'The Sentry' by Wilfred Owen
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We'd found an old Boche dug-out, and he knew,
And gave us hell, for shell on frantic shell
Hammered on top, but never quite burst through.
Rain, guttering down in waterfalls of slime
Kept slush waist high, that rising hour by hour,
Choked up the steps too thick with clay to climb.
What murk of air remained stank old, and sour
With fumes of whizz-bangs, and the smell of men
Who'd lived there years, and left their curse in the den,
If not their corpses. . . .
There we herded from the blast
Of whizz-bangs, but one found our door at last.
Buffeting eyes and breath, snuffing the candles.
And thud! flump! thud! down the steep steps came thumping
And splashing in the flood, deluging muck --
The sentry's body; then his rifle, handles
Of old Boche bombs, and mud in ruck on ruck.
We dredged him up, for killed, until he whined
"O sir, my eyes -- I'm blind -- I'm blind, I'm blind!"
Coaxing, I held a flame against his lids
And said if he could see the least blurred light
He was not blind; in time he'd get all right.
"I can't," he sobbed. Eyeballs, huge-bulged like squids
Watch my dreams still; but I forgot him there
In posting next for duty, and sending a scout
To beg a stretcher somewhere, and floundering about
To other posts under the shrieking air.
Those other wretches, how they bled and spewed,
And one who would have drowned himself for good, --
I try not to remember these things now.
Let dread hark back for one word only: how
Half-listening to that sentry's moans and jumps,
And the wild chattering of his broken teeth,
Renewed most horribly whenever crumps
Pummelled the roof and slogged the air beneath --
Through the dense din, I say, we heard him shout
"I see your lights!" But ours had long died out.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Sentry by Wilfred Owen: A Masterpiece of War Poetry
The Sentry, written by Wilfred Owen, is one of the most powerful and emotional war poems ever written. In this poem, Owen portrays the horrors of war in vivid and haunting detail, evoking images of blood, death, and despair. As a literary work, The Sentry is a masterpiece of war poetry, combining powerful imagery, vivid language, and compelling themes to create a unforgettable portrayal of the reality of war.
At its heart, The Sentry is a poem about the experience of war. It tells the story of a group of soldiers who are on the front lines of battle, trying to survive in the face of overwhelming odds. As the poem progresses, the soldiers come under attack, and one of them is wounded. The rest of the soldiers try to help him, but it is too late. The poem ends with a chilling image of the dead soldier, lying alone in the darkness.
One of the most striking aspects of The Sentry is its use of imagery. Owen employs a wide range of images throughout the poem, from the graphic and violent to the surreal and dreamlike. The poem is full of vivid descriptions of blood, mud, and death, as well as haunting images of ghosts and phantoms. These images serve to create a powerful and unsettling mood, evoking the horror and confusion of war.
The opening lines of the poem set the tone for what is to come:
"We'd found an old Boche dug-out, and he knew, And gave us hell, for shell on frantic shell Hammered on top, but never quite burst through. Rain, guttering down in waterfalls of slime Kept slush waist-high, that rising hour by hour, Choked up the steps too thick with clay to climb."
These lines create a vivid picture of the soldiers' surroundings, painting a picture of a miserable, muddy, and dangerous world. The description of the rain as "waterfalls of slime" is especially effective, evoking a sense of disgust and decay.
Throughout the poem, Owen's use of language is powerful and evocative. He uses a wide range of literary techniques, including repetition, alliteration, and metaphor, to create a rich and complex tapestry of language. Consider, for example, the following lines:
"Then, when much blood had clogged their chariot-wheels, Even with faces grimly gay and flat, They jogged along the road that hugged the heels Of the straight steeples pointing to the sky."
In these lines, Owen uses repetition and alliteration to create a powerful sense of rhythm and momentum. The words "blood," "chariot-wheels," and "grimly gay" all contribute to a sense of violence and danger. And the image of the steeples pointing to the sky creates a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Another key aspect of The Sentry is its themes. The poem is fundamentally about the experience of war, and the toll that it takes on the human spirit. Throughout the poem, Owen explores the themes of death, horror, and despair, as well as the futility of war itself. The poem is a powerful indictment of the folly of war, and a reminder of its terrible human cost.
