Anthem For Doomed Youth

Anthem for Doomed Youth

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.

Analysis

1) Title and poem

To help understand a poem in great detail, understanding the title is of utmost importance. It gives us a great clue as to what the poem might be. It is almost paradoxical and is ironical. The word "Anthem" refers to as joyous celebration or the respect for a country through the "National Anthem", however, the title is paradoxical because of the word "Doomed". It represents that the youths already know that they are going to die, and their fates are sealed. No matter what you do or what the family does, it is unable to change their destiny. It also shows that the entire war is already a forgone conclusion right from the start, which does not give the soldiers involved a much-needed boost of morale. The entire title reminds us of how the youths' future has been destined by others, and shows that the others have a much greater authority and position of power.

The poem also talks much about the entire situation. Instead of the prayers and the bells being the youths' last tribute, they talk about the “passing bells”, otherwise known as the toll-bell to inform others of one person’s death, and the “rifles’ rapid rattle” and the situation at war being the youths’ last tribute. It is their “present” for their efforts in the war.

2) Imagery

There are many forms of imagery that is represented in the poem, some are those like simile, personification and alliteration.

There are many different similes that can be seen in the poem, such as those like the youths, dying “as cattle”. As the people are seen as dying cattle, it also shows one thing. It re-emphasizes on my point that the youths’ destiny has long gone been fixed. Dying cattle walk as one large group, as they walk together to their deaths, and as the youths are represented as cattle, it shows that the youths are going to die as one whole bunch and also that their deaths are insignificant.

Alliteration is also largely emphasized within the poem. “rifles’ rapid rattle” is a form of alliteration, and it elaborates on the letter “r”, which shows the constant shooting of the gun and also the constant killing of the people. It creates a somber and a fatalistic atmosphere. “glimmers of goodbyes” is another alliteration. It shows how the families say goodbyes to their loved ones, as if they would never be seeing them again, which also shows a glum atmosphere.

Personification is also largely emphasized on within the poem. This is when the sounds of the “monstrous anger of the guns”. It compares the guns to the youths or rather people. This is because of the word “anger”. It is a feeling that only animals and people will possess, and therefore, the gun is personified as a human, being angry and ready to kill. Another personified thing is "the shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells”. This is personified because the grenades cannot be wailing, and it is only humans that can cry and wail, therefore, it shows how the grenade sounds like as it flies through the air.

3) Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is shown throughout the entire poem. Examples include those of “rifles’ rapid rattle”, “demented choirs of wailing shells” and also “patter out”. It shows the entire surroundings during the war and what happens. All these are sounds that are created when the two oppositions attack each other, through guns, or through grenades. It shows the audience who were not there, who did not have a first hand experience of how it was like to be at a war, to be at the frontlines, to visualize the entire situation.

4) Conclusion

This poem is very renowned and it is known throughout the entire globe. It truly depicts the entire surroundings of the soldier and whatever that happens at the frontlines for those who did not go there. It talks about being pessimistic, and about how the destiny of the boys have already been fixed by a person of higher authority. This in turn creates the glum atmosphere and the entire fatalistic, somber surroundings.

Also, the last line “And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds”, it totally emphasizes on the relentless inevitability of the passing of time, from summer to winter. It in turn shows that death is inevitable and that everyone must face it, sooner or later. I can conclude that fate and destiny can never be changed, like time.