Close Study of Text: Wilfred Owen
Since this is the only unit where we do not need to cover related material, this page consists of Owen's poems and a few other bits and pieces to contextualise him and hs poetry.
Owen was born in 1893 in Great Britain and fought in World War One. Although initially positive about his opportunities in the Army as part of the war effort, the actual experience of war he found to be traumatic. He suffered significant injuries and saw much suffering and loss as a soldier. These experiences shaped his poetry which reflected ideas that revolved around "...the pity of war, the pity war distilled..." ("Strange Meeting"). He was disgusted and horrified by the number of young men from both sides who were being encouraged to go to their deaths.
This was at considerable odds to the way war was portrayed through other poets and the media at the time where advertisements like the two below were used to encourage young men to go to war. War was seen as a glorious role for a young man through these sorts of propaganda.
Owen was born in 1893 in Great Britain and fought in World War One. Although initially positive about his opportunities in the Army as part of the war effort, the actual experience of war he found to be traumatic. He suffered significant injuries and saw much suffering and loss as a soldier. These experiences shaped his poetry which reflected ideas that revolved around "...the pity of war, the pity war distilled..." ("Strange Meeting"). He was disgusted and horrified by the number of young men from both sides who were being encouraged to go to their deaths.
This was at considerable odds to the way war was portrayed through other poets and the media at the time where advertisements like the two below were used to encourage young men to go to war. War was seen as a glorious role for a young man through these sorts of propaganda.
Wilfred Owen opposed these notions of war after his experiences. Below are the six HSC prescribed poems that we will be discussing in class. Notice the references to the pity, waste and suffering of war.
The Parable of the Old Man and the Young
So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went, And took the fire with him, and a knife. And as they sojourned both of them together, Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father, Behold the preparations, fire and iron, But where the lamb for this burnt-offering? Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps, and builded parapets and trenches there, And stretchèd forth the knife to slay his son. When lo! an angel called him out of heaven, Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, Neither do anything to him. Behold, A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns; Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him. But the old man would not so, but slew his son, And half the seed of Europe, one by one. Dulce Et Decorum Est Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of disappointed shells that dropped behind. GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling, Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; But someone still was yelling out and stumbling And floundering like a man in fire or lime.-- Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,-- My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori. Mental Cases Who are these? Why sit they here in twilight? Wherefore rock they, purgatorial shadows, Drooping tongues from jaws that slob their relish, Baring teeth that leer like skulls' teeth wicked? Stroke on stroke of pain, - but what slow panic, Gouged these chasms round their fretted sockets? Ever from their hair and through their hands' palms Misery swelters. Surely we have perished Sleeping, and walk hell; but who these hellish? - These are men whose minds the Dead have ravished. Memory fingers in their hair of murders, Multitudinous murders they once witnessed. Wading sloughs of flesh these helpless wander, Treading blood from lungs that had loved laughter. Always they must see these things and hear them, Batter of guns and shatter of flying muscles, Carnage incomparable, and human squander Rucked too thick for these men's extrication. Therefore still their eyeballs shrink tormented Back into their brains, because on their sense Sunlight seems a blood-smear; night comes blood-black; Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh. - Thus their heads wear this hilarious, hideous, Awful falseness of set-smiling corpses. - Thus their hands are plucking at each other; Picking at the rope-knouts of their scourging; Snatching after us who smote them, brother, Pawing us who dealt them war and madness. |
Futility
Move him into the sun -- Gently its touch awoke him once, At home, whispering of fields unsown. Always it woke him, even in France, Until this morning and this snow. If anything might rouse him now The kind old sun will know. Think how it wakes the seeds -- Woke, once, the clays of a cold star. Are limbs so dear-achieved, are sides Full-nerved, -- still warm, -- too hard to stir? Was it for this the clay grew tall? -- O what made fatuous sunbeams toil To break earth's sleep at all? Check out the video I have created for "Futility." Disabled He sat in a wheeled chair, waiting for dark, And shivered in his ghastly suit of grey, Legless, sewn short at elbow. Through the park Voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn, Voices of play and pleasure after day, Till gathering sleep had mothered them from him. About this time Town used to swing so gay When glow-lamps budded in the light-blue trees And girls glanced lovelier as the air grew dim, — In the old times, before he threw away his knees. Now he will never feel again how slim Girls' waists are, or how warm their subtle hands, All of them touch him like some queer disease. There was an artist silly for his face, For it was younger than his youth, last year. Now he is old; his back will never brace; He's lost his colour very far from here, Poured it down shell-holes till the veins ran dry, And half his lifetime lapsed in the hot race, And leap of purple spurted from his thigh. One time he liked a bloodsmear down his leg, After the matches carried shoulder-high. It was after football, when he'd drunk a peg, He thought he'd better join. He wonders why . . . Someone had said he'd look a god in kilts. That's why; and maybe, too, to please his Meg, Aye, that was it, to please the giddy jilts, He asked to join. He didn't have to beg; Smiling they wrote his lie; aged nineteen years. Germans he scarcely thought of; and no fears Of Fear came yet. He thought of jewelled hilts For daggers in plaid socks; of smart salutes; And care of arms; and leave; and pay arrears; Esprit de corps; and hints for young recruits. And soon, he was drafted out with drums and cheers. Some cheered him home, but not as crowds cheer Goal. Only a solemn man who brought him fruits Thanked him; and then inquired about his soul. Now, he will spend a few sick years in Institutes, And do what things the rules consider wise, And take whatever pity they may dole. To-night he noticed how the women's eyes Passed from him to the strong men that were whole. How cold and late it is! Why don't they come And put him into bed? Why don't they come? Anthem for Doomed Youth What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? -- Only the monstrous anger of the guns. Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle Can patter out their hasty orisons. No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells; Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, -- The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; And bugles calling for them from sad shires. What candles may be held to speed them all? Not in the hands of boys but in their eyes Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes. The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall; Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds, And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds. (see this link for a scanned original of this poem: http://net.lib.byu.edu/english/WWI/main/anthem.html |
Analysis: The Parable of the Old Man and the Young
This poem appropriates the Biblical account in which Abram (later called Abraham) is asked by God to sacrifice his son to show his devotion to God. In the book of Genesis God, seeing Abram's faithfulness, provides a ram and Isaac is spared. Although this is a Bible story that can make us uncomfortable, Wilfred Owen's appropriation is perhaps more distressing.