One of the most striking examples of the poem's themes comes near the end, when Owen writes:
"And we began to mock them, who had such weights Of things to do, and see, and bear, and lose. Mock them, mock them! Maddening clouds of loud Harmonious thunder of acclaims shook us."
In these lines, Owen captures the sense of disillusionment and cynicism that can arise in the face of war. The soldiers begin to mock their commanders, who seem distant and uninvolved in the reality of the war. And the "maddening clouds of loud / Harmonious thunder of acclaims" suggest the hollowness of the rhetoric of war.
In conclusion, The Sentry is a masterpiece of war poetry, combining powerful imagery, vivid language, and compelling themes to create an unforgettable portrayal of the horrors of war. Owen's use of imagery and language is masterful, and his themes are universal and timeless. The poem is a powerful reminder of the terrible human cost of war, and a warning about the dangers of its seductive rhetoric. As a literary work, The Sentry is both a work of art and a powerful social critique, a testament to the ability of poetry to move, inspire, and educate.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Sentry: A Masterpiece of War Poetry
Wilfred Owen, a British poet and soldier, is widely regarded as one of the greatest war poets of the 20th century. His poems, which vividly depict the horrors of World War I, have become iconic symbols of the futility and tragedy of war. Among his most famous works is "The Sentry," a haunting and powerful poem that captures the fear, confusion, and despair of soldiers in the trenches. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its themes, imagery, and literary techniques.
The Sentry is a narrative poem that tells the story of a group of soldiers who are caught in a gas attack. The poem begins with a vivid description of the setting: "We'd found an old Boche dug-out, and he knew, / And gave us hell, for shell on frantic shell / Hammered on top, but never quite burst through." The soldiers are huddled together in the dug-out, waiting for the attack to end. Suddenly, one of them sees a figure stumbling towards them in the gas, and they realize that it is one of their own sentries. The sentry is blinded and choking on the gas, and he stumbles into the dug-out, begging for help. The soldiers try to save him, but it is too late, and he dies in their arms.
The poem is a powerful depiction of the horrors of war, and it explores several themes that are central to Owen's work. One of the most important themes is the dehumanizing effect of war. The soldiers in the poem are reduced to mere objects, trapped in a hellish landscape where death is always just a shell-burst away. The sentry, who is blinded and choking on gas, is a symbol of the soldiers' vulnerability and helplessness. He is no longer a human being, but a victim of the war machine.
Another important theme in the poem is the sense of betrayal that the soldiers feel. The sentry's death is a tragic reminder of the fact that they are fighting a war that they do not understand, for a cause that is not their own. The soldiers are caught in a web of lies and propaganda, and they feel that they have been betrayed by their leaders and their country. The line "O Jesus, make it stop!" is a poignant expression of their despair and hopelessness.
The poem is also notable for its vivid and powerful imagery. Owen uses a variety of literary techniques to create a sense of atmosphere and mood. For example, the opening lines of the poem use alliteration and onomatopoeia to create a sense of chaos and confusion: "We'd found an old Boche dug-out, and he knew, / And gave us hell, for shell on frantic shell / Hammered on top, but never quite burst through." The repetition of the "h" sound and the use of the word "frantic" create a sense of urgency and danger.
Owen also uses metaphor and simile to create vivid images that convey the horror of war. For example, he describes the gas as a "green sea" that "writhed and spat and vomited." This image is both powerful and disturbing, and it conveys the sense of the gas as a living, malevolent force. Similarly, the description of the sentry as a "clumsy clot" is a powerful metaphor that conveys the soldiers' sense of helplessness and despair.
The poem is also notable for its use of sound and rhythm. Owen uses a variety of poetic techniques to create a sense of tension and urgency. For example, he uses enjambment to create a sense of momentum and movement: "And there we were, he and I, / On the edge of the war, / Waiting for the rest to come." The use of short, sharp lines creates a sense of urgency and tension, and the repetition of the word "waiting" emphasizes the soldiers' sense of helplessness and uncertainty.
In conclusion, The Sentry is a masterpiece of war poetry that captures the horror and futility of World War I. Through its vivid imagery, powerful themes, and masterful use of literary techniques, the poem conveys the sense of chaos, confusion, and despair that characterized the war. Owen's work remains a powerful reminder of the human cost of war, and it continues to inspire and move readers today.
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