Welcome, aspiring poets and keen literary explorers, to a journey into the heart of one of Wilfred Owen’s most poignant and powerful works. Today, we unravel the layers of “The Next War,” a poem that challenges our perceptions of conflict and the human spirit. Prepare to delve into its profound meaning, its masterful use of language, and its timeless message.
The Next War
By Wilfred Owen
War’s a joke for me and you,
While we know such dreams are true.Out there, we’ve walked quite friendly up to Death,
Sat down and ate with him, cool and bland,
Pardoned his spilling mess tins in our hand.
We’ve sniffed the green thick odour of his breath,
Our eyes wept, but our courage didn’t waver.
He’s spat at us with bullets and he coughed shrapnel.
We chorused when he sang aloft,
We whistled while he shaved us with his scythe.Oh, Death was never an enemy of ours!
We laughed at him, we linked with him, old chum.
No soldier is paid to fight against his powers.
We laughed, knowing that better men would come,
And greater wars: when each proud fighter brags
He fights death for lives, not men or flags.
The Next War Summary and Central Idea
Wilfred Owen’s “The Next War” offers a chilling and deeply ironic perspective on the soldier’s relationship with death in the trenches of World War I. The poem begins with a stark, almost flippant declaration that war is a “joke” for the soldiers, a grim coping mechanism for the horrors they face. It then vividly describes how soldiers have become so desensitized to death that they treat it as a familiar, albeit unwelcome, companion. They have “walked quite friendly up to Death,” shared meals with it, and even tolerated its destructive actions. The poem portrays death not as an abstract concept, but as a tangible entity that “spat at us with bullets” and “coughed shrapnel.”
The central idea of “The Next War” is a profound condemnation of the senselessness and dehumanizing nature of armed conflict. It highlights how soldiers are forced to normalize the presence of death, transforming it from an enemy into an “old chum” simply to survive the psychological toll of battle. The poem culminates in a devastating critique of the motivations behind war, suggesting that soldiers are ultimately fighting against death itself, rather than for abstract ideals like “men or flags.” It tragically anticipates a future where “better men would come, And greater wars,” implying a cyclical and inescapable fate of conflict.
Noteworthy Knowledge for Understanding The Next War
To fully appreciate “The Next War,” it is crucial to understand Wilfred Owen’s unique position as a soldier who experienced the brutal realities of the Western Front firsthand. His poetry is renowned for its unflinching realism and its powerful anti-war message, often challenging the romanticized notions of heroism prevalent at the time. “The Next War” exemplifies this by stripping away any glory from battle, presenting it instead as a horrifying dance with mortality. The poem’s title itself carries a heavy weight of irony, hinting at the tragic inevitability of future conflicts despite the immense suffering witnessed.
In-Depth Analysis of The Next War
Owen masterfully employs a range of literary and poetic devices to convey the profound psychological impact of war. The poem’s structure, language, and imagery work in concert to create a powerful and enduring statement.
The Bitter Irony of War as a “Joke”
The opening lines immediately establish a tone of bitter irony:
War’s a joke for me and you,
While we know such dreams are true.
This “joke” is not one of humor but of grim resignation. The soldiers find a perverse amusement in their survival, a dark humor born from the constant proximity to death. The “dreams” here are likely nightmares or the horrific realities that have become their daily existence, blurring the lines between waking terror and sleep. This sets the stage for the poem’s exploration of desensitization.
Personification of Death as a Familiar Companion
One of the most striking aspects of “The Next War” is the extensive personification of Death. Owen transforms Death from an abstract concept into a tangible, almost human character with whom the soldiers share an unsettling intimacy:
Out there, we’ve walked quite friendly up to Death,
Sat down and ate with him, cool and bland,
Pardoned his spilling mess tins in our hand.
We’ve sniffed the green thick odour of his breath,
These lines paint a picture of soldiers not merely encountering death, but living alongside it, sharing mundane activities. “Sat down and ate with him” suggests a grotesque camaraderie, while “Pardoned his spilling mess tins” metaphorically represents the acceptance of casualties and the constant threat of injury. The sensory detail of “sniffed the green thick odour of his breath” is particularly visceral, bringing the stench of decay and gas directly to the reader, making Death’s presence undeniably real and pervasive.
The personification continues, depicting Death as an active participant in the violence:
He’s spat at us with bullets and he coughed shrapnel.
We chorused when he sang aloft,
We whistled while he shaved us with his scythe.
“Spat at us with bullets” and “coughed shrapnel” give Death agency, making the impersonal mechanisms of war feel like personal assaults. The soldiers’ reactions, “chorused when he sang aloft” and “whistled while he shaved us with his scythe,” highlight their extreme desensitization. They participate in Death’s grim rituals, finding a macabre rhythm in the chaos. The image of Death “shaving us with his scythe” is a powerful metaphor, directly linking Death to the Grim Reaper and emphasizing the constant, close shave with mortality that soldiers experience.
