Move him into the sun—
Gently its touch awoke him once,
At home, whispering of fields unsown.
Always it awoke him, even in France,
Until this morning and this snow.
If anything might rouse him now
The kind old sun will know.
Think how it wakes the seeds—
Woke, once, the clays of a cold star.
Are limbs so dear-achieved, are sides
Full-nerved,—still warm,—too hard to stir?
Was it for this the clay grew tall?
—O what made fatuous sunbeams toil
To break earth's sleep at all?
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Comments
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From guest Chrissy (contact)
It is nice to understand what a poem means, but sometimes I like it when I don't understand. A poem isn't always supposed to make sense. A poem is from someone else's thoughts and the way they see something. We won't all see "it" the same :+) -cw -
For Guest Chloe and others
You are asking a question that has been asked and answered many times before. Read down through the comments already made and you will find descriptions of metaphors, personification and much more.
Jim -
techniques
From guest chloe (contact)
i need to know the techniques used throughout the poem futility cause im kind of stuck. some one please help me asap i have a assessment due tomorrow PLEASE HELP ME ASAP!!!!!! -
one of the best
From guest benabz (contact)
i read this poem in 1986 as a yr 10 student and it has haunted me ever since. I teach year 9 English and read this last week to my class and discussed with a croaky voice the impact this poem has on me. The first line is so daunting it juxtaposes the image of life and death like no other. One of the greatest pieces of literature ever. -
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My reading of this
From guest Azuredawn (contact)
Move him into the sun— Gently its touch awoke him once, (A Soldier has died, move him to the sun as it once woke him, Obviously a farmer type rising with the dawn) At home, whispering of fields unsown. Always it awoke him, even in France, (He always woke at dawn even away from his distant home) Until this morning and this snow. If anything might rouse him now The kind old sun will know. (He has died and its a plea to wake him from death) Think how it wakes the seeds— Woke, once, the clays of a cold star. Are limbs so dear-achieved, are sides Full-nerved,—still warm,—too hard to stir? (The body has stiffend with death. The plea for the sun to wake him like it awakens seeds in the soil of his home) Was it for this the clay grew tall? —O what made fatuous sunbeams toil To break earth's sleep at all? (I would grasp his name being clay as it makes sense the metaphore of the farm and his death) (Could be all far fetched but im suffering from depression and it makes sense to me being an ex soldier) -
I have seen this printed as two verses - anyone know which is correct?
I really love the way he buids up the similar sounding endings to climax in a rhyme. Both moving and technically demanding - genius! -
From guest mckayla (contact)
i have an english assessment on this and i understand this poem but i can not understand the sounds in it any help would be greatly appreciated thanx -
The central theme
From guest Peter (contact)
Is in the final line. If the result of mankind's evolution is that we destroy each other in war, what is the benefit of having evolved in the first place? -
From guest Rosanine (contact)
Man's life is linked, metaphorically, to the life of the world. The sun is designated, through personification, as the life giver. In the second line, the sun is personified in gentle way, noting that its early morning rays wake us, regardless of whether we are at home, or on the battlefield (France). When he has died and is lying in the snow, the sun is said to be 'kindly', personified positively. We see what the sun has been responsible for: 'wakes the seeds' - metaphor, 'clays ...' metaphor for creation of world. The 'full-nerved' etc description of the soldier tells us he has just died and the rhetorical qu ending 'stir' shows how unbelievable it is that he cannot be roused. Then the mood changes and the next rhet qu ... tall' refers back to earth's existence. The writer is bitter - why did the sun bother to create the world if this is what we have come to. See the difference now in the 'character' of the sun 'fatuous' as opposed to 'kind'. - hope this is useful to someone. -
quotes and techniques
From guest nep (contact)
can you please help me with what does this peom means -
quotes and techiques for this poem.
From guest Juanita (contact)
i'm studying for my hsc this year and i have to write a documentary for wilfred owen and his war poems and i don't really understand. all i need is three quotes from this poem and there techniques thanks. -
OMG
From guest Ashley (contact)
I HAVE AN ENLGISH GCSE IN 4 DAYS - ON THIS POEM, I DONT GET IT HELPPPPPP !!!!! PLEASE ... -
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reply to Ashley read the other comments below - other people have left comments here that could prove useful to you for your exam.
Vonnie
Oldpoetry
ps - look to the right side of your screen there is a feature there regarding Wilfred Owen that may of use too. "114 years and beyond"
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what
From guest DAMASCUS (contact)
dont no what it means HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -
From guest ren (contact)
"if anything might rouse him now The kind old sun will know." this to me, sounds a lot like denial - the ressurection of the man is futile, but depite the futility (as the poem is so correctly labelled) others will always hope. The contrast of the "gentle" sun is particularly powerful, considering how the war was for everyone, even those who didnt fight. its almost as if time is suspended for this one moment, just to watch the passing of yet another soldier. -
From guest Watch-the-Rain-Fall (contact)
I don't know. It seems like a woman's plea for her husband, now lain to rest. A futile hope that the sun will ressurect him, or secure his eternal peace. Musing at the fragility of life itself, and what death really holds for us.. -
A dead soldier has been placed in the sun. He lived and worked in the English countryside, an early riser, and perhaps the sun will wake him again.
This is so sad, quiet as if spoken in whispers by men standing around the dead man. However there is an air of indignation, anger almost asking why – if a man can be killed for nothing then why give him life in the first place?
Poignant and subdued.
Von
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This poem is no way simplistic - think about it! There are loads of double meanings in the poem which make it really complecated. For example, the "sun" is the source of all life and can therefore be seen as a reference to God who at that time most of society believed in.
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7/10
Great flowing piece here, nice form and the vernacular is sound. A bit more simplistic than the other writes I have read so far, but, still holds images quite well.
A good piece here.
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