Wilfred Owen was a soldier who knew first hand how the war took a toll on the body and mind. ... Owen's realistic descriptions form the foundation of the poem. It is the last few lines of the forth stanza that Owen points out that war is not all glory and honor. ... Owen continues the poem by giving accounts as to why the soldier joined the military in the beginning. ... Wilfred Owen's typically graphic depictions of war have in this poem become subtly nuanced images of alienation, emasculation, and potential pathology" (Pigg, 92). ...

• Word Count: 1643
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School