'Insensibility' by Wilfred Owen
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I
Happy are men who yet before they are killed
Can let their veins run cold.
Whom no compassion fleers
Or makes their feet
Sore on the alleys cobbled with their brothers.
The front line withers,
But they are troops who fade, not flowers
For poets' tearful fooling:
Men, gaps for filling
Losses who might have fought
Longer; but no one bothers.
II
And some cease feeling
Even themselves or for themselves.
Dullness best solves
The tease and doubt of shelling,
And Chance's strange arithmetic
Comes simpler than the reckoning of their shilling.
They keep no check on Armies' decimation.
III
Happy are these who lose imagination:
They have enough to carry with ammunition.
Their spirit drags no pack.
Their old wounds save with cold can not more ache.
Having seen all things red,
Their eyes are rid
Of the hurt of the colour of blood for ever.
And terror's first constriction over,
Their hearts remain small drawn.
Their senses in some scorching cautery of battle
Now long since ironed,
Can laugh among the dying, unconcerned.
IV
Happy the soldier home, with not a notion
How somewhere, every dawn, some men attack,
And many sighs are drained.
Happy the lad whose mind was never trained:
His days are worth forgetting more than not.
He sings along the march
Which we march taciturn, because of dusk,
The long, forlorn, relentless trend
From larger day to huger night.
V
We wise, who with a thought besmirch
Blood over all our soul,
How should we see our task
But through his blunt and lashless eyes?
Alive, he is not vital overmuch;
Dying, not mortal overmuch;
Nor sad, nor proud,
Nor curious at all.
He cannot tell
Old men's placidity from his.
VI
But cursed are dullards whom no cannon stuns,
That they should be as stones.
Wretched are they, and mean
With paucity that never was simplicity.
By choice they made themselves immune
To pity and whatever mourns in man
Before the last sea and the hapless stars;
Whatever mourns when many leave these shores;
Whatever shares
The eternal reciprocity of tears.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Insensibility by Wilfred Owen: A Poem of Desensitized War
Wilfred Owen's "Insensibility" is a poem that speaks to the desensitization of war, both on the part of soldiers and society as a whole. Written during World War I, the poem challenges the romanticized notions of war prevalent at the time and exposes the harsh realities of battle. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will delve deep into the themes and imagery of this timeless poem, exploring how Owen's use of language and structure effectively convey his message.
The Poem
Before we analyze the poem, let us first read it in its entirety:
Insensibility
Happy are men who yet before they are killed
Can let their veins run cold.
Whom no compassion fleers
Or makes their feet
Sore on the alleys cobbled with their brothers.
The front line withers,
But they are troops who fade, not flowers
For poets' tearful fooling:
Men, gaps for filling
Losses who might have fought
Longer; but no one bothers.
And some cease feeling
Even themselves or for themselves.
Dullness best solves
The tease and doubt of shelling,
And Chance's strange arithmetic
Comes simpler than the reckoning of their shilling.
They keep no check on armies' decimation.
Happy are these who lose imagination:
They have enough to carry with ammunition.
Their spirit drags no pack.
Their old wounds, save with cold, can not more ache.
Having seen all things red,
Their eyes are rid
Of the hurt of the colour of blood for ever.
And terror's first constriction over,
Their hearts remain small drawn.
Their senses in some scorching cautery of battle
Now long since ironed,
Can laugh among the dying, unconcerned.
Happy the soldier home, with not a notion
How somewhere, every dawn, some men attack,
And many sighs are drained.
Happy the lad whose mind was never trained
To reason about war; whose fingers itch
For the trigger of his rifle
But who stands, the vigilant one,
Observing, observing all,
Inclusive of the suffering.
Happy the one who doth not feel
The clamour of the world,--
Whether on the historic page
Or in the scroll of fleeting engravings
Wicked this way comes
Or benevolent.
Happy the one who slumbers
Peacefully and well,
At home among his friends.
The Poems of Wilfred Owen. Ed. Jon Stallworthy. New York: W. W. Norton, 1986.
Analysis
The Structure
The poem consists of five stanzas that are each composed of varying numbers of lines. The first stanza, for example, has six lines, while the fourth has ten. The rhyme scheme is a loose ABABCC pattern, with variations throughout the poem. Owen also makes use of enjambment, where a line of poetry ends without punctuation, continuing onto the next line. This creates a flow that mimics the continuous and unrelenting nature of war.
The Themes
The overarching theme of the poem is the desensitization of war. Owen portrays soldiers who have become emotionally numb, a state that is both a blessing and a curse. The first stanza introduces the idea of soldiers who are "happy" because they have become desensitized to the horrors of war. They are able to "let their veins run cold" and not feel any compassion for their fallen comrades. The second stanza continues this theme, describing soldiers who have "cease(d) feeling/Even themselves or for themselves." They are dull and indifferent to the dangers around them.
The third stanza shifts the focus to the society at large. The soldiers are no longer seen as individuals but are instead "gaps for filling/Losses who might have fought/Longer; but no one bothers." Owen suggests that society is apathetic towards the men who have sacrificed their lives for their country. The fourth stanza returns to the soldiers, describing those who have lost their imagination and are left only with their ammunition. They are "rid/Of the hurt of the colour of blood for ever" and are able to "laugh among the dying, unconcerned."
The final stanza brings the poem full circle, suggesting that those who have not experienced war are the lucky ones. They are "happy the lad whose mind was never trained/To reason about war" and "the one who doth not feel/The clamour of the world." Owen implies that the desensitization of war is something that is learned, and therefore, those who have not been exposed to it are better off.
