English - Disabled

Wilfred Owens poem 'Disabled' describes the life of an injured young soldier who is reflecting on his decision to join the war as his life crumbles in front of his eyes. The soldier symbolises many other young men who were drastically affected by war and their impulsive decisions. Owen uses a range of poetic techniques to convey ...question... He also explores the themes of regret, war, death and loneliness by highlighting the idea that an impulsive decision can dictate the rest of your life.

The poem starts abruptly with Owen stating that "he sat in a wheeled chair waiting for dark", this tells us that the man is disabled and is waiting to go to sleep. But the "he sat in a wheeled chair" implies that he is helpless and the "waiting for dark" symbolises that he is waiting for death and has nothing else to live for.

Owen continues on the idea that the soldier's life is miserable by saying "ghastly suit of grey". The alliteration with the 'g' is a harsh sound that emphasises how disgusting the suit is. But also the colour grey implies that something is dull and miserable, this symbolises the soldier's life. The writer uses a blunt description "legless sewn short at elbow" as he does not want to hide the truth and wants people to know the reality of war for many soldiers.

In stanza 2, Owen mentions the soldier's injuries again but he implies that the young man's decision to join the war was careless and he didn't know what he was getting into. This is suggested when he says, "before he threw away his knees", as this implies that he didn't expect it to happen. The word "threw" also conveys that the action was casual and reckless. Throughout the poem, Owen implies that the young man made a reckless decision however the soldier symbolises many other soldiers who have been left with these horrific outcomes because of one decision.

Soldiers would join the war because it was conveyed as this glorious and gratifying act but it was not as it seemed and the Government just wanted as many men as possible. "Smiling they wrote his lie: aged 19 years", even though the man was younger than 19 they didn't care because he was just another soldier to fight. "He was drafted out with drums and cheers", there were celebrations for the men going to make the men feel good. But when they came back "some cheered him home but not as crowds cheer Goal", authorities tried to cover the men up because men wouldn't want to join otherwise. It is ironic that when a young man fights for his country and has just lost his legs and an arm there is no welcome or celebration but when he would score a goal in his football they would be a massive celebration.

Owen implies that the war changes the soldier and that he sees himself differently. Instead of being this young, handsome, athletic, hero like he was before the war he perceives himself as an old man. This is shown through the quotes "younger than his youth last year" and "now, he is old". The idea of him feeling old continues when Owen states "he's lost his colour very far from here, poured it down shell-holes till the veins ran dry", this ghastly quotation implies that he has lost a lot of blood but it also symbolises that not only has he lost his blood but he has lost his life. Women also see the soldier differently, he used to be a handsome, 'ladies man' but now "all of them touch him like some queer disease." Owen uses this effective simile to convey how the soldier is not the same person anymore and that war changes you.

At the end of the third stanza, Owen writes the brusque phrase "leap of purple spurted from his thigh". This is ironic as in the next stanza Owen tells us "one time he liked a blood-smear down his leg". The extreme contrast is shown when after the football matches "carried shoulder-high" he is congratulated and the "blood smear" is a badge of honour while when the bomb exploded and he lost his legs it left him wretched and no one praised him. The reader can see that Owen hates the way soldiers were treated in the war and how the Government made the war seem like a glorious, noble act for your country when the reality was far from that.

Owen talks about the reasons why the soldier joined the war and instead of it being a heroic act of courage to stop the Germans he was pressured into it by a girl, persuaded by the clothes, did it to impress people and it was a careless reckless decision that many soldiers like him made. This is conveyed through many quotes, for example, "he thought he better join... to please his Meg", now that he is left with the consequences of war. She isn't there anymore. It is also implied when Owen states "someone had said he'd look a god in kilts", this ironic as wearing a kilt left his legs bare and that meant he had no protection especially for when his legs got blown off. But when he decided to join it was "after the matches... he thought he'd better join" just because he was a brave hero in football doesn't mean the war will be the same.

The tone is dark and sombre in the last two stanzas. When the young man came back injured, "only a solemn man who brought him fruits thanked him; and then enquired about his soul", this is dreadful to hear that the only person who went to see him was a priest who was preparing him for death. It is the last two lines "why don't they come and put him to bed? Why don't they come?" that is the most horrid to hear however they are a good conclusion to the end of the poem as they link back to the start "waiting for dark." Both of these quotes symbolises him waiting for death and the poem is just a cry for help as this is the reality of his life and what he has to live with like many other men. The themes are very prominent in the last stanzas as they are about him regretting his decision on going to war, feeling lonely in the institutes and his wanting to die.