The Send-Off

Wilfred Owen's The Send-Off

Introduction

Wilfred Owen's poem "The Send-Off" stands as a poignant testament to the somber realities of war, particularly the Great War that ravaged Europe in the early 20th century. Owen, a soldier-poet who experienced the horrors of trench warfare firsthand, crafts a narrative that is both intimate and universal, capturing the moment when soldiers depart for the front lines. This analysis will delve into the intricate layers of Owen's work, examining its structure, imagery, tone, and thematic concerns to reveal the profound depth of this seemingly simple poem.

Structure and Form

"The Send-Off" consists of five stanzas, each following a consistent rhyme scheme of AABBA. This structure, reminiscent of the limerick form but employed for a grave subject matter, creates a haunting juxtaposition between the poem's somber content and its rhythmic, almost sing-song quality. The regularity of the rhyme scheme mirrors the regimented nature of military life, while the alternating line lengths—three long lines bracketing two shorter ones—evoke the ebb and flow of emotion, the contrast between public facade and private anguish.

Owen's masterful use of enjambment, particularly evident in lines such as "Down the close, darkening lanes they sang their way / To the siding-shed," creates a sense of continuity and inevitability. This technique mirrors the soldiers' journey, both physical and metaphorical, from the familiar world into the unknown realm of war.

Imagery and Symbolism

The poem is rich with vivid imagery that serves to underscore its themes. The "close, darkening lanes" through which the soldiers march set a somber tone from the outset, foreshadowing the grim fate that awaits many of them. The description of their breasts as "stuck all white with wreath and spray / As men's are, dead" is particularly striking. Here, Owen draws a parallel between the floral decorations pinned to the soldiers' uniforms and the pallor of death, suggesting that these men are already, in a sense, casualties of war.

The presence of "Dull porters" and a "casual tramp" introduces an element of the ordinary world, creating a stark contrast with the extraordinary circumstances of the soldiers' departure. These figures serve as silent witnesses to a momentous event, their very ordinariness heightening the sense of the soldiers' separation from civilian life.

The imagery of signals and lamps in the second stanza—"signals nodded, and a lamp / Winked to the guard"—personifies the machinery of war. These inanimate objects seem more alive and decisive than the human figures, suggesting a world in which individual agency has been subsumed by the inexorable mechanics of conflict.

Tone and Atmosphere

Owen masterfully crafts an atmosphere of muted tragedy and suppressed emotion. The soldiers' faces are described as "grimly gay," an oxymoron that captures the complex emotions of men trying to maintain a brave front in the face of impending danger. The secrecy of their departure, likened to "wrongs hushed-up," adds a layer of shame or guilt to the proceedings, as if the very act of sending men to war is something to be hidden.

The tone shifts subtly in the final stanza, where the possibility of return is contemplated. The question "Shall they return to beatings of great bells / In wild trainloads?" is tinged with both hope and skepticism. The answer, "A few, a few, too few for drums and yells," is a masterpiece of understatement, the repetition of "few" emphasizing the tragic waste of life that war entails.

Thematic Concerns

At its core, "The Send-Off" is a meditation on the nature of sacrifice, the anonymity of the common soldier, and the disconnect between the romantic ideals of war and its harsh realities. The soldiers in the poem are nameless and faceless, their individual identities subsumed into a collective tragedy. This anonymity is reinforced by lines such as "They were not ours: / We never heard to which front these were sent," suggesting a fundamental alienation between the soldiers and the society that sends them to war.

Owen also explores the theme of innocence corrupted. The flowers given by women, traditionally symbols of love and beauty, are transformed into harbingers of death. The question of whether the soldiers "yet mock what women meant / Who gave them flowers" hints at the profound psychological changes wrought by combat experience, the potential loss not just of life but of the capacity for tenderness and romance.

The poem's final image, of a few survivors creeping back "silent, to still village wells / Up half-known roads," is particularly poignant. It suggests that even for those who physically survive the war, a return to normalcy is impossible. The roads are "half-known," indicating that the familiar has become strange, that the soldiers' experiences have irrevocably altered their relationship to the world they left behind.

Literary Context and Influence

"The Send-Off" must be understood within the broader context of World War I poetry and Owen's own oeuvre. Like many of his contemporaries, including Siegfried Sassoon and Isaac Rosenberg, Owen sought to convey the brutal realities of modern warfare, challenging the romanticized notions of heroism and sacrifice that had previously dominated war poetry.

This poem shares thematic and stylistic elements with other works by Owen, such as "Dulce et Decorum Est" and "Anthem for Doomed Youth." The use of irony, the focus on the common soldier's experience, and the juxtaposition of civilian ignorance with military reality are hallmarks of Owen's style, making "The Send-Off" a significant piece in understanding his artistic development and his role in shaping the literature of the Great War.

Conclusion

"The Send-Off" stands as a testament to Wilfred Owen's poetic genius and his profound understanding of the human cost of war. Through its carefully constructed form, evocative imagery, and nuanced exploration of complex themes, the poem offers a critique of war that remains relevant more than a century after its composition.

Owen's ability to convey the weight of unspoken emotions, the tragedy of anonymous sacrifice, and the irreversible changes wrought by conflict on both individuals and society makes "The Send-Off" a powerful and enduring work of art. It challenges readers to look beyond the surface pageantry of military departures to consider the profound loss and transformation that lie beneath.

In its subtle blend of formal control and emotional depth, "The Send-Off" exemplifies the best of war poetry, serving not just as a historical document but as a timeless meditation on the human experience of conflict, loss, and the elusive nature of homecoming. Owen's legacy, encapsulated in poems like this, continues to inform our understanding of war and its impact on the human spirit, making his work an essential part of the canon of English literature.