Wilfred Owen’s Anthem for a Doomed Youth
Mike Ruggiero
British Classics
Poetry Paper Rough Draft
4/24/2013
Wilfred Owen’s Anthem for a Doomed Youth
Born on March 18, 1893 of an English and Welsh background, Wilfred Owen was born at Plas Wilmot, a house in Weston Lane, near Oswestry in Shropshire. He was the eldest of four children and extremely fond of his mother, which became apparent in the letters he would send her during his tenure in World War I. His mother was of a wealthy background and always imagined Wilfred rising to aristocracy. Wilfred’s father was a stationmaster, a man in charge of railway stations in the United Kingdom. His family was quite religious, Wilfred was a parish assistant and attended Bible classed, but his religious affiliations faded after being exposed to the world and the horrors of war. He always aspired to go to university but could not pass the exams in which to do so. After not being able to attend university Wilfred traveled to France, where he taught English at a Berlitz school and his love for literature grew. In 1915 he volunteered to enter the war and after two years in the service his letters to his mother described that he had entered hell, endured deprivation and extreme violence. His woes continued in March of 1917, when he was entombed for 36 hours in the cellar of a French home after falling through the floor. A month later his bad luck continued when a shell exploded near his head, sending him flying into the air and into ditch covered with corrugated iron, where he spent the next few days. On May 1, 1917 Owens Army file stated, “Second Lieutenant Owen was observed to be shaky and tremulous and his conduct and manner were peculiar, and his memory was confused.” After this he was sent to Craiglockhart in Scotland to recuperate after being a witness “to not a sign of life on the horizon and a thousand signs of death.” It was in Craiglockhart that he met his literary influence and friend, Siegfried Sassoon, who would change his life. Over the following
British Classics
Poetry Paper Rough Draft
4/24/2013
Wilfred Owen’s Anthem for a Doomed Youth
Born on March 18, 1893 of an English and Welsh background, Wilfred Owen was born at Plas Wilmot, a house in Weston Lane, near Oswestry in Shropshire. He was the eldest of four children and extremely fond of his mother, which became apparent in the letters he would send her during his tenure in World War I. His mother was of a wealthy background and always imagined Wilfred rising to aristocracy. Wilfred’s father was a stationmaster, a man in charge of railway stations in the United Kingdom. His family was quite religious, Wilfred was a parish assistant and attended Bible classed, but his religious affiliations faded after being exposed to the world and the horrors of war. He always aspired to go to university but could not pass the exams in which to do so. After not being able to attend university Wilfred traveled to France, where he taught English at a Berlitz school and his love for literature grew. In 1915 he volunteered to enter the war and after two years in the service his letters to his mother described that he had entered hell, endured deprivation and extreme violence. His woes continued in March of 1917, when he was entombed for 36 hours in the cellar of a French home after falling through the floor. A month later his bad luck continued when a shell exploded near his head, sending him flying into the air and into ditch covered with corrugated iron, where he spent the next few days. On May 1, 1917 Owens Army file stated, “Second Lieutenant Owen was observed to be shaky and tremulous and his conduct and manner were peculiar, and his memory was confused.” After this he was sent to Craiglockhart in Scotland to recuperate after being a witness “to not a sign of life on the horizon and a thousand signs of death.” It was in Craiglockhart that he met his literary influence and friend, Siegfried Sassoon, who would change his life. Over the following
Cited: Warwick, McFadyen. "Candle in the wind: The short but many-layered life of Wilfred Owen." Sunday Age, The (Melbourne) 27 Apr. 2003: 10. Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. Hammond, Gerald. "Owen 's ANTHEM FOR DOOMED YOUTH." Explicator 40.3 (1982): 41. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. Firchow, Peter Edgerly. "Wilfred Owen Anthem For A Doomed Youth (Book)." Anq 2.4 (1989): 152. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. Kerr, Douglas. "The Disciplines Of The Wars: Army Training And The Language Of Wilfred Owen." Modern Language Review 87.2 (1992): 286-299. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. “anthem,” Merriam-Webster.com. 2011. http://www.merriam-webster.com (28 April 2013).