The title of the poem bears a significance in that Owen has deliberately identified the "old man" but does not describe the young person as a man. This is an important distinction, as we will see. Parables have been defined as "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning". Owen certainly has a powerful meaning he intends to portray through this poem.
Initially the poem appears to imitate the tale of the original. The fact "Abram rose..." provides an immediate Biblical context. In Owen's day, the traditional Old King James Bible, which used old-fashioned language, was the most common translation. As a result, Owen uses more archaic language to provide his context through the verbs "clave", "spake" and "builded", as well as the use of words like "lo", "behold" and "thy". This would have enabled his readers to immediately identify the familiar biblical account. It also adds authority to his comments in that the Bible is considered "the Word of God."
Owen also alludes to symbols of sacrifice that relate to the concept of war through the terms "fire", "iron", "parapets" and "trenches." The use of these terms form a strong link, indicating that Owen felt that sacrifice and war are linked. The fire and iron can also represent anger and violence, two terms that also correspond to the idea and expectation of war.
Isaac is led to exclaim about the sacrifice, "But where the lamb for this burnt offering?" This demonstrates his lack of understanding about the true meaning of these events. Isaac is a metaphor for the British soldier, lured to war by the propaganda and deceit of the nation's leaders, who are of course represented by Abram. The fact Abram "...bound the youth with belts and straps" could further represent the lies that have bound the son, or the soldier, to this fate. This also reinforces the idea of these men being sacrificed to the war. Isaac's ignorance of what is going on, like the ignorance of the soldiers regarding the horrors of war, is a particularly poignant counterpoint.
A point of climax is reached as Abram "...stretched forth the knife to slay his son." The use of "lo!" indicates a change in the flow and the fortunes of the poem as a "deus ex machina", or intervention by God, is employed through the angel's arrival. As in the original account from the Bible, a ram is provided as an alternate sacrifice. In this account the ram is identified as "the ram of Pride", implying that only pride would make Abram slay his son. This pride references the war leaders' inability to admit they were wrong. Here Owen is suggesting that the life of the son can be saved through forgoing this pride.
The pause between this and the rhyming couplet that concludes the poem creates a sense of suspense and tension as the reader wonders what Abram will do. At this point the readers, familiar with the Bible story, expect that Abram will accept the substitutionary sacrifice. The alternate ending thus comes as a bit of a shock, as Isaac is killed unnecessarily by his own father. This decision could even be Owen suggesting that this act of defiance is yet another act in which man rebels against God. Regardles, it taps into one of Owen's key themes, the wastefulness of war through what he saw as the needless deaths of the young men of Europe.
The death of Isaac could be seen as acting as a catalyst for the death of the many young men who lost their lives in the war. Certainly the powerful metaphor of the sacrifice of "half the seed of Europe" indicates that Isaac's death represents the beginning of the war leaders' waste of the lives of the young men of Europe. A seed is something bursting with promise and potential but which has not begun to experience life yet. It needs nurturing and care to grow. This emphasises the tragedy of the deaths of all of these young as the old men continue to send them to their deaths through the war.
The wastefulness of war is ultimately emphasised by the deaths of these soldiers "..one by one." This shows that although the soldiers were killed en masse, every single life is important and thus every death is the responsibility of those who coerced these young men into joining the war effort. There is also a hint of a production line of death, where every young man is sacrificed to the god of war, in the deaths of these men "...one by one."
The title of the poem bears a significance in that Owen has deliberately identified the "old man" but does not describe the young person as a man. This is an important distinction, as we will see. Parables have been defined as "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning". Owen certainly has a powerful meaning he intends to portray through this poem.
Initially the poem appears to imitate the tale of the original. The fact "Abram rose..." provides an immediate Biblical context. In Owen's day, the traditional Old King James Bible, which used old-fashioned language, was the most common translation. As a result, Owen uses more archaic language to provide his context through the verbs "clave", "spake" and "builded", as well as the use of words like "lo", "behold" and "thy". This would have enabled his readers to immediately identify the familiar biblical account. It also adds authority to his comments in that the Bible is considered "the Word of God."
Owen also alludes to symbols of sacrifice that relate to the concept of war through the terms "fire", "iron", "parapets" and "trenches." The use of these terms form a strong link, indicating that Owen felt that sacrifice and war are linked. The fire and iron can also represent anger and violence, two terms that also correspond to the idea and expectation of war.
Isaac is led to exclaim about the sacrifice, "But where the lamb for this burnt offering?" This demonstrates his lack of understanding about the true meaning of these events. Isaac is a metaphor for the British soldier, lured to war by the propaganda and deceit of the nation's leaders, who are of course represented by Abram. The fact Abram "...bound the youth with belts and straps" could further represent the lies that have bound the son, or the soldier, to this fate. This also reinforces the idea of these men being sacrificed to the war. Isaac's ignorance of what is going on, like the ignorance of the soldiers regarding the horrors of war, is a particularly poignant counterpoint.
A point of climax is reached as Abram "...stretched forth the knife to slay his son." The use of "lo!" indicates a change in the flow and the fortunes of the poem as a "deus ex machina", or intervention by God, is employed through the angel's arrival. As in the original account from the Bible, a ram is provided as an alternate sacrifice. In this account the ram is identified as "the ram of Pride", implying that only pride would make Abram slay his son. This pride references the war leaders' inability to admit they were wrong. Here Owen is suggesting that the life of the son can be saved through forgoing this pride.
