I really need to have a look at the first stanza of Owen's poem as I'm unsure of tense choice. Thank you.

1) In the first stanza the soldiers are retreating towards their trenches.
Instead of being youthful, strong fighters, they are presented as prematurely old and weak.
2) They are bent over like old men, moving slowly towards their barracks. Many are walking along without their boots, and coughing like hags.
3)They hobbled (or are hobbling?) along on their bloody feet, as if they were hurt or blind. They are so tired, they walk ask if they're (were?) drunk.
4) They don't even seem to hear the sounds of the bombs and shells that were (are?) dropping behind them.
War has broken these men, making them look like old beggars marching asleep. 5) Owen seems to reject the accepted attitude that serving one's country in war is glorious.
6) In particular, he is critical of the great enthusiasm used to convince men to go to war. Actually, young men were (are?) lured to war by the promise of desperate glory.)

1 - OK

2 - remove the comma after "boots" -- otherwise, it's OK.

3 - They are hobbling along on their bloody feet, as if they are hurt or blind.
(present tenses)

4 - use "are"

5 - OK

6 - "are" -- I'd delete the word "desperate." What are you trying to say about "glory"?

To analyze the tense choices in the first stanza of Owen's poem, we can break down each sentence and discuss the verb forms used.

1) "The soldiers are retreating towards their trenches."
The verb "are retreating" is in the present continuous tense, indicating an ongoing action happening at the time of speaking/writing. The soldiers are currently retreating in the poem.

2) "They are bent over like old men, moving slowly towards their barracks..."
The verbs "are bent" and "moving" are also in the present continuous tense, describing the soldiers' current appearance and movement.

3) "They hobbled (or are hobbling?) along on their bloody feet..."
Here, we have a choice between past tense and present continuous tense. Both "hobbled" (past tense) and "are hobbling" (present continuous tense) would be grammatically correct. The poet could have used either to describe the soldiers' ongoing action of walking with difficulty.

4) "They don't even seem to hear the sounds of the bombs and shells that were (are?) dropping behind them."
The verb "don't seem" is in the present tense, indicating the soldiers' current lack of awareness. The choice between "were dropping" (past tense) and "are dropping" (present continuous tense) depends on the timeframe the poet wants to convey. If the focus is on the soldiers' immediate experience, "are dropping" would be more suitable. If the focus is on the past events, "were dropping" would be appropriate.

5) "War has broken these men, making them look like old beggars marching asleep."
The verb "has broken" is in the present perfect tense, indicating a past action or experience that has relevance to the present. The soldiers' broken state is the result of past events but is still affecting them in the present.

6) "Actually, young men were (are?) lured to war by the promise of desperate glory."
Here, the poet is discussing a general truth or fact. Both "were lured" (past tense) and "are lured" (present tense) would be grammatically correct, depending on whether the emphasis is on past events or the ongoing nature of the situation.

In conclusion, while examining the tense choices in Owen's poem, it is important to consider the context and the intended meaning of the poet. Determining the exact tense may require further analysis and understanding of the themes and messages conveyed in the poem.