![]() | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Wilfred Edward Salter Owen (1893 - 1918) is a remarkable poet whose work was inspired by the experience of the first World War. But unlike Rupert Brooke’s poems, his are neither patriotic, nor do they rage desperately against war like Seigfried Sassoon’s. Rather, Owen kept his vision undistorted by blind anger or unreasoning despair. He defined the subject of his poetry as ”the pity of War” (Preface)* and the aim as revealing ”the truth untold” (”Strange Meeting” 24) to the nonchalant civilians. Thus with unprecedented compassion, Owen exposed the ferocious realities of war and its effects on the human spirit in an attempt to shock the home front out of its complacency. For Owen the nation was divided into two: one division talks of war and whole-heartedly supports it, the other acts and suffers. Being one of those sufferers, Owen viewed his literary role as the voice of his fellow-men who were unable to articulate effectively their experiences of pain and agony. Owen’s unique voice was complemented by his experimental technical style of para-rhyme. This distinctive technique coupled with a prominent use of assonance and alliteration helped him in expressing the prevailing emotion of disgust, weariness, illusion, and insistence on the dismal realities of war that he was determined to drive home. Thus Owen’s verses represent a unique, emotional response to war and a masterful technical achievement. |