His innocence before he joined the army is also shown in the start of the fifth stanza when it says, ‘Smiling they wrote his lie; aged nineteen years.’ Firstly, it shows that he had lied about joining the army; he was determined to keep up his image of being a masculine, courageous and brave man. Hence the reason he lied about his ages. The innocence is shown as he did not quite know what he was signing up for when he first applied to go to war. His innocence is then dashed cruelly by the injuries that he suffers during the war and when he arrives back home, his masculine image has been lost due to the injuries he has suffered.
In the first stanza in the fourth line, ‘Voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn’ there is a slight oxymoron shown. The words ‘saddening’ and ‘hymn’ are contradictory to each other. Hymns are usually joyous and bring people together; whereas he is using hymns to show how the soldier is excluded by the fact that he can no longer move and take part in activities that the children do. This represents that the children are where he used to be in life, and now that he cannot return to that moment, he is envious of them and wishes that he can be back to that much simpler time and have his limbs back so he can join the ways that he used to be.
Yet again in the first stanza, however in the sixth line ‘Till gathered sleep had mothered them from him’ shows us that he is grateful for the night and the end of the day, as the boys have stopped playing so he does not have to listen to them having fun and he does not like the thought of them being able to do things or commit to acts that he cannot do anymore himself. It is in the day where he dreads the noise they produce, it reminds him of his present state and how is unable to move as they do or appreciate life as simply. The word ‘sleep’ is used as a personified figure that helps him drift in and out of reality. He sees sleeps as an old friend, and whilst greeting him, he goes with his friend to the slumber he wishes could last an eternity.
The second stanza of ‘Disabled’ coincides with the way that ‘Refugee Blues’ is portrayed with the use of communication between two people. ‘About this time Town used to swing so gay’ shown in the first line, along with the third line ‘And girls glanced lovelier as the air grew dim’. This is showing the soldiers thoughts and he is fondly recollecting the times when he could live freely and act with not a care in the world. These first few lines however are contrasted with the remainder of the stanza. The Remaining lines are shown from an external source and seem to tease him, reminding himself that he can longer perform such youthful and vibrant acts. This is shown with the line, ‘In the old times before he threw away his knees.’ This is a harsh truth of exclusion shown by the narrator. Essentially, the message being transferred is that he could be out and still youthful, had he not caused havoc to his body.
His lack of interaction with the world has caused ironic circumstances that show drastic changes in his lifestyle. Again in the second stanza the line that reads, ‘All of them touch him like some queer disease.’ This can be shown in turn with a line from the fourth stanza, ‘That’s why; and maybe, too, to please his Meg;’ this line tells us that he was in a relationship and potentially in love with ‘Meg’. This is in contrast to the line from the second stanza, as this shows that before his disability he was appealing to women and had a girlfriend himself. However, now when women or any person touches him, they do it with a sense of anxiety as through their lack of understanding and uncertainty. They believe his disability is contagious and they fear to come into contact with him.
In the fourth stanza with the lines ‘One time he liked a blood smear down his leg/After the matches, carried shoulder high.’ Shows his everlasting exclusion from what has been, and what is happening. He used to stand victorious after a sports match and was hoisted upon his friend’s shoulders, showing support and heroism. However apply this in comparison to his modern predicament. He came home victorious from war but is no longer supported by his friends, but his only support is reliant upon the wheelchair that carries him, and the assistance by carers. A comparison can also be made with the ‘blood smear down his leg’, as this is a dramatic change from the third stanzas line ‘And a leap of purple spurted from his thigh.’ His ‘blood smear down his leg’ was in a moment of victory during his active life before the war, now the ‘leap of purple’ was not in vain due to the victory of the war, but it signified the end of the life he once knew. The two injuries show different results. One ended in a victory where life would resume as normal, whereas the injury from the war sparked his exclusion from the life he once led.
