“Disabled” By Wilfred Owen: Literary Analysis And Interpretation
Wilfred Owen’s 1917 World War I poem, “Disabled”, was composed during that time. Owen is a double-amputee war veteran who has lost all sense of life because of the battlefield. The persona reflects on the many reasons he enrolled. In this poem, the charactera reflects on the effects war has on young men who were sent to war. He outlines their physical and mental declines, their innocuous youth, and how society fails to recognize their actions. The author could be exploring the theme of futility and criticism of society. The poem’s central theme is the “two-nation” effect, which refers to the division that war causes between those who fought and those who stayed home. These themes can be conveyed using structure, characterizations, setting and contrasts.
The poem’s title is important and highlights the theme of “two nations”. The figure’s disability is what sets him apart and will prevent him from ever enjoying the joys of life. This is demonstrated by the line 44 that says “women’s eyes went from him to strong men that had been whole”. His use of the term ‘whole,’ suggests that he regards himself as less than an individual man. The poem also includes many body parts: “knees”, “hands”, (line 10), and “hands” (12 lines), as well as “veins” (18 lines), “veins”, (line 18), “veins”, (line 18), and “thigh” (20 lines). These words highlight the figure’s desire to have a whole body. He is, however, not only physically isolated, but also psychologically, because he has become insensitive to the pleasures that life has to offer. The sound of youth and vigor is described as “saddeningly beautiful” (line 4,). Owen also presents the idea that war has lasting effects on mental health. In the poem “Dulce et Decorum Est”, Owen describes how a soldier who dies in front of his eyes continues to “plunge[r] [at him], guttering choking and drowning.” This is the theme behind “Disabled”. The persona uses line 1, the third personal pronoun. This is where the “nonparticipant”, a “nonparticipant”, acts as the narration. This is the distance between veterans and readers. The narrator has an uncanny ability to understand the character’s thoughts. The entire poem has a tone and feel of wistfulness. This poem, which Owen wrote many poems in contrast to it, is personal. It tells the story of one soldier, while other poems like “Anthem for Dead Youth” focus on others. These poems, which compare soldiers with cattle, make soldiers seem undifferentiated.
“Disabled,” reveals different stages in a person’s life. The poem is actually seven stanzas that can be grouped together to identify five stages in his life. The figure’s desire to live the same life as before his legs were lost reveals the way he alternates between present and past narratives.
In the first stanza we meet an alienated male figure. This represents what’s left of a male youth after war. This figure is created through the use of setting and character. The character is described as “in a wheeled seat” (line 1, line 3), “legless”(line 3,), “waiting in darkness,” (line 1), and wearing a “ghastly, grey suit” (line 2). The depiction of the figure invokes empathy in the reader. The man appears to be waiting for death and is “in a wheeled chair” (line 1), “legless” (line 3), “waiting for dark,” (line 1), and wearing a grey suit. The words “dark”,’shivered”, ‘ghastly’ and grey’ highlight his isolation. He is also “sewn below the elbow”, which prompts readers to ask questions about his leg loss. His description of his physical features is starkly different from the surrounding environment, further confirming his alienation. His physical description is visual, but his interactions with other people can be described verbally.
They seem to suggest that the subject has been in the same place as the other boys, and the tone of their presentation allows them to be assumed. The second stanza’s end invites the reader accept that the subject is dependent upon society and seeks protection (line 6) from the voices. The “two-nations” theme is revealed in the first stanza. He has been disabled by war and is now isolated from his environment.
The figure recalls his youth and how he fit in with society in the second stanza. The language shifts from ominous and frivolous in this section, which clearly contrasts the first stanza. This is highlighted by the alliteration in line 8 and 9 between “glow-lamps”, which emphasises the poem’s pace. His suit is grey and contrasts with the “light-blue trees” (line 8). The reality of the figure is brought back in line 8, “Before he threw his knees away” (line 10). To describe his knees being destroyed, he uses the phrase “threw away”. This shows that the figure feels guilty and accepts responsibility for the loss. He views what he considers a symbol, a lost life that is filled with love and contentment. This is illustrated by a shift in tactile imagery between boys and girls. Prior to the war, he felt that girls had “gait” (line 12), but now, girls “touch him as if he has some quirk disease” (line 13). This is a sign of his isolation. In line 13, it is possible to suggest that the persona criticizes society’s response towards disabled soldiers.
