English Literature

The title seems irrelevant, if judged on the surface. It is because the owl is neither a character in the poem nor related to the basic theme of the poem, which is the necessity of �food, fire and rest�. However, the title is symbolically significant. In the poem, the owl stands for the poet�s conscience and the owl�s cry symbolizes the poet�s inner voice. The owl�s cry brings a dramatic twist in the poem. It throws focus on the heart-rending suffering of soldiers and the poor through the poet�s feelings for them. The owl�s cry reveals the humanitarian trait of the poet�s character. It also helps establish the fact that the human conscience is a great teacher. So undeniably the title of the poem �The Owl� is apt and relevant to the core.     Click here for more English literature study notes 

The poem �The Owl� by Edward Thomas is a sharp focus on the undeniable necessity of three fundamental things � food, fire and rest for a healthy and comfortable life. The poem gives two contrasting pictures: fulfillment and deprivation.  The speaker in the poem �The Owl� was hungry but not starved when he was coming down the hill. Though he was trembling by dint of cold, he was warm enough inside to protect himself against the chilling north wind. He was very tired. He was feeling weary and getting faint. Evidently, he was badly in need of rest. Nothing other than rest under a roof was the �sweetest thing� to him in such hard times.  The second stanza of the poem �The Owl� by Edward Thomas shows the fulfillment of the speaker�s needs for immediate comfort. He came across an inn at the foot of the hill. At the inn, he got food, fire and rest. He got shelter in a room with fireplace to warm up himself, food to satisfy his hunger and a bed to lie down. Satisfaction and happin...