I believe that this poem is about the death of men in combat. They are dying in great numbers, as highlighted by the comparison to the slaughtering of cattle. Many of them are praying, but the only thing that can be heard is the firing of the guns. I think that this is rather ironic how the author applies the sounds of the guns and rifles to drown out the prayers. I say this because when we think of weapons, we think of something bad. However, when we think of prayers, we think in terms of peace and savior, not destruction.
“No mockeries now for them; nor prayers nor bells, nor any voice of mourning save the choirs” (Owen 5-6). Here Owens lets us know that no one will mourn their deaths because they are unknown. I do not believe this happens in today’s wars. I think that the men and women serving with the fallen are the first to mourn long before the soldier’s loved ones are notified.
Then there are the candles. To me, Owens compares the glimmer of the flame to the last thing that a soldier sees as he dies. For some, it may be the sky as it is illuminated by the fire of the guns. Finally, he compares the flowers and blinds. I say this because at night, many flowers tend to close because of the darkness, just as we do with blinds as the evening progresses.
Reggie,
ReplyDeleteThis post is strongest when you connect your comments more closely to specific quoted passages. Owen is drawing a connection between the way funerals remember the dead (with choirs, anthems, candles, etc.) and the way the soldiers are dying in the trenches. He, as one of the soldiers in battle, is trying to provide the memorial that the church cannot, but at the same time he is condemning the war that causes such slaughter (the men are killed like cattle).
I think you do a great job of analyzing each bit of the poem. Do you think the candles can also be symbolic of the light within them than is metaphorically blown out?
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