2.4 Willfred Owen Essay task

 

“And by his smile, I knew that sullen hall, By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell” This quote spoken by Wilfred Owen shows his true thoughts on the war that it is a tough experience and scars men for life. In the texts “Anthem for doomed youth” and “Exposure” written by Wilfred Owen language features are presented to us relating back to the tough experiences that the men have and the scars that are left from war. Rhetorical questions are used in both the poems which showing that the soldiers are resistant to the experiences of war.  Personification portrays the idea that the men experienced mental and physical toughness.

The two poems “Exposure” and “Anthem for doomed youth” use rhetorical questions to portray the idea that the soldiers are resistant to the experiences of war. In Exposure the rhetorical question used to show the soldiers resistance is the question” What are we doing here?” helping us to understand the way the soldiers are feeling as they live through the exposure and cold of the war. They are asking themselves why did they join the army and for what reason are they putting themselves through this. Giving a sense of depression that the men feel as they struggle to survive through each night. Making us feel bad for the men and their hardship through war. As the reader I understood the idea of resistance when the Wilfred questioned why he joined the war and  considered the other places he would much rather be for example at home with his family.  Reading the poem gave me a sense of sorrow towards the soldiers knowing how easy my life has been in comparison to them. As a 21st century teenager I have the luxuries of warm food, a family, education, the chance to compete in sports and my own house which is warm. The soldiers only had each other and a small amount of food and clothing to keep them warm. Our life in comparison is very easy compared to the hardships of being a solider.

A rhetorical question used in the poem “Anthem for doomed youth” is “What passing bells for these who die as cattle?” After reading this line it gave the impression of resistance from the soldiers because the men feel reluctant to fight for their country as they are being treated as no more than beasts. Wilfred is open to how he feels about the way the men are treated once they die as their bravery and life is shown by the ringing of a bell which he believes is not enough to represent a life. The constant ringing of a bell every time a soldier dies is treating them like a number/cattle in which they all just die and then a small amount of respect is paid by a bell and then they are forgotten. When reading the poem author’s personal experience in war is portrayed as he is upset that so many of his friends and fellow war mates bravery is not respected enough. He believes it cannot be supported by the ringing of a church bell as the cycle will continue to happen as one dies they are replaced by another soldier only to have the same fate.  Showing the events taken place, as the men die a bell is rung out even if they are left where they fell unknown to their families who can’t have their bodies returned. The men can’t see the point in trying so hard and putting themselves through the torture if all they receive is a bell for their bravery describing the feeling of resistance that they have to the experiences of war.

These two language techniques that Wilfred Owen has used interrelate to show the idea of the writers resistance in the war. It presents the question that the men ask themselves what use they are in this war. One question is asking the reader as to why they are fighting in the war (Exposure), and the other is questioning their existence and how they are being treated like cattle as they are flung aside (Anthem for doomed youth).  Wilfred Owen is trying to tell us about the way the soldiers have been treated in the war and how the author personally feels as if he is just treated as a number. He portrays to the reader that when the soldiers are alive they are questioning what they are doing and for what purpose must they push themselves through this torture of war as shown in the rhetorical question “What are we doing here”.  In the Rhetorical question “what passing bells for these who die as cattle” Wilfred Owen tells us that after all that the men have been through and questioning their worth in the war once they are killed they are treated like cattle as a number only to be replaced by another man who will receive the same fate and then to be forgotten. This helps me to realise Wilfred Owen didn’t feel respected enough for his efforts in the war as well as the men around him which caused him to have resistance in his mind when giving his all if it was not worth much. Even though he showed resistance in his mind he still continued to battle for his country.  This helped me to feel inspired and respect these men as even though they felt as in the end they were fighting for nothing as they knew they were going to die and be forgotten they continued to fight for their country. This also helped to shape my opinion of the war as I can relate to trying really hard in sports myself and when I do well I want to get the recognition I deserve but these men were putting their heart and soul into the war only to die be flung aside and then replaced. Also as the reader I could relate to the feeling of resistance as sometimes I feel resistant to have to go to sports practice but force myself to do so. I could understand how easy our life choices are as I am lucky to have the decision if I want to go to sports practice or not where as the soldiers didn’t have a choice to go to war or not. Going to a practice will never be life threatening to me and will never be as mentally, physically and emotionally taxing as war was on the soldiers. As a student in the 21st century these rhetorical questions  made me question how easy our lives are in comparison to the torture and struggle these men pushed themselves through and that we should all respect and remember them as the people who shaped the amazing lives we live today.