The pause between this and the rhyming couplet that concludes the poem creates a sense of suspense and tension as the reader wonders what Abram will do. At this point the readers, familiar with the Bible story, expect that Abram will accept the substitutionary sacrifice. The alternate ending thus comes as a bit of a shock, as Isaac is killed unnecessarily by his own father. This decision could even be Owen suggesting that this act of defiance is yet another act in which man rebels against God. Regardles, it taps into one of Owen's key themes, the wastefulness of war through what he saw as the needless deaths of the young men of Europe.
The death of Isaac could be seen as acting as a catalyst for the death of the many young men who lost their lives in the war. Certainly the powerful metaphor of the sacrifice of "half the seed of Europe" indicates that Isaac's death represents the beginning of the war leaders' waste of the lives of the young men of Europe. A seed is something bursting with promise and potential but which has not begun to experience life yet. It needs nurturing and care to grow. This emphasises the tragedy of the deaths of all of these young as the old men continue to send them to their deaths through the war.
The wastefulness of war is ultimately emphasised by the deaths of these soldiers "..one by one." This shows that although the soldiers were killed en masse, every single life is important and thus every death is the responsibility of those who coerced these young men into joining the war effort. There is also a hint of a production line of death, where every young man is sacrificed to the god of war, in the deaths of these men "...one by one."
Analysis: Anthem for Doomed Youth
An anthem is a song that acts as a symbol for a distinct group of people. In this case the anthem has been written for the ominously identified "doomed youth." This is almost an oxymoron, in that someone's doom is more commonly associated with older people. This lends a sense of pity to the title of the poem, an emotion consistent with all of Owen's war poetry.
Much of the poem reflects on the tragic deaths of these young men and the fact that they will die without even a funeral by which to remember them. There is repetitive funereal imagery throughout the poem, in which the poet uses the sights and sounds of war to reflect a poor substitute for a funeral. Not only does Owen see the deaths of these young men as needless and wasteful, he finds the fact they will be unnamed and unidentified deplorable.
Much of the poem reflects on the tragic deaths of these young men and the fact that they will die without even a funeral by which to remember them. There is repetitive funereal imagery throughout the poem, in which the poet uses the sights and sounds of war to reflect a poor substitute for a funeral. Not only does Owen see the deaths of these young men as needless and wasteful, he finds the fact they will be unnamed and unidentified deplorable.
The poem is structured as a sonnet, which is a form of love poetry. It is fourteen lines long and broken into two stanzas of eight and six lines respectively. The fact it is structured as a love poem is ironic, as Owen presents a distressing ode to those men and their lost futures rather than any romantic ideas about war.
The rhetorical question at the beginning is the question that Owen uses the first stanza to answer. The "passing bells" refer to church bells at the passing of these young men, the first allusion to a funeral presented in the poem. He then uses a simile to compare these men "...who die as cattle..." to suggest that they were brought to the prime of their life with the express purpose of being slaughtered. This again shows the pity and wastefulness of war.
Owen then proceeds to answer his own question. He continues to create a sense of pity through the repetition of the word "Only" at the beginning of the next two lines. This repetition indicates how little these men are left with as they confront death. He personifies the guns through "monstrous anger," indicating a terrible and irrefutable anger that will lead to these men's deaths. This emphasises the brutality of war, in which inanimate objects hold a terrible violence. The "stuttering rifles' rapid rattle" uses alliteration and onomatopoeia to imitate the rattle and roar of different types of gunfire. These sounds are the only "passing bells" these men hear as they die. The "hasty orisons," or prayers, of the men are clearly interspersed with the onomatopoeic "patter" of the guns. The hastiness of these prayers indicates the swiftness of death in war.
Owen then suggests that funeral rites for these men would be "mockeries". He acknowledges there are none of the rituals we usually associate with death such as prayers or bells. The reptition of "no" and "nor" here again emphasises how little these men have as they die. He then offers a moment of hope, indicating there is no "...voice of mourning save the choirs..." The dash at the end of this line gives a moment to pause and perhaps glean something positive from the poem.
This hope is in vain as Owen describes the "...shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells." This powerful imagery again recognises that the sound of bullets are the only choir that will sing of the deaths of the doomed youth. The wailing of the shells mocks the sound of wailing one might associate with women upon discovering the death of a loved one. The use of the word "demented" further emphasises this mockery. The war imagery of the inanimate "bugles calling" the men is clearly in vain, this again being the only choir that will sing for the dead. In concluding the first stanza, the soft alliteration of "sad shires" presents a contrast to the noise of the first stanza, perhaps imitating the aftermath of a day's battle.
Like in the first stanza, Owen opens the second stanza with a rhetorical question which he proceeds to answer. He again uses the funereal symbol of "candles" held by mourners and uses images of war to again make a mockery of this poor excuse for a funeral. When Owen refers to "their eyes" he is referring to the soldiers' eyes and uses the last gleam of their eyes as a link to the candles. The "holy glimmers of goodbyes," presumably to those loved ones whom they never adequately farewelled, are the only candles that will be held for these men. There is a tragic suggestion in the fact these men have to supply their own candles at their funerals.
His final lines aim to stretch this extended metaphor further. Their pall, or coffin covering, will be through "...The pallor of girls' brows..." as they hear of the deaths of their loved ones. This is again piteable in that this coffin covering will not arrive until well after the deaths of these men. The only flowers of the men's passing will be "...the tenderness of patient minds..." This is again a poor substitute as it is the only tenderness they will receive and bears very little resemblance to funeral flowers. These "patient minds" reflect those waiting for a loved one who will never return.
The final line is packed with imagery. There is the literal interpretation of the "...drawing-down of blinds" each evening as the folk at home wait for the return of their loved ones. However, even more powerful than this is the metaphorical interpretation of these lines. "Dusk" is at the end of the day and this reflects the end of the lives of these men. The "...drawing-down of blinds" refers to the end of their lives as well, recalling the idea of closing a man's eyes once he has died or a curtain drawing their lives to a close. The melancholic tone of this ending reinforces the tragic and pitiful waste of these lives of these doomed youth. Indeed, this anthem could be construed as the only funeral these men will get.