The last two stanzas are imminent to his actual return from war; however the response he returned to was not what he expected it to be. In the sixth stanza on the first line where it says ‘Some cheered him home, but not as crowds cheer Goal.’ This is the soldier’s view of the comparison to when he’s cheered for scoring a goal, which was seen as such a grand and triumphant moment. Then when he is being cheered as he arrived home from war, but received less acclaim from this achievement. His exclusion is panned out from this moment. As soon as he returned, he could already tell that people were going to act differently, and he already foresaw that he could not live the life he had before he went to war. Finally in the last stanza, he is truly portrayed as having no more control over his life and is powerless to his exclusion. The poem gets across to the audience that he is facing exclusion despite all of his efforts. The first three lines, starting with ‘Now, he will spend a few sick years in institutes,’ it is the narrator who is describing what will happen to him in the future and as life goes on. This is epitomised in the fourth and fifth lines ‘Tonight he noticed how the women’s eyes/Passed from him to the strong men that were whole.’ The word ‘whole’ is used in a cruel irony as he is not physically ‘whole’ compared to others. This is why the women overlook him now due to his disability. It is also ironic in the sense that women always used to look at him in admiration, but now they overlook him because of his physical appearance, contrary to his appeal before he went to war. Lastly, in the sixth line it says ‘Why don’t they come/And put him into bed? Why don’t they come?’ this is the ultimate sacrifice that he has had to make from his exclusion. He no longer holds the ability to care for himself; he has become reliant on others for treating and caring for him. This is what has seperated him from others, he has lost touch with his pride due to the fact he requires assistance for everything he does, so he is excluded from society because of this, and the heavy burden that comes with it.
‘Refugee Blues’ is told from a Jewish refugee’s perspective and includes cruel and harsh irony when portraying the story and situation to another Jewish refugee. When the story is being told from the first person perspective, it captivates the audience and portrays the figure to be a strong, yet vulnerable person. Strong because he is being excluded from nearly every society or community that there is, however they stay strong and to his course. However, these are the exact same traits that make them such vulnerable people too. The first obvious similarity between ‘Disabled’ and ‘Refugee Blues’ is the time it was set, at the outbreak of the Second World War. However ‘Disabled’ only portrays the trouble of a single person from the war, whereas ‘Refugee Blues’ covers a whole religion and race. ‘Disabled’ evokes pity in such a way that you feel you can no longer help the man. The man in ‘Disabled’ is also not telling his own story, so in ‘Refugee Blues’ where the character is, there is a stronger emotional connection. It is also told in a way that insinuates something can be done to resolve their predicament. This is a way that the character in ‘Refugee Blues’ emerges as more of a sincere figure due to the lack of personal information and the vagueness of the way in which they speak of the event of the war.
The first person perspective is clearly shown in ‘Refugee Blues’ by the repeated use of ‘my dear’, we know that this is coming from a personal experience and therefore evokes a more emotional response from the reader. The use of ‘my dear’ also conveys a comforting message between the two people. This is ironic due to the harsh and brutal circumstances that they find themselves in. The last line of each of the stanzas is a commentary of what has happened to them and how they are now thought of and described in the societies and communities of Europe. This contrasts with ‘Disabled’ as the soldier’s feelings and thoughts are shown clearer through the last two lines, although it is still not shown as direct speech. The use of the personal voice and first person view is also effective as it reminds us that they are under threat due to the authoritative powers of a nation and they now face the consequences of the power that this nation holds. Although the tone of voice is distressed, it continues to remain controlled, which is ironic due to the uncontrollable power they have one the way people see them. This causes the refugee to demand respect, even though they find themselves in a perilous situation, they have remained dignified despite the undeniable terrors of the war at this time.