 

Another idea that Wilfred Owen tried to show in his poems through the experience of war was mental and physical toughness. He shows this in the two poems “Exposure” and “Anthem for doomed youth” using personification. Personification gives human qualities to non living things to help give a vivid description which makes the comparison relatable to humans.

In the “Anthem for doomed youth ”

“Choir of wailing shells” The personification is comparing human singing qualities to the sound of bomb shells. This language technique has been chosen to show that the sound of bomb shells ring out around the soldiers as they fight at war. Firstly it helps us as readers to understand that there is a constant noise to the soldiers ears as they fight. It gives off the idea that because a choir is normally loud when singing with a band it compares the bomb shells that are very loud to the soldiers and represent the only noises that they can really hear. It is a contradiction to  itself as a choir is something we usually go to watch for enjoyment and pleasure whereas in war it is compared to the bombs and gun shells that are constantly exploding around the soldiers which is not a good experience and is likely to make the men go deaf. This is not something the men are enjoying and more likely trying to get away from. Helping the reader to understand what it must be like to have something so loud constantly around them.

In exposure ” Pale flakes with fingering stealth come feeling for our faces” This language technique refers to the snow flakes which are falling from the cold sky are falling onto the men’s faces. The writer gives human qualities of snowflakes surprising the soldiers as they fall onto their faces which gives a sharp cold. Giving the reader a sense of how cold the atmosphere is for the men as it has to be below 0 degrees for snow flakes to be produced and the men have no shelter from the flakes which fall on their bare skin. It develops the image of something crawling and feeling ones face which helps us to also get the same sense of feeling the men have. As the reader it made me feel sorry for the men at war because not only are the suffering the battle between the enemy at war they are also exposed to the freezing elements which are brutally cold. Exposure could cause them to get hypothermia and even die as it is so extreme. The idea of toughness is shown as the men continue to fight through the terrible weather for the freedom of their country and the people.

These two Language techniques interrelate to one another as they both use personification to show the idea of how tough the war is on the men both physically and mentally. The Personification in the poem exposure develops an understanding of what the soldiers are experiencing physically as it’s so cold that snowflakes are falling all around them. The personification in the poem Anthem for doomed youth the sound of bomb shells and guns is affecting the men mentally as it is so loud that they can’t hear one another and is constantly going in their minds. As the reader these portray the theme that war is very tough for the men battling as it is damaging them as people. It is causing many of them to die due to the extreme cold and dangerous situations that they are put in but also is causing them to develop mental problems such as depression and anxiety due to the constant sounds and deaths happening around them. It made me develop the opinion that war is a terrible experience that all men should not have had to go through. Wilfred Owen helped the reader to understand that not only were the men being physically damaged in the war, but they are being mentally damaged by the constant deafening sounds and deaths around them.  This gives a sense of guilt because the soldiers had to go through such pain to give us the easy life we take for granted today.

In Conclusion the poems “Anthem for doomed youth” and “Exposure” written by Wilfred Owen use language techniques such as Rhetorical questions to portray the idea of the soldiers resistance to the experiences of war. Wilfred Owen uses personification to show the readers the idea that the soldiers experienced mental and physical toughness. Through the use of these language techniques as the reader it helped me to understand that war was a horrible experience for all the men involved as well as the families. Peoples experience left the scarred for life and we should appreciate the easy lives we have today as these men fought the wars for us.

 

Exposure- Wilfred Owen

Language techniques and their impact on Exposure by Wilfred Owen.

