” (lines 2-3) humanizing the weapons while he subjects the soldiers to the status of cattle. He focuses on the weapons as a means to emphasize the violence that ensues in war, blaming violence on the weapons that enable war rather than the men who merely use the weaponry. To end the poem Owen uses a haunting metaphor that compares the end of a day to the end of a life, saying "And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds" (line 14). This ending shows that as long as there is violence and war young lives are guaranteed to end just as each day ends.
ReplyDeleteAguinaga, C 7/8*
Wilson Owen’s “Anthem for Doom” narrates the horror of war among the youth. It demonstrates and explains how costly war can be. It discusses the sounds and the isolation that comes with being a soldier. The fear of it is what makes the soldier feel so alone. The poem can be categorized as a Petrarchan sonnet. The poem utilizes an array of rhetorical devices to get the point across including metaphors, pathos, and ethos. This poem hits deeply with on all of those devices, like simile “who die as cattle” for example. These are strong devices that add to the authors purpose.
ReplyDeleteA. Graf 2*
This poem uses the alliteration of the consonant "s". The importance of this particular sound is that it invokes in the reader a strong feeling. The sound of the "s" is very crisp and biting. It brings to mind snakes and evil, which complements the narrator's message about the environment of the youth of the world.
ReplyDeleteThis poem also uses rhetorical questions to set the tone for the ensuing verse. They use a mocking sort of tone that adds to the spiteful emotion of the narrator.
A. Jankovsky 7-8*