Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen

Anthem for Doomed Youth

BY WILFRED OWEN

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

       Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

      Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle

Can patter out their hasty orisons.

No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells; 

      Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—

The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;

      And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?

      Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes

Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.

      The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;

Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,

And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

Background:

●     The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet. The italian sonnet is divided into 14 lines and two parts, the first part being an octave and the next one being a sestet.

●     Written between September and October 1917, this was made at the Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh where he recovered from shell shock.

●     An anthem is a hymn for celebration and praise. What it immediately brings you back to is the National Anthem, the song that praises every country for their past and for what is to come. Owen tries to create a sense of irony for those who have doomed themselves just in the name of their country, convinced that his country is trying to prolong the war or fool people into thinking that fighting for the war was a good thing.

●     In his draft, he changed the word “dead” to “doomed”. This creates a bigger sense of helplessness as it is impossible to help the dead. However the word doomed means that you have the illusion of being able to help but can’t because their fate is inevitable.

●     There is a sense of irony in the title.  The role of a country is to protect its people. The fact that the country has lived for so long on the death of many of its civilians sounds counterintuitive.

●     The first stanza translate the pandemonium of battle into funeral rites for the fallen. The second stanza continues the metaphor in the quiet of a stricken English Village.

●     The whole poem is written as a sonnet, which is typically used as a love poem. This is used by Owen to show strong emotions towards the war, as well as the contrast between death and love for your country.

Analysis:

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3.       Passing-bells = Bells that are rung during a funeral to announce death
The whole line is a rhetorical question: “Where are the bells?” Or “Where is the kind of passing ceremony is this for those who have died?”. It is in this way that Owen brings about a sense of shock in his writings.
Die as cattle = These soldiers are killed on the battlefield for the sake of their country. They are unnamed and are often not given a proper burial. In what way are they treated any better than cattle? In those times, in an attempt to omit the brutality of war, death statistics were not often given out and thus the dead were not often thought of. We are often thought to be thankful for the food that we eat. Who is there to tell us to mourn the dead that we are never told about?

4.       Only = This gives an indication that there is no bells, and that the only ones that signify respect for the dead are the monstrous anger of the guns. This is a sense of irony, as he tries to compare a sacred ritual with the weapon that was used to kill the person. Ironically, the 21 gun salute is also used to respect the dead. The same weapon that kill them is now used to pay respect to them.
Monstrous anger of the guns = this is a personification of the guns. The personification of the guns is used to emphasize on how often the gun is used for firing, and how much hatred is behind the person that wields the weapon towards someone you don’t really know. In many cases, the soldiers put on a look of hatred and use the emotion to spur them on in battle, lest they won’t be capable of fighting without feeling a sense of guilt.

5.       Stuttering rifles = This is a personification on the rifles which, when fired, sound like the stuttering of a man. Of course, we can always assume that the rifle was stuttering because of the anger of the person wielding the weapon. Ever heard of the phrase “stuttering with rage?”
Rifle Rapid Rattle = Note the alliteration on the “r” sound, which when you roll your tongue sounds like the firing of a rifle. The rifle would also rapidly rattle when fired.
Note the repetition of the word “only”. That it is only the guns that is more powerful than prayer. Would you wish for your enemy to die or would you use a gun? Which one would grant the desire?

6.       Patter = onomatopoeia on the firing of guns. It also sounds like a constant sound. The whole point is to try and point out the fact that throughout the whole time that you are in battle, you will always hear the sound of guns firing. 
In terms of orisons (prayer), the patter of guns may be a reference to the 21 gun salute. This is a short funeral tradition done by military men for soldiers who have died in war.
Hasty orisons = In many cases, the military did not have a lot of time to bury the dead. Whenever they did, they would do it quickly for they might not have enough time to bury them all. Therefore a short and fast funeral would have been conducted. If there is no funeral, which in many cases there wasn’t, a short orison was the only thing that would have sufficed. Personally, I find the lack of a prayer inhumane, and perhaps Owen’s image of war that he was trying to present to us is that in the battlefield, aside from being animalistic, there is also little time for God.

7.       *7 and 8 included in the line below*

8.       No mockeries =  During the funeral, many would try and mock the dead person so as to try not to create a solemn tone. It is perhaps in this way that one can keep going without going insane within the war.
No prayers nor bells = Owen is trying to accentuate the fact that there is no prayer or thoughts made after the person is buried. Nobody would think of the person anymore nor his contributions to the war. This is very much in contrast to the way that people pass away had they not been at the war. There is a much more intimate feeling; you knew what the last thing that the person had did before he passed away. You know his last words and you know where he was buried. Many of these things are not known by loved ones in the city, and they might not even know that he passed away.

On the other hand Owen is talking about the war as if it’s a mockery to God; that even God cannot keep these once innocent people from dying.

Note the repetition in the world “no” and the repetition of the sound or “nor”. This creates a sense of deprivation. In the war there is often not enough food to go around, not enough water or equipment. But even when you die there is no time for others to stop and pray for you. Choirs = There are a lot of references to divinity within the war
Despite Owen’s orthodox Christian upbringing, how his faith actually developed during the last years is far from clear and it is hard not to think that he was not remembering in this poem those members of the clergy, and there were many, who were preaching not the gospel of peace but for war. There were many who encouraged young men to go for the war rather than encourage peace.

