Arms and the Boy by Wilfred Owen
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- Category: English: Poetic Works
- Date Submitted: 10/10/2010 03:32 AM
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Compare the poets attitude and feelings towards the loss of young life in ‘ Arms and the Boy’ and ‘ Anthem for Doomed youth’ by Wilfred Owen.
Armies in world war one often used underage soldiers. In the beginning of the war young boys were so enthusiastic to join the army that recruiting officers enlisted them regardless of their age. Towards the end of the war when the armys numbers where falling due to high death toll more underage soldiers where sent off to fight. The youngest British soldier known to have fought in the First World War is thought to have been 12 years old. This young soldier was described George Maher who was also a underage soldier of just 13 years old when he was sent to Somme. Mr Maher had told a recruiting officer that he was 18 to enable him join the army. Maher`s true age was revealed when he broke down in tears under shellfire before a officer.
Owen is a English poet his poems describes the cruelty of war which he experienced during the his service on the western front. Owen was born on the 18 march 1893. In 1915 he signed upto the army he spent a year training in England in 1917 he was sent home suffering from shellshock he arrived at Craiglockhart hospital where he met Siegfried Sassoon who was already a published poet. Sassoon looked over Owens poems he gave Owen encouragement and introduced him to literary figures like Robert Graves.Reading Sassoon's poems and discussing his work with Sassoon revolutionised Owen's style and his conception of poetry. He returned to France in August 1918 and in October was awarded the Military Cross for bravery. On 4 November 1918 he was killed while attempting to lead his men across the Sambre canal at Ors. The news of his death reached his parents on 11 November, Armistice Day.
Wilfred Owen’s poem Arms and the Boy is a subtle critism of war that asks deeper questions about violence in human society. “Let the boy try along this bayonet blade” is the first line in which the speaker uses euphemistic...
Armies in world war one often used underage soldiers. In the beginning of the war young boys were so enthusiastic to join the army that recruiting officers enlisted them regardless of their age. Towards the end of the war when the armys numbers where falling due to high death toll more underage soldiers where sent off to fight. The youngest British soldier known to have fought in the First World War is thought to have been 12 years old. This young soldier was described George Maher who was also a underage soldier of just 13 years old when he was sent to Somme. Mr Maher had told a recruiting officer that he was 18 to enable him join the army. Maher`s true age was revealed when he broke down in tears under shellfire before a officer.
Owen is a English poet his poems describes the cruelty of war which he experienced during the his service on the western front. Owen was born on the 18 march 1893. In 1915 he signed upto the army he spent a year training in England in 1917 he was sent home suffering from shellshock he arrived at Craiglockhart hospital where he met Siegfried Sassoon who was already a published poet. Sassoon looked over Owens poems he gave Owen encouragement and introduced him to literary figures like Robert Graves.Reading Sassoon's poems and discussing his work with Sassoon revolutionised Owen's style and his conception of poetry. He returned to France in August 1918 and in October was awarded the Military Cross for bravery. On 4 November 1918 he was killed while attempting to lead his men across the Sambre canal at Ors. The news of his death reached his parents on 11 November, Armistice Day.
Wilfred Owen’s poem Arms and the Boy is a subtle critism of war that asks deeper questions about violence in human society. “Let the boy try along this bayonet blade” is the first line in which the speaker uses euphemistic...