The rhetorical question at the beginning is the question that Owen uses the first stanza to answer. The "passing bells" refer to church bells at the passing of these young men, the first allusion to a funeral presented in the poem. He then uses a simile to compare these men "...who die as cattle..." to suggest that they were brought to the prime of their life with the express purpose of being slaughtered. This again shows the pity and wastefulness of war.
Owen then proceeds to answer his own question. He continues to create a sense of pity through the repetition of the word "Only" at the beginning of the next two lines. This repetition indicates how little these men are left with as they confront death. He personifies the guns through "monstrous anger," indicating a terrible and irrefutable anger that will lead to these men's deaths. This emphasises the brutality of war, in which inanimate objects hold a terrible violence. The "stuttering rifles' rapid rattle" uses alliteration and onomatopoeia to imitate the rattle and roar of different types of gunfire. These sounds are the only "passing bells" these men hear as they die. The "hasty orisons," or prayers, of the men are clearly interspersed with the onomatopoeic "patter" of the guns. The hastiness of these prayers indicates the swiftness of death in war.
Owen then suggests that funeral rites for these men would be "mockeries". He acknowledges there are none of the rituals we usually associate with death such as prayers or bells. The reptition of "no" and "nor" here again emphasises how little these men have as they die. He then offers a moment of hope, indicating there is no "...voice of mourning save the choirs..." The dash at the end of this line gives a moment to pause and perhaps glean something positive from the poem.
This hope is in vain as Owen describes the "...shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells." This powerful imagery again recognises that the sound of bullets are the only choir that will sing of the deaths of the doomed youth. The wailing of the shells mocks the sound of wailing one might associate with women upon discovering the death of a loved one. The use of the word "demented" further emphasises this mockery. The war imagery of the inanimate "bugles calling" the men is clearly in vain, this again being the only choir that will sing for the dead. In concluding the first stanza, the soft alliteration of "sad shires" presents a contrast to the noise of the first stanza, perhaps imitating the aftermath of a day's battle.
Like in the first stanza, Owen opens the second stanza with a rhetorical question which he proceeds to answer. He again uses the funereal symbol of "candles" held by mourners and uses images of war to again make a mockery of this poor excuse for a funeral. When Owen refers to "their eyes" he is referring to the soldiers' eyes and uses the last gleam of their eyes as a link to the candles. The "holy glimmers of goodbyes," presumably to those loved ones whom they never adequately farewelled, are the only candles that will be held for these men. There is a tragic suggestion in the fact these men have to supply their own candles at their funerals.
His final lines aim to stretch this extended metaphor further. Their pall, or coffin covering, will be through "...The pallor of girls' brows..." as they hear of the deaths of their loved ones. This is again piteable in that this coffin covering will not arrive until well after the deaths of these men. The only flowers of the men's passing will be "...the tenderness of patient minds..." This is again a poor substitute as it is the only tenderness they will receive and bears very little resemblance to funeral flowers. These "patient minds" reflect those waiting for a loved one who will never return.
The final line is packed with imagery. There is the literal interpretation of the "...drawing-down of blinds" each evening as the folk at home wait for the return of their loved ones. However, even more powerful than this is the metaphorical interpretation of these lines. "Dusk" is at the end of the day and this reflects the end of the lives of these men. The "...drawing-down of blinds" refers to the end of their lives as well, recalling the idea of closing a man's eyes once he has died or a curtain drawing their lives to a close. The melancholic tone of this ending reinforces the tragic and pitiful waste of these lives of these doomed youth. Indeed, this anthem could be construed as the only funeral these men will get.
Rupert Brooke
Compare Wilfred Owen's perspective to that of one of his contemporaries. What do you notice about the approach? What about the key message?
The Soldier
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
Rupert Brooke
The Soldier
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
Rupert Brooke
Dulce et Decorum Est: Analysis
The Latin phrase which concludes this quote "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" means: "It is sweet and right to die for one's country." Wilfred Owen certainly launches a scathing attack on this idea. He builds to his challenge of this quote by vividly describing a scene from the war.
Sensory imagery is a critical component of this poem. Owen provides the sights and sounds of war, emphasising the struggle and suffering the men endured. His simile in the first line "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks..." is reinforced by a second simile "...coughing like hags..." both of which are designed to demonstrate the low position of these men, both physically and politically. The comparison to "beggars" and "hags" demonstrates how their positions as soldiers engender little respect from their superiors. This is further emphasised through the alliterative "knock-kneed" soldiers, perhaps indicating fear as well as exhaustion. This bleak picture is completed through the imagery of the men who "...cursed through sludge..." demonstrating how they used every means available to slog through the mud and mire.
The next line shows that they are moving away from the battlefield, as "...we turned our backs..." on "...the haunting flares..." The "haunting" of the flares suggests that, along with the ghostly light they might provide, the men will be haunted by the terrible images they have witnessed. The turning of their backs could also be metaphorical, suggesting their disillusionment with the promises of their war-time experiences.
Sensory imagery is a critical component of this poem. Owen provides the sights and sounds of war, emphasising the struggle and suffering the men endured. His simile in the first line "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks..." is reinforced by a second simile "...coughing like hags..." both of which are designed to demonstrate the low position of these men, both physically and politically. The comparison to "beggars" and "hags" demonstrates how their positions as soldiers engender little respect from their superiors. This is further emphasised through the alliterative "knock-kneed" soldiers, perhaps indicating fear as well as exhaustion. This bleak picture is completed through the imagery of the men who "...cursed through sludge..." demonstrating how they used every means available to slog through the mud and mire.
The next line shows that they are moving away from the battlefield, as "...we turned our backs..." on "...the haunting flares..." The "haunting" of the flares suggests that, along with the ghostly light they might provide, the men will be haunted by the terrible images they have witnessed. The turning of their backs could also be metaphorical, suggesting their disillusionment with the promises of their war-time experiences.
