What could the two letters add to our understanding of Owen’s poetry?

‘If there be a bright side to war, it is a crime to exhibit it’ Owen quoted the French pacifist and writer Henri Barbusse on his draft piece of the poem. What is your response to this idea? Has it changed since the beginning of the lesson?

They have things they aspire to Comparison How does Owen’s presentation of the relationships between soldiers in war compare to Powers’ presentation of relationships between men? Similarities Differences Relationships appear forced – Owen’s letters reference relationships but doesn’t pick people he’s with – Bartle’s relationship with Murph is dictated by Sterling Forced conscription vs. Choice – mirrored ‘Band of friends half as fine’ – Owen’s letters “In the silence of duty” – bond was physical not emotional – lack of emotion, friendship – “silence” – obligations / forgeries Bartle seems to maintain no lasting relationships – he leaves as a recluse to suffer for what he felt he had done. Inferiority complex conveyed – sense of brotherhood and comradery is challenged by a soldier’s inferiority complex – physical & psychological inferiority Disabled – the soldier envies the men that are whole Bartle envies Sterling because he sees him as someone who has everything together They have things they aspire to Murph and Bartle have a common enemy (Sterling) whereas Owen’s is not a single figure Disabled – “Germans he scarcely thought of, or their guilt; Austria’s did not move him” – intensifies the emotional experience Sterling disposing of the body – eyes on the enemy – it’s what unites them Brotherhood forged between Bartle, Sterling & Murph – perhaps not as meaningful as Owen “avoided traumatic experiences later in life” ‘I have made fellowships’ – part of the Manchester regiment – criticises their behaviour in letter - Letters maintain a relationship outside

YB – they focus on a figure that they understand their dislike for Murph and Bartle have a common enemy (Sterling) whereas Owen’s is not a single figure Disabled – “Germans he scarcely thought of, or their guilt; Austria’s did not move him” – intensifies the emotional experience – lack of understanding in signing up YB – they focus on a figure that they understand their dislike for Sassoon & Owen found the political leaders of their own countries were their own enemies – division is made stronger through political enemies Sterling disposing of the body – eyes on the enemy – it’s what unites them ‘If there be a bright side to war, it is a crime to exhibit it’ (Henri Barbusse) When defining the relationships that men forge in war, it can be argued that it is, ironically, a common enemy that strengthens a relationship between men and soldiers in war. In Yellow Birds and Owen’s poetry, we notice that this common enemy is far more personal for Bartle and Murph than for the personas that Owen creates in his poetry, and thus perhaps there is a need for a singular focus upon which to forge a lasting emotional connection. It has been critically argued by Samuel J. Hazo that many of Owen’s poems are “revelations of protest, pessimism, outrage and hatred”. If we take Hazo’s perspective to be true, when we read Owen’s most poignant poems about relationships, we read the accounts of his personas as bitter and hateful of the world that surrounds them. In ‘The Show’, Owen describes how “the smell came up from those foul openings, as out of mouths or deep wounds deepening”. The gruesome anatomical imagery that is displayed here mirrors what Hazo describes as “outrage”, especially if we interpret the “mouths” to be those of the politicians who sent Owen to war.