The Send-off is a poem by Wilfred Owen, a British soldier and poet who wrote during World War I. The poem is about a group of soldiers who are being sent off to war, and the reactions of the people who are seeing them off. The poem is written in the form of a dramatic monologue, with the speaker being an observer of the scene. The poem begins with the speaker describing the soldiers as they march off to war, noting their enthusiasm and the cheers of the crowd. The speaker then reflects on the reality of war, noting the sadness of the families of the soldiers and the fact that many of them will not return. The poem ends with the speaker noting that the soldiers will soon be forgotten, and that their deaths will be in vain.
By Wilfred Owen · First published 1918 · Genre: Poetry, War Literature, Modernist Literature