Despite the hostile, appalling conditions there is a sense of relief in the next line as they trudge towards their "...distant rest." The hyperbole of "...Men marched asleep..." highlights the long, arduous trek to safety and underlines the incomparable exhaustion. Their suffering is further emphasised by the fact many have lost shoes and are continuing on, "....blood-shod." These shoes of blood demonstrate both how little the men have and the suffering they are living through. It also suggests how their senses are dulled, which is further reinforced by the fact all of the soldiers went lame, blind and "...Drunk on fatigue..." Their senses are dulled: touch, sight and hearing are particularly emphasised. This shared experience of suffering sets the scene for the situation that arises. These dulled senses enable the enemy to launch an unexpected attack. The men are the walking and living dead and they miss the onomatopoeic "hoots" of gas-shells.
The tone shifts to one of action as the men finally realise their peril. The exclamation marks and spoken language shake both the reader and the soldiers out of their stupor as they react to the danger. Their dulled senses impair their movement as they experience "...an ecstasy of fumbling..." with '...the clumsy helmets..." There is a sense of relief as they fit the helmets "...just in time..."
The word "But" then demonstrates that something has gone wrong and the reader discovers a man has failed to get his helmet on in time. The next few lines demonstrate his helplessness as he starts "...flound'ring..." Strong visual imagery is used as the reader is given a sense of the soldier's vision through his helmet, where the simile of being "...under a green sea..." This use of simile enables Owen to describe the soldier's slow death as "drowning" which demonstrates the helplessness of all of the men observing the situation.
A couplet stands alone in the next part of the poem. The isolation of the couplet segues to a time outside the situation, to a time after the war, showing how this experience has continued to have a horrific impact on him. The hyperbole of "In all my dreams..." emphasises the profound impact this man's death has had on him. The personification of "...helpless sight..." focuses on sensory imagery but is also ironic, in that he personifies sight in such a way as to make it helpless. As the soldier "...plunges..." at him we get a sense of his guilt, even though he can do nothing to halp the situation. The three verbs which conclude this short stanza, "...guttering, choking, drowning..." use the punctuation of the comma to demonstrate the slow yet inevitable death that the soldier suffers.
Owen continues to mention the dreams, personifying them as "smothering," which reminds the reader of the "drowning" soldier. It also suggests the terrible impact these dream have. From there he continues by speaking of the aftermath of the experience, addressing the reader directly as a prelude to the challenge he intends to issue to the reader. The use of the word "flung" dehumanises the soldier and shows how the men were unable to give him the burial that would have been more suitable for a lost comrade. There is an irony in the personification of the "...white eyes writhing..." as these dead eyes should not have anything to bring them to life. The fact they are white adds to the horror of the image.
There is a great irony in the line "...the devil's sick of sin..." The devil, as the creator of sin, should see it as the most important part of his existence. The fact he is sick of it reflects how the soldiers feel about the promises of war as they look at their poor, dead comrade. Being a soldier provided their existence, yet it has proven to be so much less than it promised and they have lost all faith in it.
Owen moves here from sight imagery to sound imagery in referring to the soldier's "...gargling from froth-corrupted lungs..." The simile of "...Bitter as the cud..." reflects both the literal fact the blood is being regurgitated, like cud, but also may reinforce how the men feel about war. The memories of war will be as "...vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues..." in that they will never be forgotten. They are memories from which the soldiers cannot escape.
The final lines are a direct address to the reader. He begins by saying, "My friend..." as a prelude to the challenge he wants to leave with the reader. He then refers to one of the lies that led these men to war, that they would earn some "...desperate glory..." by joining the war effort. Owen makes his final point, stating that the ideas of war that were offered to the soldiers prior to enlisting are an "...old Lie..." He capitalises the lie here, giving it power and authority in the influence it has had over the men's lives. He then uses the Latin phrase that represents this Lie: "...Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" which essentially means, "It is sweet and right to die for one's country." Owen here is saying that if the reader had lived through the experiences he had they would not encourage "children", a metaphor for young men, to go to war so willingly because the reality is very different.
The word "But" then demonstrates that something has gone wrong and the reader discovers a man has failed to get his helmet on in time. The next few lines demonstrate his helplessness as he starts "...flound'ring..." Strong visual imagery is used as the reader is given a sense of the soldier's vision through his helmet, where the simile of being "...under a green sea..." This use of simile enables Owen to describe the soldier's slow death as "drowning" which demonstrates the helplessness of all of the men observing the situation.
A couplet stands alone in the next part of the poem. The isolation of the couplet segues to a time outside the situation, to a time after the war, showing how this experience has continued to have a horrific impact on him. The hyperbole of "In all my dreams..." emphasises the profound impact this man's death has had on him. The personification of "...helpless sight..." focuses on sensory imagery but is also ironic, in that he personifies sight in such a way as to make it helpless. As the soldier "...plunges..." at him we get a sense of his guilt, even though he can do nothing to halp the situation. The three verbs which conclude this short stanza, "...guttering, choking, drowning..." use the punctuation of the comma to demonstrate the slow yet inevitable death that the soldier suffers.
Owen continues to mention the dreams, personifying them as "smothering," which reminds the reader of the "drowning" soldier. It also suggests the terrible impact these dream have. From there he continues by speaking of the aftermath of the experience, addressing the reader directly as a prelude to the challenge he intends to issue to the reader. The use of the word "flung" dehumanises the soldier and shows how the men were unable to give him the burial that would have been more suitable for a lost comrade. There is an irony in the personification of the "...white eyes writhing..." as these dead eyes should not have anything to bring them to life. The fact they are white adds to the horror of the image.
There is a great irony in the line "...the devil's sick of sin..." The devil, as the creator of sin, should see it as the most important part of his existence. The fact he is sick of it reflects how the soldiers feel about the promises of war as they look at their poor, dead comrade. Being a soldier provided their existence, yet it has proven to be so much less than it promised and they have lost all faith in it.
Owen moves here from sight imagery to sound imagery in referring to the soldier's "...gargling from froth-corrupted lungs..." The simile of "...Bitter as the cud..." reflects both the literal fact the blood is being regurgitated, like cud, but also may reinforce how the men feel about war. The memories of war will be as "...vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues..." in that they will never be forgotten. They are memories from which the soldiers cannot escape.
