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Wilfred Owen Aimed to Convey ‘the Pity of War’ in His Poetry.

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Owen, being a Soilder in World War 1, and experiencing many horrific outcomes that came along, was also a writer and used his knowledge of war for his poetry. His creativity mainly began after recovering from shellshock in hospital, where he had possibly met others in the same position as him, or worse. Owen had seen much through the time of war, and expressed his feelings and thoughts of this through his poetry. He was also influenced by other poets such as Rupert Brooke. Owen’s melancholic poem ‘Disabled’ explores the results and the pity of war, describing the story of a young man as easily fooled by the propaganda as everyone else and lives the consequences of the act of going to war underaged. He returns with nothing but regret and …show more content…

However ‘for it was younger than his youth last year’ illustrates the reverse in which before he looked younger than his youth, yet now he looks older than he should. Owen compares him to an old man with the metaphor and alliteration ‘now he is old, his back will never brace.’ The reader is now aware of how the solider has transitioned from quickly being an attractive young man to a man in only a year has metaphorically grown of old age.

The last stanza in ‘Disabled’ is showing the solider in his present situation and his current eerie thoughts. Owen expresses the solider will ‘do what things the rules consider wise’ therefore doing as he is told and ‘take whatever pity they may dole.’ We realise he has accepted the pity he will receive, however deep inside he still feels depressed about ‘how the woman’s eyes passed from him to the strong men that were whole.’ He will never be or feel whole again or receive positive looks from woman. The repetition of woman throughout the poem makes the reader realise how woman were an important aspect of his life, and are now a constant reminder of his mistake. The propaganda slogan ‘will they ever come’ has effectively been linked to Owens poetry by using irony as he adds on the last 2 lines of the stanza ‘How cold and late it is! Why don’t they come and put him to bed? Why don’t they come?’
Throughout ‘disabled’ Owen has successfully depicted the pity of war and the way a simple rash decision could change a young man’s life

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