Arms and the Boy
by Wilfred Owen
Let the boy try along this bayonet-blade
How cold steel is, and keen with hunger of blood;
Blue with all malice, like a madman’s flash;
And thinly drawn with famishing for flesh.Lend him to stroke these blind, blunt bullet-leads,
Which long to nuzzle in the hearts of lads,
Or give him cartridges of fine zinc teeth
Sharp with the sharpness of grief and death.For his teeth seem for laughing round an apple.
There lurk no claws behind his fingers supple;
And God will grow no talons at his heels,
Nor antlers through the thickness of his curls.
Summary of Arms and the Boy
- Popularity of “Arms and the Boy”: Wilfred Owen, a great English poet as well as a soldier wrote ‘Arms and the Boy’. It is a thought-provoking poem about World War 1 and its savagery. It was first published in 1917 or 1918. The poem speaks about the boy who is ready to test his deadly weapon. It also illustrates how these bloodthirsty weapons bring destruction to the world. The poem talks about violence ingrained in human nature, creating two separate worlds; the world of fantasy and the world of reality.
- “Arms and the Boy”, As a Representative of Sorrow: This poem is about the devastation war weapons bring to our world. It begins when the boy is about to test his bayonet-blade. The speaker states that cold steel is bloodthirsty and ready to use. The blue paints the happiness of the boy who is all set to use his dangerous and murderous weapon. As the poem continues, the speaker states that the blunt and blind bullets intend to target the enemies. The boy should hold the cartridges of fine zinc teeth that are sharp with anguish and death. Toward the end, the speaker tries to make the reader believe that the boy is innocent and harmless but the weapons he keeps are dangerous. To him, this boy has no antlers or claws like a wild animal, but the war will ultimately make him wild. The way he depicts the brutalities of war and its impacts on innocent human beings.
- Major Themes in “Arms and the Boy”: Warfare, innocence, and death are the major themes underlined in this poem. Although there is no direct mention of the war in this poem, yet the description of the weapons clearly indicates that the boy is a soldier who is going to use these weapons in warfare. He presents two things in this poem; the brutalities and suffering war imposes upon people and the innocence of the boy who knows nothing about the war. He is only excited to use those bloodthirsty weapons. To him, God has not created humans to act like beasts or wild animals. In fact, enmity, rivalry, and hatred inculcate these feelings in human beings.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “Arms and the Boy”
literary devices are very important elements of a literary text. Their use brings richness to a text and helps the readers understand it. Wilfred Owen has also made this poem superb by using figurative language. Here is the analysis of some literary devices used in this poem.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /i/ in “Or give him cartridges of fine zinc teeth” and the sound of /a/ in “Blue with all malice, like a madman’s flash”.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession. For example, the sound of /th/ in “Nor antlers through the thickness of his curls” and the sound of /b/ in “stroke these blind, blunt bullet-leads.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example,
“Or give him cartridges of fine zinc teeth
Sharp with the sharpness of grief and death.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “Blue with all malice, like a madman’s flash”, “For his teeth seem for laughing round an apple” and “Sharp with the sharpness of grief and death.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects different in nature. The poet has used this device at many places in the poem such as; “Or give him cartridges of fine zinc teeth”, “There lurk no claws behind his fingers supple.” and “There lurk no claws behind his fingers supple.”
- Personification: Personification is to give human qualities to inanimate objects. For example, “How cold steel is, and keen with hunger of blood”, “Blue with all malice, like a madman’s flash” and “Which long to nuzzle in the hearts of lads.” Which long to nuzzle in the hearts of lads.”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is a use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal meanings. Here, “bayonet-blade” symbolizes pain, destruction, and death.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Arms and the Boy”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem with each comprises four lines.
- Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Here, each stanza is a quatrain.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the ABAB rhyme scheme and this pattern continues till the end.
Quotes to be Used
The line stated below is useful in a speech delivered on the topic of brutalities of war.
“Let the boy try along this bayonet-blade
How cold steel is, and keen with hunger of blood;
Blue with all malice, like a madman’s flash;
And thinly drawn with famishing for flesh.”