9.       The shrill = sounds like the scream of a witch. It sounds like a scream that would send chills up your spines. In many cases it did; these shrills were the sounds of bombs.
Demented choirs = The word choir was always a reference to divinity, calm and peace. Owen contradicts the whole idea by using the word demented, as if trying to mock the whole idea of divinity.
Owen tries to relate the image of church choirs to banshees. Choirs use their voices to create a very calm and relaxing atmosphere. The “shrill” scream of banshees do the opposite. Perhaps, for those who had time to mourn those who had passed away, the sound of choirs are so frightening that choirs and banshees may as well be one and the same.
Wailing shells = The descriptions above were all describing the dropping of the bombs, however none are as powerful as the wailing of shells. The use of the word “wailing”, which is often used on sad occasions, gives life the shell: personification. This gives an indication of the fact that the shells are being used against their will. That it is not the will of the natural resources around us to destroy life and cause destruction to the land. Rather it is caused by humans. Similarly, once a bomb is dropped, it cannot be un-dropped.

10.   Bugles =  
Bugles are played by the military. They are played in a military funeral. Ironically, they are also used to wake up soldiers and tell them that it is morning so as to go to battle, as well as a sound played when you are about to charge (go over the top). The same instrument that has sent you to your death is used in mourning for your death as well. 
Also, the bugle is also played when army personnel go to small villages (which could be villages found in the quiet of the shires) to recruit members for the army.
Sad shires = Shires are very nice and quiet places, and are also places which you can find in Europe, near England. These were also home to many European people. The use of the personification in  “sad shires” gives an image that people of the land was very sad to go to the extent that you could have said that the land was sad to see people go off to war. This is contrasting the idea of the send-off, which tries to convey the idea that many people did not care that these army personnel had to leave for the war. But the call of the Bugle calls them to war. As said before, the Bugle can represent the propaganda from the army and from the government calling men to war.
Note the alliteration in the words = The “s” sound is used to represent the silence that follows after one has left for the army, after a loved one has left for war. There is a difference between this use of alliteration of the “s” sound and Owen’s other poems, which uses the “s” sound to show the secretiveness of the deceit of the government as they feed the people with propaganda. It is in perhaps this way that Owen tries to convey the idea that the propaganda is almost hypnotic; you do not feel its effect on you and that in the end everyone will eventually join the war.

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12.   Candles = When we think of candles, we think about calm thoughts. The use of a small flame, typical to the one we see in many candles, are often used in the bible. In this case, the idea of the candle is used as a funeral candle, and that there are not enough candles to be held even per person to speed them all into the afterlife. Because at least one candle is used for each funeral ritual, the poet is trying to portray the fact that it is impossible for each person to hold one candle per funeral as a sign of respect even if it was done at different times; there is just too many dead men. And even if there are enough people, would there be enough people bothered to light a candle?

13.   Hands = The word hands creates a very peaceful image. You use your hands to help others and care for others. This is contrary the harm, where a fist is used instead of the word hands. You grip the gun to shoot, but you give a helping hand to others. This creates a very innocent image.
Boys = Many of the soldiers have lied about their age; they join the army underaged. Therefore many still refer to each other as boys rather as men. They are teenagers after all.
Eyes =  The reference to candles and eyes bring about a very serene image. The use of body parts tend to be very powerful symbols of certain concepts and in this case, peace.
Not in… but… = Note that the answer is not negative unlike the first stanza. The answer to this question sounds different from the pessimist like Owen was in the first stanza. Instead, the answer comes from someone giving advice, like a priest. It is in this line that Owen brings you back to the time when you were young and innocent and when you were guided by someone you look up to. It is in this case that Owen is asking readers to think about what kind of message clergymen are really giving. Additionally remembering your childhood brings back a sense of worth in your life. This is perhaps another tool used by Owen to discourage people from joining the war. Is your life really that worthless that you would give it up so easily?

14.   Shine = Note the reference to light, which is often used as a symbol of righteousness. Once again, Owen tries to portray the fact that despite these people are all going to war to kill, they are in the end innocent children, each of them shining in their own way. They each have talent which do not deserve to be wasted in war.
Holy = Ones again a reference to divinity.
Glimmers = The last sight that these dead people would ever see would be the horrors and pity of war. The image here is of the tearful eyes of these soldiers, glittering like candles as they see their dead comrades die. Additionally it is also a reference to the fact that these children are blessed with eyes that glitter like gems, once again a reference to how each person is beautiful in his or her own way and that their lives do not deserve to be wasted in war.

15.   Pallor of girls’ brows = At the time, women were the ones who ran many villages. With their husbands, sons or brothers gone to war, the women were the ones who stayed. Owen, by purely mentioning women, was mentioning about the ones who stayed. Their “pallor (paleness)” came from the worry of those who left.
Pall = The pall is the white covering placed on top of coffins. By mentioning this, Owen states that the amount of worry that these women have for their loved ones are as white as the sheet that will cover their coffins when they die. He is in this way stating that no matter how much you worry for them, their fate is always the same: they will die in battle.

16.   ...tenderness of patient minds=  The flowers that were used during funerals were bought by women who cared very much for their loved ones. These people often did not get the message that their loved ones were dead until a few weeks later, thus the use of the word “patient minds”. These people could have hoped that their loved ones were ok when in fact they have perished a few days ago.

17.   Slow dusk = Note the use of time. Dusk on the battlefield is a halt from war. It is a time for soldiers to relax after the war. However for many other soldiers, similar to how dusk signifies the end of the day, dusk may signify the end of their life as well. Many die by the end of the day and, if time permits, dusk is considered the time for mourning of the dead.
Drawing-down of blinds = This was a British tradition done during the World War where the families of dead soldiers would draw down the blinds in honor of those who have died. As British regiments were recruited locally, the custom often had strong visual effects when entire communities lost loved ones.