Compare and contrast how Owen explores the theme of death in two of his poems

Throughout his poetry, Owen explores many representations of the themes of war and violence. In the poems “Anthem For Doomed Youth” and “Futility”, Owen represents death in opposing ways. In “Anthem For Doomed Youth”, death is a certain fate for young soldiers, something the reader is made aware of before reading the poem. As the title highlights, the “youth” awaiting the front line are “doomed” from the start, which suggests that there has never been hope for soldiers fighting on the front line. Similarly, they are described as “cattle”. This metaphor suggests that the fate of the “youth” is sealed before they reach the battlefield, as is the death of cattle when born. In Contrast, throughout “Futility” the fate of the soldier remains ambiguous throughout both stanzas. Owen states that the “kind old sun” “might rouse him now”. The word “rouse” suggests that the soldiers unconscious state is temporary, despite his limbs being “too hard” to show life. The personification of the sun as “kind” suggests that the fate of the soldier rests in nature’s hands, and implies that soldiers in World War 1 frequently envisaged nature as an omnipotent and protective force, to cope with death and uncertainties.