Wilifred Owen Writes About Misconceptions of War in Disabled

Wilfred Owen, as one of the many young men who join the military during World War I, has his own misconceptions of war, but it does not take him long to realize what war is all about. Owen’s position quickly becomes an anti-war because of his personal experiences and observations during the Great War. Owen uses poetry to inform the public that war is not just about patriotism, gallantry, and glory but also about atrocity, cruelty, and destruction. Through his poetry, Owen critiques government officials, religious authorities and public figures, for glorifying the war and sending naïve young men to death and destruction. Examples of Owen’s anti-war sentiment and criticism of the public’s ignorance regarding war can be found in his poem, “Disabled” (Ward 23).

Owen writes, “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” (Ward 24), and illustrates the ignorance and naiveté of the young man in the poem. The young man does not know why he should join the military, but he joins anyway because somebody says he will look good in uniform and be admired by women. Owen is critical of civilians for encouraging naïve young men to join the military without making them aware of the potential consequences. Owen also points out the government’s disservice to the young man in the poem when he writes, “He asked to join. He didn’t have to beg; / Smiling they wrote his lie: aged nineteen years” (Ward 24). The officials do not care if the young man is of legal age to enlist or understands the consequences of his actions. All they care about is meeting their quota and sending soldiers to the front lines. In addition to the government, Owen also comments on the...

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...ng man who joined the military for the good things the military represents. He never understood or imagined the realities of war because no civilian truly understood enough to explain it to him. In addition, although the government officials knew the consequences of war, they chose not to advertise the drawbacks in order to keep their recruitment numbers high. Once Owen comes to this realization and recognizes his own misconceptions, he uses his poetry to degrade the glorified perception of war and inform young men of its consequences. He makes it clear that, while joining the military and leaving to go to war may appear to be an easy and patriotic thing to do, war is an unforgettable and often disabling experience.

Works Cited

Owen, Wilfred. “Disabled.” World War One British Poets. Ed. Candace Ward. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 1997. 23-24.