‘Disabled’ uses the structure of a comparison to present the changes from his young life before he was sent to war, and his present state in which he is shown as a hollow shell of what he used to be. For example, the first stanza epitomises his restriction on freedom and movement that becomes so extreme that even the sounds of children playing is like poison to him and reminds him that he remains isolated from the normal lifestyles that others possess. Whereas the second stanza focuses on his more youthful and exuberant days where he had the potential to be included in various activities and other lifestyle choices. However it is now that the extremes of the two circumstances are shown, once from being the life and soul of an event, he has literally lost the soulful joy and experience of being part of such an event. The third and fourth stanzas replicate this scheme and irony is once again displayed through the unfortunate situation that the soldier finds himself in. The ‘blood-smear down his leg’ emphasised his physical appeal when he was hailed as a hero at a sporting fixture and this coincides with the line ‘leap of purple’, which implies a large amount of blood loss from his body on the battlefield. This is ironic as his loss of blood when he was young enhanced his heroic image when he was being carried upon the shoulders of well-wishers, now he is only carried by a wheelchair and also by people taking care of his derelict body. The cruel irony continues to the fifth and sixth stanzas whereby he has to face the reality of what has happened to him. He lied about his age in an attempt to become more masculine than he already was and to maintain the impressive look he had already established upon himself. There is an on-going sense of innocence through these stanzas and the false expectations that the soldier believes in. He believed that he would be welcomed home as a hero, ‘Some cheered him home’ implies his welcome back was not as grandeur as he had hoped. Instead of him feeling like a hero because of his inclusion in the war, he has been left feeling like a victim due to his isolation and the way he was persuaded into the army with false promises of returning as a hero.
The wholeness and completion of the stanza form creates an ironic contrast to the soldier’s actual physical being. The stanzas are whole and regular, compared to the broken, shattered body of the soldier. Just as his life appeared to be ordered and well balanced before he was sent to war, the structure of the stanzas is based upon this factor. The rhyming words create a harmony in the poem which clashes with the soldier’s situation, as he is a torn character whereas harmony implies that he is at peace with himself. This is created by the rhyme of ‘salutes’ and ‘recruits’ as the recruitment system was supposed to mark the soldier’s impressive rise as a masculine figure. Regardless of this, the recruitment of the soldier turned out to be his downfall and this is what caused him to be in the state he is in now. The rhymes also contrast on to his physical appearance; he is no longer the talented, muscular, handsome young man he once was. Nevertheless, the rhymes do the opposite and complement one another to produce a beautiful rhyme scheme.
The last two lines of the last stanza end with the repetition of ‘Why don’t they come’ instead of it being a rhyme. This emulates the vicious cycle of misery that the soldier has to go through and he will remain trapped in it because of his anguished body. This leaves the reader with a sombre feeling as he now has to request assistance for such mediocre tasks shown in the poem, such as getting into bed. This assistance that he seeks is contrasted with the supreme physical power he once used to possess.
The regular rhyme scheme in ‘Refugee Blues’ of aab and ccd used throughout the poem emulates the power and meaning of the voice and gives us as the reader a reassurance that the refugee will survive, despite the slim probability given their situation of powerlessness and isolation. Irony is shown in ‘Disabled’ by the comparison and differences of the past and present day, meanwhile ‘Refugee Blues’ is taken from two perspectives. This technique is used to highlight the ironic contrast between the views of the bureaucrats and the people that have been dispossessed because of their power. This can be replicated in the sense that the bureaucrats are the predators and that the refugees are now their prey.
In ‘Disabled’ rhyming words are used to highlight ironic contrasts, however in ‘Refugee Blues’ every third line in a stanza does not fit in to the rhyme scheme. This is a similar position to where the refugees find themselves. Just as the third line does not fit in with the poem, neither do the refugees fit in with the bureaucrat’s regime. This can also be referred to as the refugees not fitting in with the natural world. The words ‘trees’ and ‘ease’ present a peaceful image, although the refugees remain excluded from this peace by the third and final line of the tenth stanza ‘They weren’t the human race, my dear, they weren’t the human race.’ This isolates the refugees to a standard that they can no longer relate to the natural world, a part of nature that everyone is entitled to.