Simile

“we hear mad gusts tugging on the wire, like twitching agonies of men among brambles” This simile refers to the gusts of wind which are blowing and pulling on the barb wire fences surrounding the men. It compares this wind to men getting caught in brambles which are thick bushes with large spikes. These commonly get caught on clothes and skin pulling and trapping the men as they try to push through the brambles. This helps us to undersatnd how strong the wind is blowing into the men and the exposure they are open to. The wind is so strong it rips through the fences and hits the men at force and helps us to understand what it is like for the men as if the reader has experienced being caught in brambles/ blackberry bushes it is a struggle to get through.

Metaphor

” All their eyes are ice” This metaphor refers the men’s eyes and compares to them to ice. This helps us to understand that the men’s eyes are starting to glance over and become distant like a shiny piece of ice. The comparison tells us that they aren’t compared to being human anymore as they glaze over and start to lose feeling due to the cold and constant struggle of war.

” This frost will fasten on us” the metaphor tells us that the weather for the men at war is so cold that they will get surrounded and cover the men. This helps us to understand that the soldiers feel there is no escape from the exposure and cold and believe the frost will become part of them that night as it covers their skin and clothes as the temperatures drop. The first is described as a living thing which is gripping onto the men.

Personification

” Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army” this personification is used to describe the start of the day (dawn) which appears from the east. The language technique tells us that it is a sad dark morning as dawn is described as a sad army. This helps us to understand as readers that the dawn is not a bright sunny morning the soldiers were waiting for to warm their bodies and rather a glum and grey morning which is still cold. This tells the reader that the soldiers are depressed due to the dawn being almost as cold as the night and is said to be sad due to its lack of brightness.

” Pale flakes with fingering stealth come feeling for our faces” This language technique refers to the snow flakes which are falling from the cold sky are falling onto the men’s faces. The writer gives human qualities of snow flakes surprising the soldiers as they fall onto their faces which gives a sharp cold. This gives the reader as sense of how cold the atmosphere is for the men as it has to be below 0 degrees for snow flakes to be produced and the men have no shelter from the flakes which fall on their bare skin. It also gives us the image of something crawling and feeling ones face which helps us to also get the same sense of feeling the men have.

Rhetorical question

” What are we doing here” This rhetorical question helps us to understand the way the soldiers are feeling as they live through the exposure and cold of the war. They are asking themselves why did they join the army and for what reason are they putting themselves through this. This gives the sense of depression the men are feeling as they struggle to survive through each night. This makes us feel bad for the men and their hardship through war.

references to Exposure in the poem:

  • Merciless iced east winds
  • Mad gusts of wind
  • Misery of dawn
  • Rain soaks, clouds sag stormy
  • Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army
  • Shivering ranks of grey
  • The air that shudders back with snow
  • Flowing flakes that flock
  • Pale flakes
  • Snow-dazed
  • This frost will fasten on this mud and us

Explain what the references specifically tell you about the environment and conditions that the men experience. How is the winter presented as an enemy?

The authors reference to the very cold environment in which the men are fighting in tells us of how the winter weather is given qualities of an enemy which the men are battling against to save their lives. The poem has many examples of the cold wind which is blowing against the men which chills them. The idea the Misery of dawn gives us the idea that even the new day that has arrived is grey, dark and stormy. The cold weather in which the men are exposed to is given human qualities such as the frost which is fastening on the men and the snow flakes which feel their faces help us to understand that the men are not welcoming the cold weather as it is starting to kill them like an enemy would that they are fighting in war. The weather something the men are fearing like an army that they are going to battle with as some know that they are going to die due to the exposure to the cold wind, rain and frost which gives them hypothermia and eventually kills them. The Author continually refers back to the wind which is blowing from the east, it’s cold creeping inside their bodies. He also compares the black clouds which are going to snow are more deadly than the bullets coming from the army that they are battling with. This statement tells us the soldiers are more afraid of the weather which could get colder than the bullets being shot at the men which could kill them. These references to the extreme cold that the men are living through help us to understand what the men are thinking that the cold is a more frightening enemy than the battle that they fight against another country’s soldiers.

Anthem for Doomed Youth

The role of the Author

What can you determine/understand about the writer of the text? What are his beliefs and values? What does he want the reader to experience and understand?

