Wilfred Owens War Poetry - 1219 Words

1. Introduction Trudging through ravaged landscapes with rooted out trees, blood and mud everywhere, trenches infested with rats, half filled with water and with corpses – these were the circumstances in which some 8,700,000 lives had been lost during the First World War. However, this reality was long kept from the knowledge of the civilians at home, who continued to write about the noble pursuit of heroic ideals in old patriotic slogans (Anthology 2012: 2017). Those poets who were involved on the front soon realized the full horror of war, which is reflected in their poetic techniques, diction, and imaginations. Campbell (1999: 204) refers to their poetry as trench lyric, which not only calls attention to the poems’ most common†¦show more content†¦Owen uses a variety of poetic techniques. In the first line he incorporates a caesura to emphasize the word ‘broke’ to reinforce a sense of destruction and fragility, which is followed by the word ‘winterâ€℠¢ with connotations of solemnity and death, referring to war. For the first two lines, Owen drew on Shelley’s â€Å"The Revolt of Islam†, and more specifically Canto 9, stanza 25 which says: ‘This is the winter of the world; and here / We die, even as the winds of Autumn fade’ (Simcox 2005). The end-stop at the end of the second line consequently emphasizes a foreshadowing of impending doom. An enjambment on the sixth line then creates a dramatic pause before summing up the consequences of this harsh winter. The following sextet completes the metaphor of seasonal change, which is reinforced by the use of Romantic imagery, and Greek and Roman mythology. ‘Spring had bloomed in early Greece’ (9) and ‘Summer blazed her glory out with Rome’ (10), initiating ‘A slow grand age’ (11). Thus, war destroys but peace follows and renews, and by using ‘blood for seed’ (14) this bloodshed and devastation creates the opp ortunity of something new to be born. It seems as if a spirit of hopeful self-sacrifice shines through this cyclical motif of seasonal change. â€Å"A New Heaven† also Romantically uses Greek mythology to reflect the idea of the title in that it portrays an impression ofShow MoreRelated Wilfred Owens War Poetry Essay2776 Words   |  12 PagesWilfred Owens War Poetry If Wilfred Owens war poetry had one main aim, it would be to expose the old lie: that war is always a good and justified thing and that it is a good thing to die for ones country. Owen had experienced first hand the horrors and tragedies of the First World War, so he inevitably wanted to break open the false faà §ade and let the world know the truth. I am going to explore what I find to be three of his best poems and show how he achieved this aim. Owen wasRead More Wilfred Owens Poetry and Pity of War Essay3690 Words   |  15 PagesWilfred Owens Poetry and Pity of War Through his poetry Wilfred Owen wished to convey, to the general public, the PITY of war. In a detailed examination of three poems, with references to others, show the different ways in which he achieved this Wilfred Owen was born in Oswestry, 18th March 1893. He was working in France when the war began, tutoring a prominent French family. When the war started he began serving in the Manchester Regiment at Milford Camp as a Lieutenant. He foughtRead MoreWilfred Owens Attitude Towards World War 1 As Shown In His Poetry2289 Words   |  10 PagesWhat is Wilfred Owen’s attitude towards Worlds War 1 and how is this shown through his poetry? You should comment upon and compare at least two of his poems and describe the tone he writes in the imagery he uses and the poetical techniques he includes to convey his opinions. Wilfred Owen was born in Shropshire on 18th March 1893. 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Poems such as ‘Futility’ and ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ portray these perceptions through the use of poetic techniques, emphasising such conflicts involving himself, other people and nature. These themes are examined in extreme detail, attempting to shape meaning in relation to Owen’s first-hand encounters whilst fighting on the battlefield. Wilfred Owen experiences many innerRead MoreWilfred Owen Poetry Analysis744 Words   |  3 Pagesdepicted in Wilfred Owen’s poetry where he portrays his horrific war experiences, thus providing his poems with an unsettling tone. This idea is evident in Owen’s war poems â€Å"Dulce et Decorum est† (1920) and â€Å"Insensibility† (1918). Throughout these poems, Owen employs sensory imagery to allow the reader to envision the horrors facing the soldiers, both physically and emotionally. This subsequently results in an unsettling tone, compounded with the dehumanisation of the soldiers. Wilfred Owen employs