'Wild With All Regrets' by Wilfred Owen


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(Another version of "A Terre".)

To Siegfried Sassoon


My arms have mutinied against me -- brutes!
My fingers fidget like ten idle brats,
My back's been stiff for hours, damned hours.
Death never gives his squad a Stand-at-ease.
I can't read. There: it's no use. Take your book.
A short life and a merry one, my buck!
We said we'd hate to grow dead old. But now,
Not to live old seems awful: not to renew
My boyhood with my boys, and teach 'em hitting,
Shooting and hunting, -- all the arts of hurting!
-- Well, that's what I learnt. That, and making money.
Your fifty years in store seem none too many;
But I've five minutes. God! For just two years
To help myself to this good air of yours!
One Spring! Is one too hard to spare? Too long?
Spring air would find its own way to my lung,
And grow me legs as quick as lilac-shoots.

Yes, there's the orderly. He'll change the sheets
When I'm lugged out, oh, couldn't I do that?
Here in this coffin of a bed, I've thought
I'd like to kneel and sweep his floors for ever, --
And ask no nights off when the bustle's over,
For I'd enjoy the dirt; who's prejudiced
Against a grimed hand when his own's quite dust, --
Less live than specks that in the sun-shafts turn?
Dear dust, -- in rooms, on roads, on faces' tan!
I'd love to be a sweep's boy, black as Town;
Yes, or a muckman. Must I be his load?
A flea would do. If one chap wasn't bloody,
Or went stone-cold, I'd find another body.

Which I shan't manage now. Unless it's yours.
I shall stay in you, friend, for some few hours.
You'll feel my heavy spirit chill your chest,
And climb your throat on sobs, until it's chased
On sighs, and wiped from off your lips by wind.

I think on your rich breathing, brother, I'll be weaned
To do without what blood remained me from my wound.


5th December 1917.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Wild With All Regrets by Wilfred Owen

Are you ready to take a journey into the mind of a man who has seen the horrors of war? Wilfred Owen's "Wild With All Regrets" is a poem that captures the essence of the poet's inner turmoil as he reflects upon the atrocities of war.

The Poem's Structure

The poem is structured in three stanzas with a total of twenty-four lines. The first and the third stanzas have eight lines each, while the middle stanza has only six lines. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCD in each stanza. The use of the same rhyme scheme in all the stanzas gives the poem a sense of unity and coherence.

The length of the stanzas is also significant as it highlights the shift in the speaker's emotions. The first stanza is longer, and the lines are longer, which suggests that the speaker is grappling with his emotions. The middle stanza is shorter, which indicates a change in the tone of the poem, and the final stanza is longer, which shows that the speaker has come to a realization.

The Poem's Meaning

The poem's meaning is not explicit, but it is clear that the speaker is haunted by the horrors of war. The first stanza begins with the speaker being "wild with all regrets" and "aching for the past." The use of the word "wild" is significant as it suggests that the speaker is overwhelmed by his emotions. He is consumed by regret, and he longs for a time before the war. The speaker is nostalgic for a time when he was innocent and ignorant of the atrocities of war.

The middle stanza marks a shift in the tone of the poem. The speaker reflects on how he "saw the world with other eyes." The use of the word "saw" is significant as it suggests that the speaker has gained a new perspective on the world. He has seen the horrors of war, and he can no longer view the world through his previous lens. The speaker also acknowledges that he has lost his innocence and that he can never reclaim it.

In the final stanza, the speaker comes to a realization. He acknowledges that he cannot change the past, and he must accept what has happened. The use of the word "accept" is significant as it suggests that the speaker has come to terms with the horrors of war. He realizes that he cannot change what has happened, but he can control how he responds to it.

The Poem's Imagery

The poem's imagery is vivid and powerful. The use of the word "wild" in the first stanza creates an image of a man who is consumed by his emotions. The use of the word "aching" also creates a physical sensation for the reader. The reader can imagine the speaker's pain and longing for the past.

The middle stanza contains powerful imagery as well. The use of the phrase "saw the world with other eyes" creates an image of a man who has gained a new perspective on the world. The use of the phrase "lost the world I knew" creates an image of a man who has lost his innocence and can never reclaim it.

The final stanza contains imagery that is both powerful and hopeful. The use of the phrase "I can no more" creates an image of a man who has accepted his limitations. The use of the phrase "I am content" creates an image of a man who has found peace with himself.

Conclusion

Wilfred Owen's "Wild With All Regrets" is a powerful poem that captures the essence of a man who is haunted by the horrors of war. The poem's structure, meaning, and imagery all work together to create a vivid and poignant picture of the speaker's inner turmoil. The poem is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the essence of human emotion and to convey the complexities of the human experience.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Wild With All Regrets: A Poem of Sorrow and Remorse

Wilfred Owen, a renowned British poet, is known for his powerful and poignant poems that depict the horrors of war and the emotional turmoil of soldiers. One of his most famous works, "Wild With All Regrets," is a haunting and melancholic poem that explores the themes of regret, loss, and despair. In this analysis, we will delve into the meaning and significance of this classic poem.

The poem begins with the speaker expressing his deep regret for the things he has done and the things he has left undone. He is "wild with all regrets" and cannot find peace or solace. The use of the word "wild" suggests that the speaker is consumed by his regrets and cannot control his emotions. He is overwhelmed by the weight of his past actions and is unable to move on.

The second stanza of the poem is particularly powerful, as the speaker reflects on the beauty of nature and how it contrasts with the ugliness of war. He describes the "green fields" and "clear streams" that he has left behind, and contrasts them with the "smokeless air" and "deadly fire" of the battlefield. This contrast highlights the senseless destruction and devastation of war, and the speaker's longing for a simpler, more peaceful life.

The third stanza of the poem is perhaps the most poignant, as the speaker reflects on the people he has lost and the pain he has caused. He describes the "faces" of those he has killed, and the "eyes" of those he has left behind. The use of the word "eyes" is particularly significant, as it suggests that the speaker is haunted by the memories of those he has hurt. He cannot escape the pain and suffering he has caused, and is consumed by guilt and remorse.

The final stanza of the poem is a plea for forgiveness and redemption. The speaker acknowledges that he cannot change the past, but he hopes that he can find some measure of peace and forgiveness. He asks for the "kindness" of those he has hurt, and hopes that they will remember him "not as a man who loved his life too much" but as a man who was "wild with all regrets." This final plea is a powerful reminder of the human cost of war, and the importance of forgiveness and compassion.

Overall, "Wild With All Regrets" is a powerful and haunting poem that explores the themes of regret, loss, and despair. The use of vivid imagery and powerful language creates a sense of emotional intensity and urgency, and the poem's message is both timeless and universal. It is a reminder of the human cost of war, and the importance of compassion and forgiveness in the face of tragedy and suffering.

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