Definitions
What does "Cattle" mean?
Cattle are domesticated animals such as cows, bulls, heifers, and steer.
Which quotation mimics rifles and what sound device is used in that quotation?
"Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle", consonance is used
Why are similes and metaphors included in the poem, and what effect do they bring?
They bring double meaning and more elegance. They bridge the gap between the romanticised, patriotic view of war, and the brutal, inhumane reality of the front lines.
What is the rhyme scheme in the first stanza of the poem?
ABAB rhyme scheme
What words describe tragedy in 'Anthem For Doomed Youth'?
Any from: doomed, monstrous, mockeries, demented
What does "Bugles" mean?
Bugles are trumpets associated with the military
What does the quotation, "What passing-bells for those who die as cattle?" mean, and what are "passing-bells"?
Passing-bells are bells that chime when someone has died.
The quotation means, what bells will chime for those who die in war?
What is the most commonly used language technique in the poem?
Either from: alliteration, imagery, personification
Is the poem regular or irregular?
Irregular
What common themes are found in Anthem for doomed youth?
Tragedy, death, religion, war
What does "Orisons" mean?
Orisons are prayers
Finish the line:
"The pallor of-"
"girls' brows shall be their pall"
What is the point of using consonance and assonance in the poem?
To create rhythm and flow throughout the poem.
What is the rhyme scheme in the second stanza of the poem?
ABBACC
Find words that reinforce the themes of religion in Anthem for Doomed Youth
Acceptable answers: passing-bells, orisons, prayers, bells, choirs, shires, candles,
What does "Demented" mean?
Demented mean mad or crazy
Finish the line:
"And each slow-"
"dusk a drawing-down of blinds"
Where is direct address shown in the poem?
There is no direct address
What type of poem is Anthem for Doomed Youth?
A sonnet
Explain how "The inadequacy of religion" is shown in Anthem for Doomed Youth
= The fact that all the normal religious rituals are replaced with disturbing ones, associated with war. (Answers similar are acceptable)
What does "Pall" mean?
A pall is the cloth used to cover the casket at a funeral.
Finish the line:
"Nor any voice-"
"of mourning save the choirs"
Give an example of vivid imagery in the poem.
"Only the monstrous anger of the guns "
"The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells "
Anything with intense description is acceptable.
Why is the poem irregular?
To mirror chaos and trauma.
Find words that bridge the gap between the reality of the war and the false, glorified version, believed back home in Britain.
Any from: "die as cattle", "demented choirs of wailing shells", "passing bells", "hasty orisons", "sad shires"