The writer of the text has experienced war and the deaths that have occurred throughout. He understands the rituals and respect that the country follows when theses deaths occur such as drawing-down blinds. He has experienced bombs and guns which helped him to be able to express the fear and depression of death to his friends and fellow soldiers as well as the families feelings towards the death of their loved ones. He wants to give the readers a sense of actually being there when the bells are ringing out and the feeling that the family has when one of their loved ones has died as well as people’s friends.

The writer might have experienced being on the front line as he seems to know the constant sounds of guns of bombs going off around him. I assume he has been there a long time as well as he seems to constantly be hearing their sounds. He might have returned back to his hometown or village after being on the front line as he listens to the church bells ringing out for the dead. He writes from a personal point of view so we can also assume he has had many people he is close with die and the bells have rung out for his loved ones. He may be with people he loves like family and they are all mourning the death of loved ones as he watches them pray and sees grief-stricken faces. There are contrasting images as he tells of how the scene of death is every soldier is treated as another number.  

What has been included?

” No mockeries now”- This word Mockeries explains the way the writer is feeling about how some of the dead soldiers have been treated. He believes that some of the soldiers have been treated like number as they have fought and died for their country o the battle field only to be left and forgotten by their own country. This sentence contradicts this idea as no Mockeries now means that the soldiers who survived and watched their friends die now understand that war is not enjoyable and that the consequences deadly. This sentence helps us to understand what is being taken place as the soldiers understand that war is not fun and that they know once they die a bell will ring out to represent their life and then they may be forgotten by their country and left on the battle field.

“From sad shires” This sentence and word sad shires represent the way the towns and villages from which the soldiers come from feel. The towns have become run down and depressed areas due to the war and the tole it has taken on them. Not only have the men been taken away from their wives, families and loved ones many of them will not be returning due to death, this causes the towns atmosphere and whole state to go into a depression.This helps us to understand the text in more depth as it gives of the message to the readers that war and death has changed towns into a dark, glum state as the people feel depressed as they miss and lose their loved ones and many know they wont be coming back from where they have fallen leaving them wondering where there bodies could be laying.

“Drawing-down of blinds” This action represents a mark of respect to the fallen soldiers and to tell the world that someone has died. Many families once hearing their loved one has died at war draw their blinds to respect them. This gives of the atmosphere the family are feeling as when you draw a blind the room becomes dark and glum, this helps us to understand the way the family is feeling as they have just lost someone they loved and knew so these people are experiencing depression as they find out there soldier has died.  It is also a mark of remembrance of the soldier who has died because the family and friends who pull their blinds are showing respect to the soldier who has gone to war to fight for his country. We understand that in drawing these blinds it gives a lot of sadness and darkness to the writing as readers we feel sorry that a soldier has died and many people will be missing him.

language techniques: what has been included?

“These who die as cattle” This simile is comparing the soldiers who have died at war to cattle. This technique has been chosen to help represent the way the soldiers are being treated as they put themselves at risk for their country. This techniques helps us to understand that the men who are fighting for their country and people through a very tough and grim experience are dying and then being treated like cattle. The soldiers are being used as just another number as once they die many lie on the battle fields forgotten by their country and only remembered by their loved ones as many of the bodies will never be found and left where they have fallen as another man from the same country is recruited only to have the same outcome of death. This helps us to understand as readers that there is not enough respect given to the soldiers who fight for their lives and then are not celebrated and mourned for once they die. It is a reoccurring cycle as another Man takes his place on the field only to reach the same outcome.

“Choir of wailing shells” This personification is comparing human singing qualities to the sound of bomb shells. This language technique has been chosen to show that the sound of bomb shells ring out around the soldiers as they fight at war. This helps us as readers to understand that there is a constant noise to the soldiers ears as they fight. It gives of the idea that because a choir is normally loud singing and a band that the bomb shells are very loud to the soldiers and represent the only noises that they can really hear. This language technique contradicts its self as a choir is something we usually go to watch for enjoyment and pleasure where as in war it is compared to the bombs and gun shells that are constantly exploding around the soldiers which is not a good experience and is likely to make the men go deaf. It is not something the men are enjoying and more likely trying to get away from. It helps the reader to understand what it must be like to have something so loud constantly around them.

