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| Sunday, 7 August 2005 |
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A/L English Literature Made Easy - Modern Poets
Anthem for doomed youth by Wilfred Owen Wilfred Owen lived for just twenty-five years. Born in 1893 and "died in action in the 1st World War on November 4, 1918 a week before the armistice". He won the military cross in 1918 about a month before his death.
What passing bells for these who die as cattle? Only the monstrous anger of the guns Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle... The enormous number of people dying in war could only brutalise death itself. There cannot be funeral rights for large numbers dying at war, and it is ambiguous even to suggest a farewell funeral to the thousands who die like cattle. Not only the soldiers in action but also ordinary people living in the surrounding areas die in a war. Those who die at the war front, have quick burials and arranged funerals cannot be even dreamt of, due to lack of time. The sound guns are heard, instead of prayers. Usually at a funeral, candles are held by boys but the dead soldiers get only the holy glimmers of good bye of a few soldiers present at the funeral. The tenderness of patient minds of girls who will not forget them, seem to represent the flowers at the funeral. Anthem for doomed youth is a war poem, and Wilfred Owen treats war in a different manner, in rather a compassionate manner. The poet's use of simple diction style brings the immediate visual images of the unfortunate deaths of the thousands of human beings brutally killed like cattle and goats sans funeral rights with not even a prayer for their souls. The words: Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes Shall shine the holy glimmers of good byes. Inviting pity and affection of every man and woman and ultimately the readers of this sonnet. The sound effect of the words monstrous anger, stuttering rifles, rapid rattle, patter out produce the monstrous image of war while the wailing shells, bugles calling emphasise the pathetic scene created by war. Owen has successfully made use of visual imagery shrill demented choirs, stuttering rifles, monstrous anger of the guns bringing in the visual image of a battlefield in action. The words Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes inculcate in the minds of the readers the pathetic sights of war arousing their sympathy towards the unfortunate deaths of thousands of human being. The emotions and the reactions of the people are conveyed by the words monstrous anger. The eighth line of this sonnet And bugles calling for them from sad shires highlights the sad situation of the dead soldiers bereft of all senses. The poet's use of adjectives, associated with sound rattle, patter, the assonance and alliterations enhance the title and the theme of the poem. The visual images in the sextet with exquisite sound effect provide the perfect background for the pathetic situation prevailing, adding meaning to the theme of the sonnet. Monstrous anger, stuttering rifles, demented choirs Of wailing shells, bugles calling from sad shires. In this sonnet, the words flow with song like unity of thought and sound and the visual images are created to furnish the pathetic but heroic background for the soldiers; terrible fate and the mourners' saddest hour. Their emotions and actions are mirrored forth by appropriate wording "The monstrous anger of the guns" "The stuttering rifles rapid rattle" "Wailing shells" "Bugles calling for them from sad shires The tone of the poem carries a sad note with praise and blame; the soldiers are not concerned or worried about their fate when they are in the battlefield. They seem to be resigned to their fate. The words associating with sound are frequently used for effect rattle, patter. The assonance and alliterations give prominence to the title and theme of the poem. The visual images in the sextet, form the single image, the pathetic state of the dying soldiers, their bounden duty, their helplessness and the tragic situation created by war. The repetitive words add importance to the whole poem: "Only the monstrous anger of the guns Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle" The repetition of the word ONLY is suggestive of a place entirely free from the public, a place labelled and set for terrible disaster. The pathetic tone of the poem indicates the merciless situation in the battle field and the deaths of the soldiers, nobody to blame them, nobody to praise them, no indications announcing their deaths other than the Rattle of the guns. The last rhyming couplet of the sonnet Anthem for doomed youth carried the whole effect of the sonnet emphasising the meaning and the theme in particular. Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds, And each slow dusk a drawing down of blinds... Mrs. C. Ekanayake, Retd. Specialist Teacher English, St. Anne's College, Kurunegala. |
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Owen's letters to his mother and sister reveal his experiences at war,
the horrors and danger of modern war equipment - all mechanised for human
slaughter - Owen does not treat war as something to be forbidden. He
believes that wars will continue till the end of mankind. Owen's style is
a little close to Keats style of poetry. In Owen's poem, Anthem for doomed
youth the first line, in interrogative form touches upon the number of
deaths and the mode of killing. 
