Futility - Wilfred Owen

Futility - Wilfred Owen

1. Uses para - rhyme

   • "sun - stir, tall - toil"
   • This disturbs the natural rhythm and gives the poem a slightly tortured mood
   • They create a sense of broken harmony beneath a seemingly strong surface.

2. The poem concerns a soldier holding his fallen comrade during his last moments and shows the soldiers state of mind as he questions the power of forces against war.

3. Imagery of the sun

   • "cold star"
     • Oxymoron
     • Suggests that though the sun is warm it has no feelings because it does not help stop war.
   • "fatuous sunbeams toil"

4. The poem is an elegy

   • Normally these poems are long and they celebrate the life of the person
     • However Owen's poem is contrasted to show how conflict takes lives so quickly that they can't be celebrated.

5. Comparison

   • Bayonet Charge
     • Simularity
       • They both use alot of imagery.
       • The both show the contrasts between nature and conflict
     • Difference
       • BC is full of action and purpose whearas in F all purpose is now gone.