There are certain parts in each poem which stand out as symbolic influences and recollections. In ‘Disabled’ when he had won the football match for his team; this is a reference in the poem that stands out as a proud and happy time for the soldier. It is used as a certain point in the poem which signals the start of his deterioration in life after joining the army. This can also be said about the soldier’s physical ability, handsome figure and yet again his sporting talents as it reminds him what used to be, and now what can never be again. The loss of his manhood and independence is lost through these aspects as they are ironic suggestions of physical values. It is shown as ironic as he no longer possesses these traits. Auden contrasts symbolic moments in the poem from the present day to his past. When the soldier was ‘carried shoulder-high’ this relates to the irony that he now requires to be carried by a wheelchair and not admirers. He is not being carried for his sporting achievements, but he has to be carried for his weakness. ‘Refugee Blues’ uses symbolic metaphors to show and emulate power held by the higher authorities and bureaucrats. The use of the words ‘thunder rumbling’ illustrates the power and widespread influence the authorities of nations had over the world. In the ninth stanza the lines ‘Saw the fish swimming as if they were free: Only ten feet away, my dear, only ten feet away.’ Evoke a strong image towards the reader. The use of the word ‘only’ implies what a short distance it is to have freedom, and yet they are so far away. Both of the poems include various sounds that have a symbolic resonance. In ‘Disabled’ the sounds of the boys playing is taken in as a sombre occasion for the soldier, as they cause the soldier to remember he can no longer be as free as them and because of this, he will always be isolated from them. Much like in ‘Refugee Blues’ when in the tenth stanza there is the quotation, ‘saw the birds in the trees; They had no politicians and sang at their ease’. This highlights the sense of exclusion of the refugees as they have politicians who hinder their possibility of once returning to the normal lifestyles they had. While the birds are able to act freely, the refugees cannot, and have to act with caution from every move they make.
The two poems are very strategic in the way they set out to make the refugees and/or soldier come across as pitiful figures. The use of the past and present in ‘Disabled’ amplifies what is common for thousands of people. Times change and terrible situations arise. Owen uses the past and present to his advantage as he can set a different tone and perspective for each era, thus creating a display of emotion that changes drastically from a sombre environment to strong, happy memories of the past. Owen also uses the past and present in a way that joins the extremes from each spectrum. From the past you have the bloodied yet victorious leg from the football match, however in the present you have the disabled, warped leg of the soldier’s services at war. The technique of persuasion within the soldier’s story that Owen uses reminds us how innocent and naïve the soldier was to join the army. His actions by doing so relate to us as the reader as everyone has tried to act more mature than they are to come across as more impressive. This technique was used in unison with that of a shattered reality. The soldier had false beliefs and expectations of what was to become when he joined the army, and when he came back, his injury awakened him to a world of false promises. Nothing was the same when he came back and there was no grand welcoming home. His expectation was that he would come back hailed as a hero, however he came back only to the hands of people who were too terrified too come into contact with him. These various techniques all added up to create a figure that symbolises a large proportion of wounded soldiers arriving back from war. The majority believe that the public will be proud of the valiant effort they gave fighting for their country; however the harsh truth is that they are forgotten quickly. All of these aspects Owen used to his advantage to produce one figure that represents a whole group of people that have been led wrongly astray by the prospect of war.
In ‘Refugee Blues’ Auden’s use of power over the masses propels the poem forward, throughout the whole poem there is the on-going perception of people in higher power than the refugees not allowing them freedom. This technique of powerlessness was applied to many people not only in the Second World War, but it is also applicable in modern society. There is always a greater power that has control over you, although it was in this case, as power that had twisted ideals. Auden’s use of the third and final line of each stanza not rhyming epitomised the refugees own exclusion from society. Auden also portrays the refugees as calm and collected, despite the wrong doings they are encountering of the bureaucrats. This causes the reader to form an emotional attachment with the refugees as despite their hardships, they are still persistent and still believe in hope. This causes a demand of respect towards the refugees. The techniques that Auden use are combined to make a wholesome character that not only attracts sympathy for their strenuous predicament, but also pulls in the strength and heartfelt assurance purely because of the fact that the refugees continue to be excluded from the societies of many nations. The refugees represent lonesome characters because of their exclusion; however they are not alone because of this. At this time in the war there were millions of refugees seeking acceptance into many countries. The refugees displayed in Auden’s poem however stand as a symbol that not only shows them as being strong and heavy minded, but this is a fair representation of the whole community of refugees who had to flee countries this time. The aspect that caused the refugees to leave their homes was also the one thing that brought them closer together.
