Wilfred Owen: Poems
why is the poem anthem for the doomed youth called "anthem"?
why is the poem called an "anthem"?
why is the poem called an "anthem"?
An anthem is "a rousing or uplifting song identified with a particular group, body, or cause." Owen means to be ironic in that, in war, the end result is horror. The "anthem" in this case is a doomed youth. Boys go to war, mere virgins with rifles. Their innocence is doomed the moment they enter war and their "anthem" represents this doom.