Wilfred Owen was a Captain of the British Army and as such, witnessed the atrocities of war first hand. He wanted to dispel the notions associated with patriotism and nationalism that were propagated by the media during his lifetime, thus his poetry portrays war as a dehumanizing and horrific event. His poems “Dulce et Decorum Est,” and “Anthem for Doomed Youth” is significant in conveying his negative attitudes towards the effects of war on the soldiers.

In the poem ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ by Wilfred Owen, one language technique Owen uses to show an important idea is the simile “There was still someone yelling, stumbling, floundering like a man in fire or lime.” Owen uses this technique to create an image in the reader’s mind of what torture the soldiers felt when they were gassed by the enemy. Owen then reinforces this with onomatopoeia “guttering, choking, drowning.” Owen continues to use words of negative connotation to make the reader feel uncomfortable about the subject of war and thus make them more likely to agree with his idea of the inhumanity of war.

In the poem ‘Anthem For Doomed Youth’ by Wilfred Owen, one language technique he uses to show an important idea is the rhetorical question “What passing bells for those who die as cattle?” Owen uses this technique effectively by comparing the young men who fought in the war to cattle as they are so carelessly slaughtered on the battlefield.  The first stanza presents the action of the battlefield, through the use of alliteration and assonance in “only the rifles rapid rattle can patter out their hasty orisons.” This shows that rather than receiving the traditional burial, these men die to the deafening sounds of the battlefield. This concept is alarming as it encourages us to empathize with those that lost their lives.

In contrast, the sorrowful tone of the second stanza is indicative of Owen’s purpose, as he mourns the soldiers who have died. Here, the rhetorical question is used to draw the sympathy of the reader in, “What candles may be held to speed them all?” The final line of the poem, “And each slow dusk a drawing down of blinds,” reveals the notion that although these men do not receive a formal burial, they will be remembered by their loved ones who must deal with the pain and grief of their loss on a daily basis. In this, it is clear that Owen attempts to present a more realistic portrayal of war, from the perspective of an individual who has endured it.

What we observe, therefore, is that Wilfred Owen’s poetry is effective in conveying his negative attitudes towards war. His poetry is infused with a profound depth of emotion as he laments and mourns those who lost their lives and attempts to portray the devastating consequences of war, as he perceived them through his own experiences.