The final lines are a direct address to the reader. He begins by saying, "My friend..." as a prelude to the challenge he wants to leave with the reader. He then refers to one of the lies that led these men to war, that they would earn some "...desperate glory..." by joining the war effort. Owen makes his final point, stating that the ideas of war that were offered to the soldiers prior to enlisting are an "...old Lie..." He capitalises the lie here, giving it power and authority in the influence it has had over the men's lives. He then uses the Latin phrase that represents this Lie: "...Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" which essentially means, "It is sweet and right to die for one's country." Owen here is saying that if the reader had lived through the experiences he had they would not encourage "children", a metaphor for young men, to go to war so willingly because the reality is very different.
Analysis: Mental Cases
Here answers can be entered by either staff or students to the questions in the Teacher Resource Folder. Contact me at [email protected] for permission to edit the website.
Thank you to Madeleine Anderson, Dominic Ford, Corey Forrest, Jacob Herbert, Corinna Hewlett, Dylan Robinson, Travis Snedden, Ty Sumirta, Hali Tapim, Cameron Thorpe and Ellie Vlacevski for contributing their answers for this section in 2014. Those students who did not contribute should be ashamed of themselves.
Question 1: What is the significance of the title?
It describes war-torn men suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, otherwise known as shell shock. It also describes what the men are suffering (being "mental cases") from the war. It is significant as it considers what the men became after the war and how the war turned them into "mental cases".
Question 2: The first stanza presents a series of questions. Would you describe them as rhetorical questions? Why do you think these questions are asked in this way? What is the purpose of the final question?
Yes they are rhetorical questions. I think these questions were asked in this way to directly address and give an impression as if he were directly talking to the reader. It also outlines questions that Owen intends to answer, using graphic imagery to spark the imagination. The final question's purpose is to get the reader to think if the men at war went to hell or went through hell, as well as being a reference to the earlier mention of "purgatorial shadows". It gives the impression that these men are trapped between life and death.
Question 3: How does the imagery of the first stanza link to the title?
The imagery of the first stanza links to the title using the similes and rhetorical questions throughout the stanza. The quote ‘Stroke on stroke of pain,’ gives the reader a visual on the soldiers' perspective of war. The quote itself shows that each soldier will not forget how traumatic it was in the war and every memory will have a major impact on how they go about life after the war.
Question 4: Choose a simile, a metaphor and an example of repetition and personification from the first stanza. Explain and analyse each of these.
Simile- “teeth that leer like skulls' teeth wicked.” This simile links to living with the dead, emphasising their separation from normalcy as well as hinting at how war has
made them ‘wicked’. The death imagery emphasises the fact the men are trapped between life and death.
Personification- “Misery swelters...” demonstrates how misery is so present on these men's faces and bodies that it perspires from them. Misery becomes an entity that is evident even through the sweat on these men's brows.
Repetition- “Stroke on stroke of pain” illustrates the way these men's minds are progressively ravaged, stroke by stroke, not just physically but emotionally.
Question 5: Why do you think the word “Dead” has been capitalised in stanza 2?
The word ‘Dead’ is capitalised, placing emphasis and making it stand out as a proper noun. Death essentially becomes a character. Furthermore, it communicates the effect the war has taken on these men and essentially the men who survived are left with nothing more than a ‘dead’ body. Finally, this also reinforces the idea that these men hover between life and death.
Question 6: Explain the second line of the second stanza.
In the second line of the second stanza, “Memory fingers in their hair of murders,” Owen uses personification to demonstrate how these men are no longer sane. The line also communicates a strong use of imagery as though the men are running their hands through their hair, traumatised about what they have done. The "...hair of murders..." emphasises the tangled mess of murders they remember, with their memory plucking them out, one by one.
Question 7: What is the irony contained in line 5? What emotion should it create?
The irony in line 5 of stanza 2 is created through the use of ‘lungs’. Lungs provide oxygen and allow life; however, in the case of the war they only bring death though aspects such as the mustard gas. Owen states the lungs previously ‘ …loved laughter…’ part of the irony is when he states earlier ‘...treading blood…", both of which can come from the lungs but have very different connotations.
Question 8: What is the purpose of the word “Always”?
The purpose of the word always is to capture how the men always have to relive what they have experienced. It is used almost as a repetition: “always they must hear and see them”, “always the batter of the guns and shatter of flying muscles”, they must always see the incomparable carnage. "Always" emphasises the pain that war has inflicted upon these men’s lives, as well as its never-ending nature.
Question 9: What is the purpose and effect of the internal rhyme of “batter” and “shatter”?
The purpose and effect of the internal rhyme of “batter” and “shatter” is to depict imagery to show the guns shooting and the limbs flying from the soldiers' bodies. This is
also an example of onomatopoeia as it shows the sound of the gun as it rattles loudly. It also emphasises the violence these men were exposed to through this imagery.
Question 10: What has been “rucked too thick” to be removed from these men? How is this responsible for their mental state?
Their experience within the war and the actions they had to commit to the opposing side, particularly with the waste of young lives ("human squander") and the sheer violence ("carnage incomparable"). These experiences were far too real and horrific for these men to extradite from their minds. This has tainted their consciences and minds, rendering them to their current mental state.
Question 11: The eyes and their use are referred to in all three stanzas. What does Owen intend by this?
The eyes are a both used as a literal sense and a metaphorical sense. Literally, it gives a sense of the haunted, tortured look of these men. Metaphorically, as with all the death they have seen with their own eyes, that they will never forget any of the images they experienced. It also illustrates that these men are constantly reliving the death of the fallen soldiers.
Question 12: How does the description of sunlight, night and dawn impact on these men? Why do you think the imagery of blood is repeated? What does the vision of these men at all times of the day show?