“What passing bells for these who die as cattle?” this language technique is a rhetorical question which is asking the readers a question to make them ponder the writing and how the author is feeling. This rhetorical question helps us as readers to understand how the writer feels about the way the men are treated once they die as a representation of their bravery and life is shown by the ringing of a bell which the writer believes is not enough to represent a life. The constant ringing of a bell every time a soldier dies is treating them like a number/cattle in which they all just die and then a small amount of respect is paid by a bell and then they are forgotten. This helps the reader to understand the author’s experience in war as he is upset that so many of his friends and fellow war mates bravery is not respected enough and cannot be supported by the ringing of a church bell as the cycle will continue to happen as one dies they are replaced by another soldier only to have the same fate.  THis helps us to understand the events taken place as the men die a bell is rung out even if they are left where they fell unknown to their families who can’t have their bodies returned.

Contrasting vocabulary and images

a number of positive images have been included in the text these include

“Holy glimmers” This positive use of language gives of the idea of hope and support. A glimmer is a faint bright light you would see in the distance, and something holy is treasured as something that is slightly sacred. This sentence gives of a positive effect to the poem as it saying there is a slight amount of hope. It gives of the idea that there is “light at the end of the tunnel” eg we will get through this. This helps us to understand the families and men of war who are looking for  the end of the war and any hope they find to make their lives better.

” What candles may be held to speed them all?” This positive use of language gives an image to us as readers. it is asking the readers what candle can be used to be show and respect the solider who has died. A candle is something we use to bring light into darkness. This symbolises that in war when a soldier has died and his funeral is being held it is a depressing and dark time for many families but can be elated by candles which bring light and warmth to death. A candle can be used as a sign of hope as it is a small glimmer of light. This gives us the idea as a reader that the candle is the only positive item in the situation such as a funeral and brings a sense of hope to a family.

These positive ideas in the text are contrasted by other negative ideas represented by language and images.

One negative idea is the sentence that is “The pallor of girls’ brows” this sentence gives of a negative image to us as readers that the females who are at home while there men are out fighting war have a pale skin tone to their faces due to grief that war has brought. Many wives, daughters and other females have lost their loves ones to the war and when they find out the man is dead they become pale in the face due to the grief and depression that it causes. This helps us to understand the negative effect and view that the women will have on the war causing them to become grief-stricken and depressed.

Another negative idea shown in the text through language is the words “sad shires” this sentence means that the towns in which the men have come from and live have become depressed and rundown due to their absence and the war. When many of the men die at war the families and friends of the soldiers become depressed this causes a ton to get a dark and glum atmosphere as the people become depressed from grief and start to lose hope for the war. Many towns in which the men came from became like this as they lose sight of any success and hope for the war to end and the battle to be won. This helps us to understand the negative attitudes of the people and atmosphere that is present from the mens home towns.

The above positive image of the candle light-giving hope and the pale grief-stricken faces of the girls gives off contrasting ideas to us as readers. The Author may have put these ideas in the text to show us that anyone who lived through the war had different experiences. Some had a more positive outlook on the war just hoping and waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel in which their countries would win the war and there men would come home compared to those who lost the men they loved causing them to become grief-stricken and depressed losing sight of any hope or success in the war. The languge used of the sad shires and holy glimmers also gives of the same positive and negative ideas the writer is trying to portray. Many who experienced war lived in a glum, sad town which started to lose and sort of drive for the war to finish. Others who experienced war kept seeing glimmers of hope that it would end and that all would be ok when it finished. The writer of the poem uses these ideas to help give the readers a  clear representation of what war experiences could be like for different people with some having a more positive outlook and hope for the war to be won. This is compared to the negative experiences that some had during the war which led them to become depressed after losing loved ones and the people who lost all hope became pale looking and grief-stricken.

Dulce et Decorum Est- What has been included?

