Name: Class:

Anthem for Doomed Youth

By Wilfred Owen
1917

Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) was a well-known English poet and soldier who wrote extensively on the subject
of the First World War. “Anthem for Doomed Youth” describes the horrors and casualties of that war, which
featured such bloody and deadly clashes as the battle of the Somme and the battle of Passchendaele. As
you read, identify keywords that help convey the speaker’s attitude towards war.

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[1] What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
— Only the monstrous anger of the
guns.
Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle
2
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
3
[5] No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor
bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the
choirs, —
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
4
And bugles calling for them from sad
5
shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all? "In the Front Line" by State Library of Victoria is licensed under CC
BY-NC 2.0.
[10] Not in the hands of boys, but in their
eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
6 7
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.

"Anthem for Doomed Youth" by Wilfred Owen (1917) is in the public domain.

1. A bell rung immediately following a death, to signal the appropriate prayers.

2. An archaic term for “prayer.”
3. Ceremonies which are so ludicrously futile as to be insulting.
4. A brass instrument, similar to a small trumpet, that is often used for military signals.
5. A county, particularly an English county.
6. Pallor (noun): an unhealthy, pale appearance
7. A cloth that is spread over a coffin or tomb.

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 Text-Dependent Questions
Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. Which of the following best describes a theme of the poem? [RL.2]

A. Funeral ceremonies during wartime are pointless and insulting, and the
government should not perform them.
B. There should be age restrictions to prevent young people from serving in wars
because they are pointless, brutal endeavors.
C. War is a brutal endeavor that sacrifices soldiers who cannot be properly
honored after dying in combat.
D. An active battlefield’s atmosphere appropriately honors soldiers who die in
combat but the government should prevent their deaths.

2. PART A: What does the word “save” mean as it is used in line 6? [RL.4]
A. honoring
B. rescuing
C. except for
D. although

3. PART B: Which line from the poem best supports the answer to Part A? [RL.1]
A. “their hasty orisons” (Line 4)
B. “No mockeries now for them” (Line 5)
C. “any voice of mourning” (Line 6)
D. “choirs of wailing shells” (Line 7)

4. Which statement best describes the poem’s shift in subject from lines 1-8 to lines [RL.5]
9-14?
A. The poem shifts from describing a wartime funeral to a regular funeral after the
war.
B. The poem shifts from honoring dead soldiers to glorifying their deeds in battle.
C. The poem shifts from depicting an active battle to the speaker’s memories of a
funeral during WWI.
D. The poem shifts from depicting an active battle to imagined scenes of mourners
honoring the dead.

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5. Explain how the poetic structure develops the sonnet’s tone. Cite evidence from the [RL.5]
poem in your response.

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 Discussion Questions
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to
share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. Why does the poet believe that the soldiers in the First World War “die[d] as cattle” (Line 1)?
Based on what is presented in the poem, do you agree with him?

2. Based on the contents of this poem, how do you think the poet’s perspective on war was
affected by his firsthand experience as a soldier? Do his experiences offer him credibility?

3. Have you ever come into contact with people or texts that attempt to glorify the experience
of serving in a war? Why do you think this is?

4. In the context of this poem, how do people face death? Are there differences between the
way the death of a civilian and the death of a soldier are handled? Cite evidence from this
text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.

5. The poet intermingles descriptions of the trappings of civilian life with portrayals of war. In
the context of this poem, how are we changed by war? Cite evidence from this text, your
own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.