The changing of the sky is used as a metaphor of a injury that the soldiers suffered during the war and that they are suffering from a traumatisation so severe that they can only relate sunlight, night and dawn as the cycle of a wound. The imagery of blood is repeated to emphasise that the men who were involved in the traumatic situation would constantly see the sight of blood for days and this has imprinted on their minds and sight. This shows that these men now relive this: every moment of every day is a graphic reminder of the war they experienced.
Question 13: Why do you think Owen has used the alliterative oxymoron: “hilarious, hideous”?
Wilfred Owen uses the alliterative oxymoron “hilarious, hideous” to emphasise the imagery of the soldiers' faces to be completely crazy. The words "hilarious" and "hideous" juxtapose to create for the reader a strong sense of to what extent the experiences had an impact on their mentality. "Hilarious" is used ironically: usually a smile on the face could indicate hilarity, but here it is "hideous" because it is fixed on the face and there is no joy in that smile.
Question 14: What is the meaning of the metaphor “set-smiling corpses”?
This again emphasises the fixed smile on these men's faces. The metaphor of "corpses" revisits the idea that these men are the living dead, grins fixed in place like on a corpse.
Question 15: Why does Owen refer to the reader as “brother”?
Owen refers to the reader as ‘brother’ to create an emotional connection between the reader and the poem. By referring to the reader as ‘brother’, Owen invites them to understand the poem from a different perspective and relate to the text in a more personal manner. This, in turn, emphasises the shared responsibility of everyone who supported the war effort as they witness these shells of men.
Question 16: Why is Owen blaming himself and his companion for the state of these men?
As mentioned above, it is because there is a shared responsibility in the fate of these men. It is also a challenge to the government and others who promoted the propaganda of the time. There is also a sense of guilt, as if still having one's sanity after the war should be a source of shame, given the way these men's lives have been destroyed.
Question 17: There is a great sense of the loss of control and dehumanisation of these men. What is the purpose of this? Find four examples.
The purpose of the great sense of the loss of control and animalistic attributes of these men is to show how degraded and desperate they have become, to show how much their mental state have degenerated, so they act like wild animals. It also strips away their humanity. Four examples of these include “Drooping tongues...that slob their relish”, “Baring teeth that leer...", “Snatching after us....” and “…their eyeballs shrink tormented back into their brains...”
Question 18: There is also a great deal of violent imagery in the poem. Why do you think there are so many violent images provided?
The use of violent imagery is used to aid in understanding the violent and graphic scenes of the war and not just hear about them. It’s also used to put the reader into the young soldiers' shoes to help understand what these young men were put through and why it is still having such an intense impact on them..
Question 19: It is also a sensory poem. What senses are represented? Why do you think these are so specifically used?
The senses that are represented are sight eyeballs shrink tormented), taste (slob their relish), touch (through their hands’ palms), and sound (batter of guns). I think these are used in order to show how realistic these men are suffering and to give the reader an insight into what these men are experiencing even so long after the war. It also illustrates how all of their senses are engaged through their war experiences.
Thank you to Madeleine Anderson, Dominic Ford, Corey Forrest, Jacob Herbert, Corinna Hewlett, Dylan Robinson, Travis Snedden, Ty Sumirta, Hali Tapim, Cameron Thorpe and Ellie Vlacevski for contributing their answers for this section in 2014. Those students who did not contribute should be ashamed of themselves.
Question 1: What is the significance of the title?
It describes war-torn men suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, otherwise known as shell shock. It also describes what the men are suffering (being "mental cases") from the war. It is significant as it considers what the men became after the war and how the war turned them into "mental cases".
Question 2: The first stanza presents a series of questions. Would you describe them as rhetorical questions? Why do you think these questions are asked in this way? What is the purpose of the final question?
Yes they are rhetorical questions. I think these questions were asked in this way to directly address and give an impression as if he were directly talking to the reader. It also outlines questions that Owen intends to answer, using graphic imagery to spark the imagination. The final question's purpose is to get the reader to think if the men at war went to hell or went through hell, as well as being a reference to the earlier mention of "purgatorial shadows". It gives the impression that these men are trapped between life and death.
Question 3: How does the imagery of the first stanza link to the title?
The imagery of the first stanza links to the title using the similes and rhetorical questions throughout the stanza. The quote ‘Stroke on stroke of pain,’ gives the reader a visual on the soldiers' perspective of war. The quote itself shows that each soldier will not forget how traumatic it was in the war and every memory will have a major impact on how they go about life after the war.
Question 4: Choose a simile, a metaphor and an example of repetition and personification from the first stanza. Explain and analyse each of these.
Simile- “teeth that leer like skulls' teeth wicked.” This simile links to living with the dead, emphasising their separation from normalcy as well as hinting at how war has
made them ‘wicked’. The death imagery emphasises the fact the men are trapped between life and death.
Personification- “Misery swelters...” demonstrates how misery is so present on these men's faces and bodies that it perspires from them. Misery becomes an entity that is evident even through the sweat on these men's brows.
Repetition- “Stroke on stroke of pain” illustrates the way these men's minds are progressively ravaged, stroke by stroke, not just physically but emotionally.
Question 5: Why do you think the word “Dead” has been capitalised in stanza 2?
The word ‘Dead’ is capitalised, placing emphasis and making it stand out as a proper noun. Death essentially becomes a character. Furthermore, it communicates the effect the war has taken on these men and essentially the men who survived are left with nothing more than a ‘dead’ body. Finally, this also reinforces the idea that these men hover between life and death.
Question 6: Explain the second line of the second stanza.
In the second line of the second stanza, “Memory fingers in their hair of murders,” Owen uses personification to demonstrate how these men are no longer sane. The line also communicates a strong use of imagery as though the men are running their hands through their hair, traumatised about what they have done. The "...hair of murders..." emphasises the tangled mess of murders they remember, with their memory plucking them out, one by one.
Question 7: What is the irony contained in line 5? What emotion should it create?
The irony in line 5 of stanza 2 is created through the use of ‘lungs’. Lungs provide oxygen and allow life; however, in the case of the war they only bring death though aspects such as the mustard gas. Owen states the lungs previously ‘ …loved laughter…’ part of the irony is when he states earlier ‘...treading blood…", both of which can come from the lungs but have very different connotations.
