Break Quote by Wilfred Owen
“Futility Move him into the sun - Gently its touch awoke him once, At home, whispering of fields unsown. Always it woke him, even in France, Until this morning and this snow. If anything might rouse him now The kind old sun will know. Think how it wakes the seeds, - Woke, once, the clays of a cold star. Are limbs, so dear-achieved, are sides, Full-nerved -still warm -too hard to stir? Was it for this the clay grew tall? -O what made fatuous sunbeams toil To break earth's sleep at all?”
About This Quote
Source Poem: Anthems for Doomed Youth (fragment), 1917
The poem reflects on the indifferent, relentless passage of time and nature, juxtaposing the sun’s awakening power with human mortality and futility.
In simple terms: Nature’s cycles contrast human fragility.
Key Takeaway
Recognize life’s fleeting nature.
Themes
mortality
nature
futility
time
existence
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- war remembrance
- personal reflection
- grief
- philosophical contemplation
Key Concepts
impermanence
cosmic indifference
human condition
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you find meaning amid inevitable loss?
- What comforts you when confronting mortality?
A Different Perspective
The sun’s warmth cannot reverse death.
