“Wait for Me, Daddy” (October 1, 1940) Photographer: Claude Dettloff. As Canadian soldiers marched off to serve during the Second World War, five-year-old Warren (“Whitey”) Bernard ran to hold his father’s hand one last time. The photograph became one of Canada’s most iconic images of the war and reminds us of the sacrifices made by soldiers and their families.
Liam Clancy – Band Played Waltzing Matilda
1914 | Sainsbury’s Ad | Christmas 2014
The story behind 1914 | Christmas Ad | Sainsbury’s
John McCutcheon: Christmas in the trenches (1984)
Conditions in Trenches – Dan Snow’s Battle of the Somme
Notes:
1914-1918 The Great War (100 years)
• PTSD, Shell Shock
• Trenches: lice, corpse rats (as large as dogs), diseases, trench foot, dichotomy between the reality of
war and idealism/romanticism
• Wilfred Owen, WW1 poet dead at 22
• Torch of Memory
• Students write a sonnet ”Anthem for Doomed Youth”
• A good poem makes you ask questions
• “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers”
Wilfred Owen served as a British soldier during the First World War. After witnessing the horrors of trench warfare firsthand, he wrote poetry that revealed the true cost of war. Unlike poems that glorify battle, Owen’s work emphasizes loss, sacrifice, and the human impact of conflict.
In “Anthem for Doomed Youth,” Owen compares a traditional funeral with the reality faced by soldiers who die on the battlefield. Instead of church bells, prayers, and flowers, they are surrounded by the sounds of gunfire, exploding shells, and rifles.
As you read, think about the emotions Owen wants the reader to experience.
Anthem for Doomed Youth
By Wilfred Owen
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
— Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
Think About It
As you read, consider these questions:
- Why does Owen compare soldiers to “cattle” in the opening line?
- What sounds replace the bells and prayers of a traditional funeral?
- Which images or words stand out to you the most? Why?
- How does the poem change your understanding of war?
- What message do you think Owen wanted readers to remember?
Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
| Passing bells | Church bells rung after someone dies. |
| Orisons | Prayers. |
| Pall | A cloth placed over a coffin during a funeral. |
| Pallor | A pale appearance, often caused by sadness or shock. |
| Shires | Rural counties or regions in Britain. |
Reflection
Wilfred Owen believed that war should not be romanticized. Through powerful imagery and sound, he encourages us to remember the sacrifices of soldiers and the grief experienced by the families and communities they leave behind.
“The true tragedy of war is not only found on the battlefield, but also in the hearts of those left behind.”