Analyzing The Poem 'Disabled' By Wilfred Owens

War. Rejection. Contemplation. “Disabled” by Wilfred Owens is known as one of his most disturbing and affecting poems because it was written while he was recovering from shell shock after World War I, during 1917. The poem focuses on criticizing the sacrifices many young soldiers have made, due to their naive desire for glory and government’s propaganda. Through the effective use of irony, imagery and powerful diction, Owens is able to make readers empathize for the anguish he bears, both physically and mentally.

The poem starts off by using harsh and heartrending metaphors to describe a veteran, who “sat in a wheeled chair, waiting for the dark, And shivered in his ghastly suit of grey.” This description immediately presents the reader a

This shows that back then, he only associated injuries as a memento and sign of masculinity. He did not think of the consequences that injuries may bring him. Afterwards, “he’d drunk a peg” to celebrate their victory. “A peg” is a type of alcoholic drink and it implies that the actions he did after was on impulse, without rational thinking. He doesn’t fully understand why he made such a rash choice at the time. This is further supported in line 24, where there is an extra syllable and extra commas; It helps to present his incoherence when he drank. To make things worse, other people were pressuring him into signing up as a soldier: “That’s why; and maybe, too, to please his Meg”. This was the reason he joined that night; He was clueless about the reality of war due to his ignorance and education from the propagandas made by the government, but he thought that it could help please his loved ones by showing his masculinity. Eventually, he registered, even though he was underage. The fact that he was able to sign up when he was underage shows Owens’s criticism of governments brainwashing people without giving them prior information about the war. It is ironic that the government “smiling(ly)” accepted his “lies”, since governments are expected to be honest. The goal of the propaganda was to gather as much people for war. He then imagines the time when he returned to his home country after war, in “jeweled hilts”, “daggers in plaid socks” and with “smart salutes”. He only cared about these materialistic values and hints at his immaturity. He hoped that these values would benefit his future, although that did not turn out to be the case. The poet decided to stop the stanza abruptly “with drums and cheers”, as it was his most joyful image. The new stanza shows the cruel reality that he is in, and he