Eng426 20th century english literature

Similarities and Dissimilarities between W. B. Yeats and Wilfred Owen’s Poetry

Rhyming Pattern: In order to break away from tradition, Yeats abandoned the conventional use of meter and other forms of traditional poetic expressions. Instead, he adopts irregular rhythm and conventional speech method, and sometime uses imperfect rhyme (half-rhyme). An imperfect rhyme is a rhyme pattern in which the stressed end vowels or consonants are the same but with slight differences in sound and articulation.
Examples of this is ‘hold’(/həuld/) and ‘world’(/wɜ:rd/) in “The Second Coming” (lines 3 and 4) and ‘unless’(/ənles/), ‘dress’(/dres/) and ‘magnificence’(/magnifsns/ in “Sailing to Byzantium” (lines 10, 12 and 14) which rhyme in an alternate pattern. The conventional
speech method is evident in most poems of Yeats. Owen is more concerned with sound than Yeats. His rhyming pattern differs from the forms Yeats employed. Although Owen also makes use of imperfect rhyme, he is more regular with rhyme and also uses full rhyme (perfect rhyme). For example, in “Anthem For Doomed Youth”, ‘guns’ rhymes in an alternate pattern with ‘orisons’ (lines 1 and 3), and in “1914”, he maintains a regular rhyme pattern of ABBAABBA (Stanza 1) ABBACC (Stanza2).
Lyricism: Although the poetry of Yeats is not completely devoid of sound, he cared less about the sound and beauty of poems. Therefore, the poems of Owen are more lyrical than those of Yeats. Unlike Yeats, Owen creates good sound effects through complex patterns of assonance and alliteration. For example, ‘i’ assonates in a complex manner (that is in various lines) in “1914” while ‘tt’ alliterates in a complex form in “Anthem For Doomed Youth”.


Use of Imagery: Yeats uses frank imagery like that of violent destruction created through metaphoric falcon and falconer amidst whirlwind. Owen is more direct with the irrationality and brutality of the First World War. For example, Owen writes in “1914”: “War broke: and now the Winter of the world / With perishing great darkness closes in” (lines 1and 2). In “Anthem For Doomed Youth” Owen also writes: “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle” (line1).


Use of Metaphor: Yeats uses unconventional metaphors. Unconventional metaphors are metaphors created for the purpose of its momentary use. An example of unconventional metaphor is using ‘midnight’ to refer to ‘end of life’. In Yeats’ “The Second Coming”, an unconventional metaphor is ‘innocence’ (line 6) which refers to the populace and countries of the world that were enticed of coerced into fighting by the major warring countries. Owen uses conventional metaphors when necessary. Conventional metaphors are everyday metaphors like ‘The foul tornado’ in ‘1914” (line 3). This is not to say that Yeats does not use conventional metaphors.
Myths and Symbols: The poetry of Yeats is rich with myths and symbols through which he often alludes to historical or religious events like the symbolic ‘second coming’ in “The Second Coming” and the allusion to the historical greatness of the defunct Byzantium. Probably, due to Owen’s directness, his poetry contains less or no myth. When he uses symbols, the symbols are usually simple ones like ‘Spring’, ‘Winter’, ‘Summer’ and ‘Autumn’ in “Sailing to Byzantium”.


Tone: The poetry of Yeats is often an expression of honesty and humility as evident in “Sailing to Byzantium” where the poet personal pleads that his soul be sharpened. The tone of Owen’s poetry is usually lush and sympathetic. This is because Owen presents direct objects that imprint the effects of the Great War on the minds of the audience almost exactly as the war affected people. This therefore means that Yeats is more euphemistic in his presentations.