In what ways does the poet draw you into the world of poetry?
-Abigail Buenaventura
Wilfred Owen’s poems uncover the truth about the violent and cruel nature of war and how it led the young soldiers to their untimely death, whilst allowing readers to also experience the sufferings that the soldiers went through in the battlefield. Owen passionately expresses his anger towards the deceptive government by clearly describing the horrors of war and the agony the soldiers had to endure during the time of war. Owen reinforces these themes by graphically allowing the readers to see the loss and waste of life in the war. The poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est” illustrates how it is not honourable and noble to die in a war and by making the society believe these lies, the Government encouraged these young boys to join the war. Owen wants to emphasize to the readers that the reality of war is far from what the Authority made individuals believe. This also relates to the sonnet “Anthem for Doomed Youth”, which discusses the pity of war and demonstrates how those who died in war did not receive the traditional ceremonies that are used to honour the dead. This emotive poem also underlines the inadequacies of religion and the power of love and grief. These poems challenge the readers view points, beliefs and values and allow them to also reflect on the message that the poems are trying to communicate. Wilfred Owen maintains textual integrity throughout his poems by using confronting graphics to guide the readers in to the world of the text.
The Term Paper on War Poems 2
Wars pre-1914 were very different to WW1. Wars such as the Boer War and the Crimean War were fought by soldiers using mainly sabres and muskets. These wars had little in the way of powerful weaponry such as heavy weight machine guns. WW1 also saw the beginning of trench warfare, tanks, planes and gases. Almost all of the poetry written during WW1 was written while the soldiers were on the front ...
Firstly, the poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est, reveals the sacrifice of the soldiers, leaving them to feel exhausted not only physically but also emotionally. The poem communicates the ultimate sacrifice the soldiers had to make- offering up their lives. In the line “like old beggars under sacks”, the use of the simile illustrates the stumbling and disjointed movement of the soldiers, who are experiencing extreme exhaustion but are still forced to bear the pain of war. Also, by comparing the soldiers with ‘old hags’, Owen is ageing the ‘boys’ in the war demonstrating how one of their sacrifices is losing their youth and innocence. This enables the readers to feel a sense of sympathy towards the soldiers who did not have the chance to know what it feels like to have normal life like everybody else. Moreover, in the line “Men marched asleep”, the use of hyperbole expresses the utter exhaustion of the soldiers and how in spite of this fatigue, they are still obliged to keep going and cannot stop. This is also illustrating to the readers that they are not mentally functioning anymore and their bodies are starting to shut down because they are not in control of them any longer as they ‘marched asleep’. The same sacrifices were also made by the soldiers in the poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth”. By illustrating the agony and distress the soldiers went through, Owen successfully maintains textual integrity throughout his poetry.
Furthermore, the poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth” exposes the wasted life of the young soldiers that died in the war. The poem highlights the way in which war left the soldiers to die without dignity and glory, leaving them unburied across the battlefield. In the line “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” the use of rhetorical expression highlights the metaphorical comparison made between the cattle and the soldiers revealing the inhumanity and brutality of war as it treats men as mere animals. It underlines the psychological trauma of war and the poor treatment that the soldiers received. It also emphasizes that the war is in control of the soldiers and they didn’t have any power to stand up against it and died for no reason. In addition, in the line “The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells”, the use of personification conveys the irony that the shells are the ones that are crying for the soldier’s deaths instead of their loved ones. This also communicates that the soldiers had no one with in their time of death and the last thing they had seen when they were still alive is the horrific sight of war. The loss of young lives is also experienced in the poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est”. Through the use of different language techniques, Owen is able to communicate his outrage at the wasted life of the soldiers, leading the readers to the world of poetry.
The Essay on War Poems Of Wilfred Owen
ESSAY QUESTION: Wilfred Owen is known as a war poet, yet he does not often deal with the actual war. What are his concerns and what devices does he use to achieve them Discuss in relation to two of Owen s poems that you have studied. It must first be acknowledged that the subject of war is a very broad matter, with scope for much further interpretation than simply the physical action of battle. ...
