english quotes

“All a poet can do today is warn.”

Owen says his job is to show the truth about war, not to glorify it.

“He sat in a wheeled chair, waiting for dark.”

– Disabled

A young soldier, now injured and forgotten — shows the lasting damage of war.

“But nothing happens.”

Repeated often — shows boredom, fear, and pointlessness of war.

“Behind the wagon that we flung him in.”

No dignity in death — just thrown into a cart like trash.

“My subject is War, and the pity of War.”

This is what Owen wanted his poems to do: show the pity, not the glory.

“And no one seemed to care.”

– Disabled

A direct line that shows how forgotten wounded soldiers feel after the war.

“The stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle”

Alliteration and onomatopoeia — mimics the fast, violent sound of machine guns.

Thud! Flump! Thud!”

The sound of shellfire and injury — jarring.

Knock-kneed, coughing like hags.”

Unheroic image of soldiers — weak and broken.

“He thought he’d better join. He wonders why.”

Now realises how pointless and damaging war was — no gain, only loss.