Few elements can capture the essence of war as well as poetry. Poetry has been used to express the brutality of war and the emotions experienced in action. One notable war poet is Wilfred Owen, who wrote insightful poems about the harsh nature of World War I as he was an active soldier during the war. Two of his poems that demonstrate the despair and hopelessness felt by soldiers are "The Next War" and "Parable of the Old Man and the Young." In "The Next War," Owen explains how he and his fellow soldiers have been in the face of death throughout the war. However, they can do nothing about it, so they embrace their inevitable fate, knowing they will be replaced by the soldiers after them. Overall, the tone is one of despair and hopelessness, as Owen and his comrades experience the horrors of war so often that it has become far too customary to them. The opening lines, " Out there, we've walked quite friendly up to Death / Sat down and eaten with him, cool and bland" (1-2) demonstrate the matter-of-fact tone in such a brutal statement. The soldiers have accepted their fate to the point where they become friends with Death. In addition to the matter-of-fact tone, Death is personified throughout the poem, as Owen states, " We chorussed when he sang aloft / We whistled while he shaved us with his scythe" (7-8). Owen describes the soldiers as almost eager to join in the ways of death, joining in song with Death and being casually whistling as Death shaves them as normal customers. This may reflect on Owen's own time as a soldier, where he was most likely in the same position during the course of the war. He was, in fact, eventually killed in battle. There is also a matter-of-fact tone in "Parable of the Old Man and the Young." Throughout the poem, Owen blends both the story of Abram (Abraham) and his son Issac and the war. He seamlessly transitions from the actions of Abram to the descriptions of the war. The matter-of-fact tone is most prevalent in the last several lines. As a little background, the story of Abram and his son Issac is one of obedience and morality. Abram was ordered by God to sacrifice his only son Issac whom he waited years to have. The last thing he would have wanted to do is give him up. However, because Abram was a just and obedient servant to God, he did so without resistance. Wilfred Owen adjusts the story in "Parable of the Old Man and the Young," saying, " But the old man would not so, but slew his son / And half the