Question 8: What is the purpose of the word “Always”?
The purpose of the word always is to capture how the men always have to relive what they have experienced. It is used almost as a repetition: “always they must hear and see them”, “always the batter of the guns and shatter of flying muscles”, they must always see the incomparable carnage. "Always" emphasises the pain that war has inflicted upon these men’s lives, as well as its never-ending nature.
Question 9: What is the purpose and effect of the internal rhyme of “batter” and “shatter”?
The purpose and effect of the internal rhyme of “batter” and “shatter” is to depict imagery to show the guns shooting and the limbs flying from the soldiers' bodies. This is
also an example of onomatopoeia as it shows the sound of the gun as it rattles loudly. It also emphasises the violence these men were exposed to through this imagery.
Question 10: What has been “rucked too thick” to be removed from these men? How is this responsible for their mental state?
Their experience within the war and the actions they had to commit to the opposing side, particularly with the waste of young lives ("human squander") and the sheer violence ("carnage incomparable"). These experiences were far too real and horrific for these men to extradite from their minds. This has tainted their consciences and minds, rendering them to their current mental state.
Question 11: The eyes and their use are referred to in all three stanzas. What does Owen intend by this?
The eyes are a both used as a literal sense and a metaphorical sense. Literally, it gives a sense of the haunted, tortured look of these men. Metaphorically, as with all the death they have seen with their own eyes, that they will never forget any of the images they experienced. It also illustrates that these men are constantly reliving the death of the fallen soldiers.
Question 12: How does the description of sunlight, night and dawn impact on these men? Why do you think the imagery of blood is repeated? What does the vision of these men at all times of the day show?
The changing of the sky is used as a metaphor of a injury that the soldiers suffered during the war and that they are suffering from a traumatisation so severe that they can only relate sunlight, night and dawn as the cycle of a wound. The imagery of blood is repeated to emphasise that the men who were involved in the traumatic situation would constantly see the sight of blood for days and this has imprinted on their minds and sight. This shows that these men now relive this: every moment of every day is a graphic reminder of the war they experienced.
Question 13: Why do you think Owen has used the alliterative oxymoron: “hilarious, hideous”?
Wilfred Owen uses the alliterative oxymoron “hilarious, hideous” to emphasise the imagery of the soldiers' faces to be completely crazy. The words "hilarious" and "hideous" juxtapose to create for the reader a strong sense of to what extent the experiences had an impact on their mentality. "Hilarious" is used ironically: usually a smile on the face could indicate hilarity, but here it is "hideous" because it is fixed on the face and there is no joy in that smile.
Question 14: What is the meaning of the metaphor “set-smiling corpses”?
This again emphasises the fixed smile on these men's faces. The metaphor of "corpses" revisits the idea that these men are the living dead, grins fixed in place like on a corpse.
Question 15: Why does Owen refer to the reader as “brother”?
Owen refers to the reader as ‘brother’ to create an emotional connection between the reader and the poem. By referring to the reader as ‘brother’, Owen invites them to understand the poem from a different perspective and relate to the text in a more personal manner. This, in turn, emphasises the shared responsibility of everyone who supported the war effort as they witness these shells of men.
Question 16: Why is Owen blaming himself and his companion for the state of these men?
As mentioned above, it is because there is a shared responsibility in the fate of these men. It is also a challenge to the government and others who promoted the propaganda of the time. There is also a sense of guilt, as if still having one's sanity after the war should be a source of shame, given the way these men's lives have been destroyed.
Question 17: There is a great sense of the loss of control and dehumanisation of these men. What is the purpose of this? Find four examples.
The purpose of the great sense of the loss of control and animalistic attributes of these men is to show how degraded and desperate they have become, to show how much their mental state have degenerated, so they act like wild animals. It also strips away their humanity. Four examples of these include “Drooping tongues...that slob their relish”, “Baring teeth that leer...", “Snatching after us....” and “…their eyeballs shrink tormented back into their brains...”
Question 18: There is also a great deal of violent imagery in the poem. Why do you think there are so many violent images provided?
The use of violent imagery is used to aid in understanding the violent and graphic scenes of the war and not just hear about them. It’s also used to put the reader into the young soldiers' shoes to help understand what these young men were put through and why it is still having such an intense impact on them..
Question 19: It is also a sensory poem. What senses are represented? Why do you think these are so specifically used?
The senses that are represented are sight eyeballs shrink tormented), taste (slob their relish), touch (through their hands’ palms), and sound (batter of guns). I think these are used in order to show how realistic these men are suffering and to give the reader an insight into what these men are experiencing even so long after the war. It also illustrates how all of their senses are engaged through their war experiences.
How to Write a Eulogy
Below are some websites that might help with writing a eulogy:
- This one presents a fairly logical, step-by-step process: http://dying.about.com/od/funeralsandmemorials/ht/write_a_eulogy.htm
- This one has some big picture ideas and a lot of really useful links: http://www.eulogyspeech.net/eulogy-writing/How-to-Write-a-Eulogy.shtml
- I really like this one. The writer is really clear and realistic. make sure you check the links on the left: http://www.eulogywriter.com.au/
- Less helpful ideas for writing a eulogy: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/157310/my-son-has-died-need-some-zoolander-references-for-the-eulogy
- This one presents a fairly logical, step-by-step process: http://dying.about.com/od/funeralsandmemorials/ht/write_a_eulogy.htm
- This one has some big picture ideas and a lot of really useful links: http://www.eulogyspeech.net/eulogy-writing/How-to-Write-a-Eulogy.shtml
- I really like this one. The writer is really clear and realistic. make sure you check the links on the left: http://www.eulogywriter.com.au/
- Less helpful ideas for writing a eulogy: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/157310/my-son-has-died-need-some-zoolander-references-for-the-eulogy
"Disabled" Analysis- completed by Year 12
Here students can contribute a line by line analysis of the poem. Again, staff can email Mr Baldwin at [email protected] for permission to edit.