The Imagery
Owen's use of imagery is very effective in conveying the desensitization of war. The first stanza, for example, describes soldiers who are walking on "alleys cobbled with their brothers." The use of the word "brothers" creates a familial bond between the soldiers, but the fact that they are walking on their fallen comrades highlights the dehumanization that comes with war. The second stanza describes soldiers who have become so dull that "Chance's strange arithmetic/Comes simpler than the reckoning of their shilling." The use of the word "shilling" emphasizes the monetary nature of war and how soldiers are reduced to a mere commodity.
In the third stanza, society is portrayed as apathetic towards the soldiers. They are seen as "losses who might have fought/Longer; but no one bothers." The use of the word "bothers" suggests that society is indifferent to the sacrifices made by soldiers. The fourth stanza describes soldiers who have lost their imagination and are left only with their ammunition. They are no longer able to feel the "hurt of the colour of blood" and are able to "laugh among the dying, unconcerned." The use of the word "laugh" is particularly powerful, as it highlights the callousness that comes with desensitization.
The final stanza brings the poem full circle, suggesting that those who have not experienced war are the lucky ones. They are "happy the lad whose mind was never trained/To reason about war" and "the one who doth not feel/The clamour of the world." The use of the word "clamour" suggests that war is a noisy and chaotic event, and those who have not experienced it are spared from this.
Interpretation
Owen's "Insensibility" challenges the romanticized notions of war prevalent at the time and exposes the harsh realities of battle. The soldiers in the poem have become desensitized to the horrors of war, and this desensitization is both a blessing and a curse. While it allows them to endure the horrors of war, it also dehumanizes them and makes them indifferent to the suffering around them.
The poem also suggests that society is apathetic towards the sacrifices made by soldiers. They are seen as mere commodities, and their sacrifices are not valued. This lack of recognition and appreciation is emotionally damaging to soldiers and contributes to their desensitization.
Overall, Owen's use of language and structure effectively convey the message that war is a brutal and inhumane event that destroys not only the physical but also the emotional well-being of soldiers. The poem serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by soldiers and the emotional toll that war takes on them.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Wilfred Owen's "Insensibility" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores the nature of war and its impact on the human psyche. Written during World War I, the poem reflects Owen's own experiences as a soldier and his deep sense of disillusionment with the war and its effects on those who fought in it. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language used in the poem to understand its meaning and significance.
The poem is divided into two parts, each consisting of four stanzas. The first part describes the benefits of insensibility, or the ability to become numb to the horrors of war. The second part explores the consequences of this insensibility and the loss of humanity that it entails.
The first stanza of the poem sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The speaker asks, "Happy are men who yet before they are killed / Can let their veins run cold." This opening line immediately establishes the theme of death and the idea that it is better to be numb to the horrors of war than to feel them deeply. The speaker goes on to describe the benefits of insensibility, such as the ability to sleep soundly and to be free from fear and pain.
The second stanza continues this theme, describing the benefits of being "numb as a smashed arm." The speaker suggests that those who are able to become numb to the horrors of war are better off than those who feel deeply. The imagery of a smashed arm is particularly powerful, as it suggests a physical injury that has rendered the arm useless. This image reinforces the idea that insensibility is a kind of injury, but one that is beneficial in the context of war.
The third stanza takes a different turn, exploring the idea that insensibility can be achieved through drugs or alcohol. The speaker suggests that those who are able to become numb through these means are better off than those who cannot. However, the speaker also acknowledges that this kind of insensibility is temporary and that the horrors of war will eventually catch up with those who use drugs or alcohol to escape them.
The fourth stanza of the first part of the poem is perhaps the most powerful. The speaker suggests that those who are able to become numb to the horrors of war are like gods, able to look down on the suffering of others without feeling anything. The imagery of the gods is particularly striking, as it suggests a kind of detachment from humanity that is both desirable and terrifying.
The second part of the poem explores the consequences of insensibility. The first stanza of this part begins with the line, "And some cease feeling / Even themselves or for themselves." This line suggests that insensibility can lead to a loss of self-awareness and a detachment from one's own emotions. The speaker goes on to describe the consequences of this loss, such as the inability to feel love or joy.
The second stanza continues this theme, exploring the idea that insensibility can lead to a loss of empathy for others. The speaker suggests that those who are able to become numb to the horrors of war are no longer able to feel compassion for others, even those who are suffering alongside them. The imagery of "the dead that are increased" is particularly powerful, as it suggests a kind of callousness towards death and suffering.
The third stanza takes a different turn, exploring the idea that insensibility can lead to a loss of creativity and imagination. The speaker suggests that those who are able to become numb to the horrors of war are no longer able to appreciate the beauty of the world around them or to create anything new. The imagery of "the sunsets and the doves" is particularly striking, as it suggests a kind of innocence and beauty that is lost to those who are numb to the world.
The final stanza of the poem brings all of these themes together, suggesting that insensibility is ultimately a kind of death. The speaker suggests that those who are able to become numb to the horrors of war are no longer truly alive, but are instead "stone[s] of the mind." The imagery of the stone is particularly powerful, as it suggests a kind of permanence and immutability that is both desirable and terrifying.
In conclusion, Wilfred Owen's "Insensibility" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores the nature of war and its impact on the human psyche. Through its use of powerful imagery and language, the poem suggests that insensibility is both desirable and terrifying, and that it ultimately leads to a loss of humanity and creativity. As we continue to grapple with the horrors of war in our own time, this poem remains a powerful reminder of the costs of conflict and the importance of empathy and compassion in the face of suffering.
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