In the third stanza, it is revealed that the veteran was older than his youth (line 15, when he was sent off to war). He became “old” after a year in war. This is a sign that war has robbed his youth and his face now appears older. The first reference to war is in line 17. “He’s lost its color very far away from here,” closely followed by “shell-holes”. Later, he describes how he felt fearful (line 32). This personifies the feeling by using a capital letter. This communicates the “two countries” theme. The reader won’t be able understand the capitalized “Fear” without having served in war. Owen wrote many poems about trench life, which revealed the horrors and fear of soldiers. This is what was evident in “The Sentry”
The figure’s motivations to join the army are revealed in the fourth and fifth stanzas. They are in ecstasy following a win at football, and have “drunk an peg” (line 23), as well as “to please their giddy jealousys” (line 27). This decision entails a feeling that euphoria and rapidness are associated with success. The persona is influenced by society and propaganda. He presents us with a scenario that reveals his lack of reasoning. This is likely true of most soldiers. This is further highlighted by the line 30, “Germans that he scarcely thought about” (line 30). Most soldiers who served in World War I thought that going to war would make them heroic men with beautiful wives waiting for their return. They didn’t consider the consequences of their decision. The notion of these benefits is discredited in the poem. The figure is antiwar and reveals “truthful” consequences of war. The persona also criticizes the people who allowed him to enroll even though he wasn’t yet 18. Line 29 reveals this when the persona says, “Smiling they wrote their lie: aged nineteenyears.” The soldier’s sad story is highlighted in this line. The motivations of the soldier underline the guilt of society. This leads to empathy and compassion for the figure, who was too young to fully grasp the consequences of his actions.
It is important that you note that the persona uses a metaphor that extends between war and football. This metaphor was very common at the time and was frequently used by many poets, such as Jessie Pope who wrote “Who’s for the game”. This case however shows that war is not like playing football. This is reflected in his preference for a blood-smear along his leg after matches. He carried the bloody smear shoulder-high. He felt proud, patriotic, and masculine from his injuries on the football court. They conjecture that he had a “leap in purple” from his thigh, which is a horrible image.
Therefore, war is not fair and fun, and cannot be won back.
To bridge the gap between his hopeful past and his dark present, the persona uses a three-line stanza. He recalls that he was “cheered” upon his return home (line 37), but it wasn’t the hero’s reception he had hoped for. “As crowds cheer Goal,” Line 37 reminds us that this is not the way people should be cheering for the soldier who went to war. Once again, the reader will be encouraged to feel sorry and regret his decision. Owen’s intention is to demonstrate that promises to soldiers are false and that those returning from war wounded are disengaged from society and pitied for the loss. (Line 39). Owen’s poem Dulce et Decorum Est also presents this idea. The Old Lie refers to the honor and glory one receives by dying for his country.
The poem’s final stanza brings the reader back into the present by closing the circle. This is highlighted by the addition of “Now”, which creates a mood change. The figure ends with the conclusion that “he’ll spend some sick years at Institutes / and do the things the rules consider appropriate” (lines 40-41). He accepts and submits to society’s pressures once again, becoming a young disabled veteran who will always be considered disabled. The figure has taken on the role of an object for pity, accepting whatever “pity they may have,” (line 42). This is once again what underpins his isolation from society. The poem closes with an anxious plea: Why don’t you bring them/ And make him sleep? Lines 45-46. His dependence and passiveness are highlighted by repeated lines and the use question and exclamation marks. The reader is sorry for this figure, who cannot be independent and has to fear the lonely, cold, desolate life that lies ahead.
The poem, which undoubtedly shows the effect of “two nations”, forewarns future soldiers about the futility and everlasting consequences of war. The persona criticizes society’s pressure on him to leave, but later rejects him when he returns “disabled”. Owen’s thoughtful use of structure and contrasts, diction, and character is a powerful way to convey this message. These messages are conveyed in a way that makes the reader feel obliged and complicit. “Disabled,” I believe, is the best anti-war poem.
