Analysing Wilfred Owens' Poem Disabled.

Authors Avatar

Diabled:

      Disabled shows the struggle of one man who everyday contemplates his wasted life. All he has are the memories but they seem to become more distant as the days go on.

Owen is describing someone that he knew in the army. This man was in the Scottish regiment. He has had his leg blown up.

He has no legs and his arms are sewn at the elbow. He is in an institute, a nursing home of some sought.

       He waits for darkness because then things will be quiet. He is fed up with life and is waiting to die. He hears voices of boys singing, these are voices of people playing just as he had once played.

       He talks about the evenings. He says that at this time the towns atmosphere was fun and happy everyone is dancing having fun. He is very sad that he will never again experience this again. He says the girls look upon like he has some kind of disease. He talks of how he will never again feel the waist of a women, he also talks about how he threw away his knees in the war

        He was once a lovely face now he looks old. He back is now in a brace this is the back that was not so long ago was as strong as anything.

He has lost his colour just like losing blood. He feels as tough he has poured his life away down endless shell holes, he wonders what he has been given for this. Nothing.

"And leap of purple spurted from his thigh."

        He loves his youth. When his leg was blown away a massive part of him is now missing.

One time he saw blood down his leg from a football injury, he thought this was great. Now he has no leg.

        He wonders why he joined the army. He tries to impress people as they told him he would do well in the army. One reason he signed up was because his dear Meg would be pleased.

At the time he was not afraid of being afraid. A soldiers biggest worry is being afraid.

Owen says

"And no fears of fear have come yet"

        He had thoughts of all the swords and other weaponry that he would receive in the army. He had great thoughts of wearing the smart uniform and making those proud salutes.

Smiling away they signed him away. He said that before he never even thought of the Germans and he definitely had nothing against them.

He thought that playing football was great, the buzz he got from the cheering. People thought of him as hero. He thought that people would cheer for him in the army, he wanted to be a hero in the army.

        He thinks of the army spirit, the pride in his unit. He tells about how he was given cheers and the noise of the drums as he leaves. He is so very optimistic.

When he is brought back the cheers were not like the ones before the cheers are in contrast to what he imagined. This is ironic to him.

Only a few people cheered when he came back only one man inquired this man was the priest. This makes him feel in a way betrayed.

He will spend the next few years doing as the rules say. People will just take pity on him.

He talks of how the women ignore him for the strong people. People with all their body.

        His final thoughts of the poem is one of total depression. He thinks that life is pointless.

He is so helpless he can't go to bed without someone there to help him. He feels as though he only has a few years left. He wants to be put to death as he feels like he has and can do nothing that he feels will make his life tolerable and he feels as tough nothing that he does or feels will make him feel his life is worth it. Disabled is a poem with one such purpose, and Owen 's technique and style largely convey this. Within the poem, Owen paints a poignant picture of a young soldier, removed from the battlefield possibly at a hospital in his home town ‘legless, sewn short at one elbow.’

      In the poem, Owen adopts the persona of the young soldier as he reflects upon what he was before the war, and what the war has left him with, or rather taken from him. He is described as having energy and vitality in his pre-war days, the warmth of this memory contrasting starkly with the isolation he find himself in upon his return.

       Along with Owen 's portrayal the boy’s former life, he refers to the events leading to the boys recruitment. He mentions that the boy was once thought ‘ a god in kilts’ not only does this demonstrate the soldiers total physical change, but also indicates that he because a member of one of the Scottish regiments and almost enlisted for reason of vanity. ‘To please his Meg’ is also cited as another reason for the boy enlisting, Owen still retaining some bitterness towards the more ardent female patriots- as in the latter part of the poem, Meg is nowhere to be found. Another  lies in the following line: ‘ smiling they wrote his lie: aged nineteen years’, the sadness of the soldiers plight is heightened as it becomes clear he was underage when he enlisted as therefore is still very young.

Join now!

         In the last stanza, the picture of despair is made complete by the soldiers total passivity, his future will be to ‘ do what thing the rules consider wise. ‘ He is expected to ‘ spend a few sick years,’ ‘ take whatever pity ‘ others chose to offer him and then tragically sit in a room ‘ waiting for dark. ‘ Owen conveys to the reader the sadness of a once healthy athlete, reduced to a state of helplessness and dependency on others.

         Although there is a shade of anger ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

Here's what a teacher thought of this essay

Avatar

**** 4 STARS Disappointing notes on 'Disabled' in the first section. Actual essay was very well written, used PEA effectively and showed real insight and engagement with poem. 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' essay was again very well written, used terminology effectively and accurately and well chosen quotes supported statements. Notes on 'Charge of the Light Brigade' are very detailed.