A Condemnation of War: All of Owen’s poetry written while in combat deal with the futility of war, and “Anthem for Doomed Youth” is no different. In the first stanza, he condemns the utter destruction and chaos of war by showing how those who die “as cattle” perish in a mockery of a funeral: the weapons of war serving as the bells, prayers, and choir for the fallen. This mockery suggests that war has little value, creates disillusionment, and doesn’t value the lives of those who die.
Appreciation of Soldiers’ Sacrifices: The second stanza of the poem stands in tonal and thematic contrast to the first. Regarding his poetry, Owen wrote “My subject is War, and the pity of war.” The second stanza illustrates this “pity” by describing a deep appreciation for soldiers. They die in the war, ostensibly without purpose or meaning, leaving their loved ones alone to grieve. While on the battlefield, the soldiers receive a mockery of a funeral, their loved ones at home celebrate their losses with genuine, solemn anthems. His poem is a celebration of the millions of men who sacrificed their lives during the war and a written reminder that their deaths ought to be immortalized and remembered.
"slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds...."See in text(Text of Owen's Poem)
This image, which likens nightfall to the “drawing-down of blinds,” evokes both the end of a day and, more broadly and metaphorically, the end of a life. Dusk falls slowly, perhaps indicating that the process of grief is long and fraught. Grief is interminable, and as night falls and dawn emerges, the grieving process begins all over again the next day. The image of dusk descending into night echoes the lyrics to taps: “Day is gone, gone the sun, from the hills, from the lake...fades the light.” Owen connects the two stanzas together by concluding this stanza as he does the last—with the sound of taps to signal an ending.
Here, the verb “to speed” means to assist in order to help someone succeed, as in the expression “Godspeed” used to offer someone good blessings for starting a new journey. In this stanza, the speaker considers what might help the soldiers prosper. His reply is mixed: he has expressed belief in the futility of war and the disregard for the soldiers’ lives, but he suggests that the mourners may still maintain hope by remembering the young soldiers in their eyes and minds.
Negative words, such as “no” or “nor” in this passage, typically emphasize an absence or emptiness. Since the speaker begins this line and the next with such words, this suggests a belief in the emptiness, or the futility, of war.
In saying that the soldiers die “as cattle,” the speaker creates a simile which compares the value of their lives to those of cattle. Cattle are domesticated creatures, bred for slaughter or the production of milk. In this simile, the speaker asserts that these men are without autonomy or power. Their leaders send them to war—like cattle to pasture—where they die vainly and without commemoration.
"What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? ..."See in text(Text of Owen's Poem)
Both stanzas open with a question that suggests the speaker’s disillusionment with war. With this initial question, the speaker wonders whether “these who die as cattle,” meaning the soldiers, will receive their passing-bells—the bells traditionally tolled as part of a funeral. In asking this question, the speaker laments the fact the young soldiers don’t receive the proper commemoration—their sacrifices heralded with the sounds of war.
