Question

In "Anthem for Doomed Youth," what is the meaning of the following line?

"What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?"

A. The soldiers are not properly honored at home.
B. The soldiers die and are treated as heroes.
C. The soldiers did not die an honorable death.

Answer 1

In Wilfred Owen's poem 'Anthem for Doomed Youth,' the line in question signifies that the soldiers are not afforded the proper funeral rites. They die in large numbers similar to cattle, without the honor and respect typically given to the fallen, highlighting the dehumanizing nature of mechanized warfare.

Step-by-step explanation:

The line “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?” from the poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen conveys the sense that soldiers in World War I were not honored with traditional funerary rites. Instead, they were slaughtered en masse, comparable to livestock, and often denied the dignity typically afforded to the fallen. This line reflects the theme of the poem, which contrasts the stark brutality of war with the solemn rituals that traditionally accompany death.

Here, Owen is suggesting that the death of soldiers in the war is both inhumane and unceremoniously impersonal. The rhetorical question highlights the inexistent “passing-bells,” or funeral bells, for the soldiers, indicating that their deaths are not marked with the respect and honor they deserve. This contributes to a broader critique of the war and its disregard for human life, as well as the disconnect between the reality of the battlefield and the perception of war at home.

Answer 2

A. The soldiers are not properly honored at home.

Step-by-step explanation:

The meaning of the line i.e. "What passing-bells for these who die as cattle'' is that the soldiers are not properly honored at home. Only the death bells rang which tells the people that someone has died. The soldiers die in the battle field just like cattles slaughter in the meat factory. ''Anthem For Doomed Youth'' is a war poem written by Owen when he was recovering from shell-shock in a Scottish hospital. Owen saw the deaths of the young men and he relates it to the mass slaughter of animals.