The sentry is a poem based on one of Owens real life experiences in the war. When Owen was in a commanding post one of the sentry’s that he had put on duty suffered from a bombing causing him to become blind. The incident had a deep impact on Owen as it happened right in front of him and he probably felt guilty. Owen makes a very vivid description of the evens in the poem making it come to life and reflect the horror he experienced.
The sentry mainly focuses on the horrors of war and what it does to people. It portrays how dehumanized soldiers were. Has some religious context at then end.
Poem written from Owens perspective. He is telling us about the situation Takes place in a dug-out that is described to be a very horrendous location They are in the middle of a bombing and constant attack. In the middle the nameless ‘Sentry’ is quoted. There is a shift from past to present in the last paragraph
A very dreadful tone is created from the very beginning. Maintained to the end. Reinforced with vocabulary such as ‘hell’, ‘slime’, ‘stank old and sour’, ‘shrieking’, ‘corpses’, ‘curse’, etc. Use of uncomfortable noise sounds such as ‘steps too thick with clay to climb’. Use of alliteration and long vowel sounds. Also has a tone of urgency sometimes. Evident through punctuation, repetition and alliteration. Ex – ‘whizz- bangs’ ‘hour by hour’.
Starts off in regular iambic pentameter however later breaks off from regular rhyme scheme. Separated into 2/3 paragraphs of varying lengths. Use of caesura and exclamatory punctuation creates an awkward feeling and unnatural stops reflecting the unnerving situation of the poem. Ex – ‘We dredged him up, for killed, until he whined,’
Very somber vocabulary – ‘hell’ ‘corpses’ ‘floundering’ etc. Some words dehumanize the soldiers while others personify inanimate objects. Ex – ‘herded’- gives idea of cattle not people. ‘wretches’- harsh word to describe comrades. ‘frantic shell’, ‘shrieking air’. Lots of onomatopoeic words such as ‘thud’ ‘flump’ ‘whizz – bang’ ‘chattering’ ‘guttering’ ‘shrieking’. Adds to realism.
Very bleak and dark imagery. Reinforced with suiting vocabulary. First paragraph gives very descriptive image of their location ‘ waterfalls of slime’ ‘ smell of men’ ‘steps too thick with clay to climb’ ‘slush waist high’. Second paragraph gives very vivid imagery. Use of onomatopoeic words bring it to life. Use of alliteration and assonance such as ‘ of old Boche bombs and mud in ruck on ruck. Repetition of ‘o’ and ‘u’ sounds. Horrific use of simile ‘eyeballs huge bulged like squids.’ Third stanza ends with a very dreadful image. Comment on finishing line.
The poem initially does have irregular rhymes, such as: a) hour (line 5) and sour (line 7) b) Men (line 8) and den (line 9) It has an uncomfortable feel to it due to the irregular rhyme