Poetry Analysis Of Anthem For Doomed Youth

Anthem for Doomed Youth” Poetry Analysis In Wilfred Owen’s sonnet, “Anthem for Doomed Youth,” the artist questions the sanctity of death for those who go to war. He uses some outdated language, but after some understanding one would find that the same words are also full of vivid descriptions about the harsh reality of war. He combines these descriptions with a tone full of sadness to create imagery that is both powerful and moving. To help give the poem life, Owen also uses a number of rhetorical devices like alliteration and a slant rhyme. These rhetorical devices also grab the reader’s attention and allow the poem to flow. Owen’s combination of literal meaning, vivid diction throughout the poem, and the sad tone of the poem allow the author to propose such a difficult topic such as war burials. The literal meaning of Owen’s poem is hard to pinpoint but it is easy to comprehend the general idea. Owen starts by raising his question behind the poem: What is being done to honor those who die in war? He then proceeds to make somewhat ironic remarks about the “passing bells” (1) for the dead soldiers being more gunshots. He states that the only prayers come from those with a fear of being shot at. There are no prayers or bells or choirs on the battlefield. Those are …show more content…
The literal meaning of the poem proposes the question and provides the authors stance. The diction in Owen’s poem, while somewhat outdated, provides the reader with sensory descriptions of the hellish reality of war. Owen’s tone seems to be sad and sorrowful for those soldiers that cannot receive a proper burial. Ultimately, Owen brings these elements together to compose a poem that raises a tough topic but does so in a way that puts the reader in the shoes of the soldier to give them an idea of the honor they