this poem, Owen conjures feelings within the reader that often are more horrific than graphic images and vile descriptions. He describes the death of a fellow soldier from the cold, bitter and harsh winter rather than from the terrible destruction of war. In the first stanza, Owen anthropomorphises the sun with the qualities of a human being. It is about faith that the speaker has in the sun hoping it could warm his friend and bring him back to life.‘If anything might rouse him nowThe kind old sun will know.’As the poem develops, he realises that not only is he fighting a war against man but against nature as well. The speaker has so much hope and faith but he soon understands that the soldier cannot be woken from the sleep he is in. In the second stanza, the attitude in the poem develops from hope to despair and helplessness. It is in this part of the poem that the speaker realises that nothing will save his comrade from death and questions:‘Was it for this they clay grew tall?’In this poem Owen offers the reader so much more insight into the horrors of war by showing the pity. The reader feels sympathy for the speaker and for the dying soldier, therefore feels pity and becomes more involved.‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ is a mournful expression of grief for the men killed in the war.‘What passing-bells for those who die as cattle?’Owen asks this angry question, reflection the fact that the soldiers were humans who has families that they reluctantly left behind.The question Owen asks in the first stanza is what type of funeral do the dead soldiers receive? The poem works through a series of contrasts. Each Christian ritual is negated by a monstrosity of war.‘Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattleCan patter out their hasty orisons.’The Sounds of the firing bullets take the place of the hasty funeral prayers and the ‘passing-bells’ that usually toll at a funeral ...
