8/12/2019 Wilfred Owens Letter

1/1

Wilfred Owens LetterHow effectively/evaluate how Wilfred Owen conveys his ideas,

atti tudes, experiences of war in his letter . Refer to li terary

techn iques, and use quotes to support your evaluation.

Wilfred Owens compelling and confessional letter written to his mother from

the First World War home front conveys his nature as both a soldier and son, as well

as the horrific realities of the war. Through a combination of informative language

and evocative imagery the letter shows s his courage towards the war and genuine

connection to the home front during his absence.

Through Wilfred Owens letter, we can understand the full horrors of the war.

He first describes his experience as seventh hell, which is a hyperbole. The phrase

conveys the message that he has suffered greatly in these past four days. He also says

that he is in the firing range of the Germans, as he has been in front of it. This

contradicts what he has written before, again implying that his post in the war was

very tough. As he and his men were crawling across a flooded trench, he describes it

as an octopus of sucking clay. The use of this metaphor shows that his journey to his

dug-out in the middle of No Mans Land has beenextremely exhausting. Owen has

also used repetition to emphasize his point, an example being three quarters dead, I

mean each of us dead and crawl, wade, climb and flounder over No Mans Land.

In addition, Owen employs the use of oxymorons, such as the agony of my happy

life.The use of oxymorons furthermore supports the horrors of war. Owen himself

seems to dislike the war, as he nearly broke down and let himself drown in the

water. Wilfred Owen has conveyed his experience of the horrors of war effectively

throughout his letter, through the extensive use of literary devices.

Wilfred Owen has a strong sense of responsibility and duty in World War I. In

the letter he has written, he is revealed to be an officer of a relatively high rank. He

has said that his platoon had only suffered one casualty, showing that he places his

sentries with caution. He also feels responsibility for the servant which he rejected, as

he has written if I had kept him he would have lived, for servants dont do sentry

duty. Wilfred Owen is a caring soldier with a strong sense of responsibility, as he

does not wish for his men to be crippled or die.

Wilfred Owen is obviously connected to the home front, which is shown

through the many references of the home front in his letter. The letter is addressed tohis sweet mother. The tone is gentle, which implies that he loves his mother. In his

letter, Owen has written when, I suppose you would be going to church. In writing

this, Owen shows that he is deeply connected to the home front. Owen has also said

the seeng-seeng-seeng of the bullets reminded me of Marys canary, which is ironic,

as Marys canary would have a much sweeter sound than the sound of machine guns.

Owen is comparing the sounds of war to the peace of the home front, again showing

that he is attached with the home front.

Wilfred Owen expresses his attitudes and experiences of the war effectively

through his captivating letter. The letter depicts Wilfred Owen as a loyal and

responsible soldier and also shows the atrociousness of war. It also reveals Owensloving nature as a son as well as his deep connection to the home front.