Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Wilfred Owen
Adjectives to show
sadness
HE not named, as he is one
of many
Repetition
The immediate appearance of 'dark', 'grey' , and 'shivered' sets
up the isolation of the wounded soldier. It strikes a strong
comparison to the warmth of the second stanza.
'before he threw away his knees' (L.10) The implication that this was a needless loss
(sacrifice) is reinforced by Ll.23-4 where the wounded soldier fails to remember why he
joined up, pointing only to a distant sense of duty, and euphoria after the football match.
'glow-lamps' and 'girls glanced' (L.8 & L9)
'Now he will never feel again how slim/ Both are linked effectively by the use of
Girls' waists are' (L.11 & L.12) Showing not alliteration.
only the physical loss of his arm, but also the
psychological scars as the soldier knows he
will be shunned by women from now on. Alliteration
show Beauty
Owen writes the poem with style. He uses the recruits contrasting
memories and new views to create the war victim's true feelings
"About this time town used to swing so gay", "He thought be better
join in" - he wonders why. "Voices of boys rang saddening like a
hymn.
An artist was once eager to paint him but "Now he is old, his back
will never brace; hes lost his colour very far from home". He was
quite obviously attracted to joining for all the wrong reasons "It
was after the football, when hed drunk a peg", " Someone had said
hed look a God in kilts", "to please his Meg". All these reasons
were encouraged by official recruiting propaganda "Smiling they
wrote his lie, aged nineteen years".
When he departed for war he was treated like a hero
but peoples' reactions were different on his arrival
home, "Some cheered him home, but not as crowds
cheer goals". Only one person thanked him. The war
took away everything in this young man's life and
Now he will spend a few sick years in Institutes".
Essay