Anthem doomed

    Cards (8)

    • Wilfred Owen had first-hand experience of the horrors of World War I, including injuries in battle and consequent psychological trauma that led to him being treated for Shell Shock and waking up constantly to the screams of men
    • Owen's new concern was to warn the public at the brutality of war and to stress that it was harsher and less glorious and honourable than suggested by the governments' propaganda
    • Title "Anthem for Doomed Youth"

      Suggests patriotism, quite religious imagery, and the oxymoronic idea of honouring people who are doomed
    • The assonance in the title suggests a tone of dread
    • Owen wrote this poem while in hospital
    • Structure
      • Formal Petrarchan sonnet with an octet describing the carnage and mayhem of war, and a sestet depicting the quiet devastation and loss
    • The poem transcends national propaganda of the time and presents the adverse impact of war on humanity and civilization
    • The poem questions the glorification of war, but does not devalue the soldiers' sacrifice, and looks at the physical and emotional pain suffered by the soldiers and their loved ones
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