Poems: Arms and the Boy
Arms and the Boy is a poem by Wilfred Owen, a British soldier and poet who wrote during World War I. The poem is a reflection on the horrors of war and the futility of violence. It follows a young soldier as he reflects on the weapons he carries and the destruction they can cause. He questions why he must fight and why he must carry such destructive weapons. The poem ends with the soldier realizing that he must fight for his country, no matter the cost. The poem is a powerful reminder of the tragedy of war and the human cost of conflict.
By Wilfred Owen · First published 1918 · Genre: Poetry, War Literature, Modernist Literature · 119 words
First lines
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-heads Which long to muzzle 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.
What this Textopian page supports
Poems: Arms and the Boy is listed on Textopian as a poem by Wilfred Owen, dated 1918 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Wilfred Owen
- Date: 1918 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, War Literature, Modernist Literature, Drama
- Length: 119 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Similar titles
- A Dead Boche by Robert Graves
- A Song Of The Guns by Gilbert Frankau
- Poems A Terre by Wilfred Owen
- Limbo by Robert Graves
- A Madonna Of The Trenches by Rudyard Kipling
- Upturned Face by Stephen Crane
Genres
- Poetry — The title of the book is 'Poems: Arms and the Boy', indicating that the book is a collection of poems.
- War Literature — The book was written by Wilfred Owen, a British poet who wrote extensively about his experiences in World War I.
- Modernist Literature — Wilfred Owen was a modernist poet, and his works are considered to be part of the modernist literary movement.
- Drama — Wilfred Owen's poems often contain dramatic elements, such as vivid descriptions of battle scenes and characters.
Tags
war · poetry · youth · innocence · violence · loss · suffering · soldiers · battle · grief · humanity · nature