ANTHEM FOR DOOMED

YOUTH
Jasper en Ewoud

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.

What passing-bells for these who die

as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the
guns.
Welke doodsklokken luiden voor hen die
sterven als vee?
Enkel de monsterlijke woede van de
kanonnen.

Only the stuttering rifles' rapid

rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
Enkel het snelle geratel van stotterende
geweren.
Kunnen hun snelle doodsgebeden
uitspuwen.

No mockeries now for them; no

prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the
choirs,
Geen bespottingen voor hen; geen
gebeden noch klokken;
Noch enige stem van rouw behalve die
van de koren, -

The shrill, demented choirs of

wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad
shires.
De schelle, krankzinnige koorzang van
huilende granaten;
En bugels die voor hen klinken uit trieste
gewesten.

What candles may be held to speed

them all?
Not in the hands of boys but in their
eyes
Met welke kaarsen zal men hen een
behouden uitvaart wensen?
Niet in de handen van de jongens maar in
hun ogen

Shall shine the holy glimmers of

goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be
their pall;
Zullen de heilige schitteringen van het
afscheid stralen.
De bleekheid van meisjesgezichten zal
hun lijkwade zijn;

Their flowers the tenderness of

patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down
of blinds.

Hun bloemen de tederheid van geduldige

geesten,
En iedere langzame schemering het
sluiten van gordijnen.

Content
About soldiers who died on the battlefield
Link between a normal funeral and the one of a soldier who died
in the war
Example: first sentences: What passing-bells for these who die
as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Explains that the other soldiers didnt forget their friends

Structure

Sonnet (octet + sextet) (normally

romantic)
End rhyme: A-B-A-B: cattle-guns-rattleorisons
Lots of adjectives
Monologue

Used language

Contradiction in the title (irony)

Alliteration rifles rapid rattle
Personification monstrous anger of the
guns
Motive language

Wilfred Owen

Wilfred Edward Salter Owen

18 March 1893 - 4 November 1918
Was a poet and a soldier
Friends with Siegfried Sassoon
Was killed in action
Would become lieutenant
Suffered from shellshock
Buried at Ors Communal Cemetery