The Profound Acceptance and Irony of the Soldier’s Fate
The sestet of the sonnet shifts to a more direct, yet still deeply ironic, declaration of the soldiers’ relationship with Death:
Oh, Death was never an enemy of ours!
We laughed at him, we linked with him, old chum.
No soldier is paid to fight against his powers.
The exclamation “Oh, Death was never an enemy of ours!” is profoundly ironic. Death is the ultimate enemy, yet the soldiers have adopted it as an “old chum.” This is not affection, but a desperate psychological coping mechanism. They have surrendered to its omnipresence, understanding that their role is not to defeat death, but merely to endure its presence. The line “No soldier is paid to fight against his powers” underscores the futility of their struggle against an inevitable force.
The Tragic Cycle of War and False Ideals
The poem concludes with a devastating critique of the perpetuation of war and the hollow ideals that fuel it:
We laughed, knowing that better men would come,
And greater wars: when each proud fighter brags
He fights death for lives, not men or flags.
The repetition of “We laughed” reinforces the bitter detachment. The soldiers foresee a future of “better men” and “greater wars,” implying a tragic, unending cycle of conflict. This is a direct challenge to the jingoistic rhetoric of the time, which glorified war and sacrifice. The final lines deliver a powerful anti-war message: soldiers are told they fight for “men or flags,” for abstract concepts of nation or honor, but in reality, their struggle is a primal one against death itself. Owen strips away the romanticism, revealing the core, brutal truth of combat.
Literary Devices in The Next War
Wilfred Owen’s “The Next War” is a masterclass in using literary and poetic devices to amplify its message.
- Personification: As explored, Death is the central figure of personification, treated as a character with human actions and relationships. Examples include “walked quite friendly up to Death,” “Sat down and ate with him,” “Pardoned his spilling mess tins,” “sniffed the green thick odour of his breath,” “He’s spat at us with bullets,” “he coughed shrapnel,” and “whistled while he shaved us with his scythe.” This device makes the abstract horror of death concrete and immediate.
- Irony: The entire poem is steeped in irony. The title “The Next War” suggests a future conflict, implying the futility of the current one. The opening line “War’s a joke for me and you” is a profound example of verbal irony, as war is anything but humorous. The soldiers’ “friendship” with Death is situational irony, as Death is their ultimate adversary.
- Imagery: Owen uses vivid, often disturbing imagery to immerse the reader in the sensory experience of the trenches. Phrases like “green thick odour of his breath,” “spilling mess tins,” “spat at us with bullets,” and “coughed shrapnel” create a visceral and unsettling picture of the battlefield.
- Metaphor: The line “whistled while he shaved us with his scythe” is a powerful metaphor. The scythe is a traditional symbol of the Grim Reaper, and its use here metaphorically represents the constant, close threat of death that soldiers face, as if Death is trimming away their lives.
- Sound Devices:
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds creates a specific mood. For instance, in “Sat down and ate with him, cool and bland,” the repeated ‘o’ and ‘a’ sounds contribute to the unsettling calm described.
- Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds, such as the ‘t’ in “Out there, we’ve walked quite friendly up to Death,” adds a subtle rhythm and reinforces the grim atmosphere.
- Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds, as in “spilling mess tins,” draws attention to the unpleasant imagery and the casual acceptance of carnage.
- Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next without a pause, such as from “No soldier is paid to fight against his powers” into the next line, creates a sense of continuous flow. This mirrors the relentless and unforgiving nature of war, where there is no respite or natural break in the horror.
- Symbolism: Beyond the obvious symbol of Death, the “flags” in the final lines symbolize national pride, patriotism, and the abstract ideals for which soldiers are often told they are fighting. Owen suggests these symbols are ultimately hollow when confronted with the raw reality of death. The “scythe” symbolizes the Grim Reaper and the inevitability of mortality.
Poetic Form and Structure of The Next War
“The Next War” is structured as a Petrarchan sonnet, a fourteen-line poem typically divided into an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). The rhyme scheme follows the traditional pattern of ABBAABBA for the octave and CDECDE for the sestet. This classical form, traditionally used for themes of love or beauty, is subverted by Owen to convey the brutal realities of war. The ordered, formal structure of the sonnet creates a stark contrast with the chaotic and horrific subject matter, emphasizing the unnaturalness of the soldiers’ experiences. The turn, or volta, often occurs between the octave and the sestet, marking a shift in thought or argument. In “The Next War,” this shift moves from the detailed description of the soldiers’ relationship with Death to a more generalized, ironic reflection on the nature of war itself.
The Enduring Power of The Next War
“The Next War” stands as a powerful testament to Wilfred Owen’s genius and his unwavering commitment to exposing the truth of war. Through its chilling personification of Death, its bitter irony, and its stark imagery, the poem forces readers to confront the psychological toll of conflict and the tragic cycle of violence. It is a timeless piece that continues to resonate, urging us to reflect on the true cost of war and the ideals we choose to fight for. Owen’s voice remains a crucial reminder of the human experience amidst the machinery of battle, making “The Next War” an essential poem for anyone seeking to understand the profound impact of armed conflict.