Moreover, the poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est”, underscores the lies and deception of the corrupt Government, who used propaganda to deceive the youth to sacrifice their lives. This graphical poem illustrates the betrayal of the Government and how they made the people believe that it is honourable and noble to die in the war. In the line “But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind”, the use of visual imagery demonstrate the grotesque nature of war, which creates confronting images within the reader’s mind. It also reveals the painful way these soldiers were left to die and how there can be no glory in such death which is what the Government would like society to believe. Additionally, the contradiction between the title of the poem which means “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country” and the real meaning of the poem highlights Owen’s attack on those people who mislead these young ‘boys’ in to believing that fighting in the war is worthy of their lives. Owen vividly illuminates that the soldier’s death isn’t recognized nor honoured by the Authority as they left them to die with confusion and bewilderment, not knowing what they were really doing in the war at such a young age. The contradiction between the battlefield in the poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est” and the home front in the poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth” demonstrates how Owen covers the influences of war to the people in his poems, which are the young soldiers and their family. By doing this, Owen has maintained textual integrity throughout his poetry.
Lastly, “Anthem for Doomed Youth” not only demonstrates the loss of innocence and waste of lives but also emphasizes the sufferings of the family back in the home front. It highlights the other side of the war as it talks about the sorrow and misery the family of the soldiers felt when they were left to wait for them to come back home safe and alive. In the line “And bugles calling for them from sad shires” the use of personification represents the families at home that are mourning for the young soldiers. It also communicates the calling of the soldiers and how the home front is asking for them to come back home. This allows the readers to not only feel the pain of the soldiers but also the despair the soldiers families have experienced. Moreover, the use of the noun “girl” with the line “The pallor of girls’ brow shall be their pall” connotes the gentleness and innocence of youth contrasting it with the atrocious nature of war and how their tears will be the soldiers’ pall. It also represents the mother, wives, daughters and sister that were left behind forced to suffer in silence. The poem captures the emotions of both the soldiers and the family that they left allowing the readers to feel a sense sympathy towards the people that lived in the war era. Through the use of different language techniques, Owen has effectively expressed his message through the readers the pity of war and how it destroyed these young men’s lives.
The Essay on Post-war Soldier And Civilian Expectations Of The British Government
British soldiers and civilians had high expectations of their government following World War 1, most of which did not eventuate. The soldiers needed understanding of their suffering and emotional pains of the war, while the British civilians felt that Germany’s reparations were highly important in the short-term. Employment was a significant issue to both groups, with the soldiers arriving ...
In conclusion, by revealing the central concerns of war, the poems “Dulce Et Decorum Est” and “Anthem for Doomed Youth” both successfully draw the readers in to the world of poetry. Owen effectively establishes the main themes of the waste and loss of youth and innocence, the sacrifice the soldiers had to endure and the Government’s betrayal to deceive the young soldiers. Furthermore, Owen’s use of poetic techniques helps him to justify his arguments and express his fury over the war. In the poem, “Dulce Et Decorum Est”, Owen’s use of powerful imager allows him to illustrate to the readers the true nature of war, which is brutal and cruel and the reality that war strips soldiers of their identities, youth and innocence. Moreover, in the poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth”, Owen allows the readers to witness the agony and pain the soldiers experienced and also the lies and betrayal of the Government as he lets the readers to see the reality of war. As a result, Owen clearly lets the readers in the world of poetry by establishing the true nature of war and how it influenced the lives of many people.
The Essay on War Owen Reader Death
Owen''s poem serves to uncover the lie that 'it is sweet and becoming to die for one''s country.' Owen's use of diction, vivid language, and graphic imagery emphasizes his point. The poem describes the fatigue, blindness, evil, obscenity, death, sufferings, and disgust of war. It shows the true life of a soldier, lying low, ill, endlessly trudging through mud with bloody feet, away from and into ...
