The second poem, "Anthem for Doomed Youth", was written later when it was obvious that Owens experiences had influenced his style of writing. He wrote the poem after his meeting with Sassoon, and by reading it, it is apparent that there is much changed from the earlier work, (It Was A Navy Boy). Owen wrote "Anthem for Doomed Youth" at Craiglockhart, where he was sent after being removed from the Front Line, due to shellshock. The poem is written from passed experience and his growing knowledge of the atrocities of war.
             The content of the poem describes the younger soldiers, mainly "boys" who are marching to the front line where they will most probably meet their death. The poem is written for these young boys, hence the title, and the "for youth" is the key point, which backs this up. The poem describes how awful it is at the Front Line, the sights and the sounds, "the shrill, demented choir of wailing shells," and "The stuttering rifles," both images of the war. These descriptions are found in the first verse and they help to paint the picture, of what horror and devastation awaits the "boys" on arrival in the front line.
             Stanza one explains how war is hell on earth and many deaths often are dealt with unemotionally, there being no time for such weakness. Any deaths occurring are dealt with in such a way that little respect is shown to the victim because the frequency of death becomes commonplace and therefore matter of fact.
             Stanza two goes into more detail about the expected, "normal" reactions to the frequent deaths. There are many funeral related terms in this stanza some of which are, when seen in the light of death, "candles," "flowers," both of which are present at any organised funeral, and the final line, "And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds" symbolises an image of respect. When people were killed at...