History & Politics

Parable of the Old Men and the Young

by Wilfred Owen 1893–1918

From Poems (1920)

History & PoliticsReligion

So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,
And took the fire with him, and a knife.
And as they sojourned both of them together,
Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father,
Behold the preparations, fire and iron,
But where the lamb for this burnt-offering?
Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps,
And builded parapets and trenches there,
And stretch\ed forth the knife to slay his son.
When lo! an angel called him out of heaven,
Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad,
Neither do anything to him. Behold,
A ram caught in a thicket by its horns;
Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him.
But the old man would not so, but slew his son. . . .

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Owen retells the binding of Isaac with the war as its setting. Abram refuses the angel's offer of a ram and slays his son, and the old men of Europe do likewise with the young.

MLA

Owen, Wilfred. “Parable of the Old Men and the Young.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/owen/5/.

Chicago

Owen, Wilfred. “Parable of the Old Men and the Young.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/owen/5/.

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