Images 

” Coughing like hags”- this gives of the image of the soldiers half falling down as the walk as they are so fatigued from the war that they are coughing and spluttering as the continue to push on. It gives us the impression that they are struggling through the war and they have little motivation anymore as the atmosphere becomes depressing as they all become depressed and sick from the constant struggle. Hags are refered to as witches which is how the soldier are portrayed as they are not themselves anymore use to the pain and sickness they are experiencing.

” Dim through the misty panes”- This gives of the imagery of a dreary, cloudy atmosphere as the gas swarms the soldiers of war. The gas is clouding the soldiers view and killing them off. It indicates the way the gas is affecting them as it fills their eyes and if they don’t get their helmets on in time it fills their lungs. This also tells us the soldiers are feeling down as they are surrounded by a dim light.

” Drunk with fatigue” This gives us the imagery of soldiers stumbling and falling as they are so tired. when we think of someone who is drunk they are falling and fumbling around as they aren’t in control of themselves.  This is how the soldiers feel as they are so tired from the war and hard work they act like they are drunk feeling out of control and clumsy.  They feel as they have no control over themselves and the downward spiral toward death that is being caused from the war.

Language 

The word “ALL” is used throughout the text and is repeated through the stanzas. Tis gives us the idea that the writer is saying no one is escaping the pain of war. All of the soldiers around the writer and him included are being consumed by the gas, injury and tragedy. It helps us to understand the atmosphere the soldiers are experiencing as they are all together fighting for the same cause and every one of them is being affected by the same problems and struggles as they die and try to push through together. IT has been included to show us that it’s not just the writer who is struggling it is his friends and fellow soldiers as well.

The repetition sentence of “Gas, GAS” in the beginning of the second stanza tells us of how the soldier feels about the gas. The words are used like it is an enemy getting closer and closer at he uses  non capitals in the first word Gas and as it comes closer and becomes more of a threat he uses it in capitals “GAS” it shows us that they are warning the soldiers of the threat ahead and they must prepare for battle by putting their helmets on in time before they are attacked as well as consumed by the gas.  The atmosphere that they are experiencing is pure terror as they try to get prepared in the little time they have by getting protection from this treat. There will be strong feelings of anxiety and anticipation as they wait for it to hit.

The use of the word Lie with a capital L gives the word a personal feeling as the writer treats it like a person. He tells us that the word which is treated like someone telling Wilfred that it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country which he believes is untrue and he has been betrayed by the word and everyone who believed that this statement was true. It gives of the atmosphere that Wilfred feels angry that this word has broadcasted and hidden the truth that it is glorious and a good experience to go to war and die for his country when really this was all untrue and he is experiencing hell through fighting.  He wants this statement to not be told in such energy and enthusiasm that it is sweet and fighting to die for one’s country and that the truth should be told that really it is a tragic and soul-destroying experience.

Language techniques 

“coughing like hags”- This language technique is a simile. This simile attaches the word like Hags to coughing. This helps give a better image to the sentence as the word Hag is another name for a witch.  This gives us an image of a old Witch coughing and spluttering. Witches are suppose to be slightly wicked so he refers to the cough as almost wicked. It helps the reader to understand that the soldiers are struggling with a deathly cough.

” I saw him drowning” This language technique is a personal pronoun. This personal pronoun I, gives the reader the feel that they are with the writer experiencing the man “drowning.” It gives the sentence a personal feel and connects the reader to the writers experience and how they are feeling as they watch a man drown in a green gas and the feelings and physical pain they are watching. It helps the reader to get a sense of how they would feel in the same position by making it relevant to the reader.

“Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud of vile, incurable sores” This language technique is Listing. The use of listing helps the reader to develop an understanding of the horrible pain that the soldiers are experiencing. The writer is referring it to ideas like cancer which helps us to know that the pain they have is incurable and will be with them forever. It gives the sense of struggle and extremities that the war is having on the men physically. It tells the reader that what they are experiencing will never go away and is reinforced by the list of other example such as the cancer and incurable sores. Listing elaborates to give a clearer picture and emphasises these ideas.

 

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