Wilfred Owen's Disabled: Analysis of Style and Structure

Wilfred Owen's Disabled: A Poetic Analysis

"Disabled" is a potent and strong poem, mainly because of the style and structure that Wilfred Owen utilized. Harsh words are used subtly to emphasize the meaning behind the poem: the man is wearing a "ghastly suit of grey," showing his morbid and depressed state of mind. Sleep "mothers" him from the laughter and noises of young boys, suggesting that he no longer finds the pleasures of life worth living for and prefers the temporary respite sleep provides.

Regret and Vanity

He regrets "throwing" away his knees, suggesting—and later confirming—that the ideas and inspirations behind joining the war were not as patriotic or loyal as they should have been; his vanity has now left him a cripple. The girls all touch him like a "queer" disease. During that era, the word "queer" was starting to be used to describe homosexuals; to think his social standing is the same as those considered, in those times, to be an "unnatural blasphemy" is extremely revealing regarding how people perceived disabled individuals.

Symbolism of Vitality

The imagery of his life bleeding out of him through the wound on his thigh, and the use of the word "purple" (a color denoting life and vitality), shows that the ordeal the soldier endured when he was injured had a deep impact on him. He no longer feels alive or has any desire to live.

The Sports Analogy

The analogy drawn between playing sports and being a soldier in a war, though by no means new, is nevertheless effective. Along with highlighting the egoistic and vain motives the man had for joining the army, it also acts as a reminder that his pride caused the loss of the very things he was proud of:

• He would never again run in a field or score a winning goal.
• He would never again be praised for being a hero.
• He is now only pitied endlessly for being a cripple.

The things he used to boast about—the wounds received in a match and being carried on the shoulders of his teammates—have become permanent sources of sorrow. He no longer has his legs and cannot help but be carried around helplessly. This contrast is both chilling and distressing.