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The Dead Beat

The Dead Beat. by Wilfred Owen. Grace Masters Analysis . Background. One of the earliest of Owen's "war" poems (Craiglockhart - August 1917) but revised at Ripon the following year, it was also among the first to be published after the war.

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The Dead Beat

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  1. The Dead Beat by Wilfred Owen Grace Masters Analysis

  2. Background • One of the earliest of Owen's "war" poems (Craiglockhart - August 1917) but revised at Ripon the following year, it was also among the first to be published after the war. • After meeting Siegfried Sassoon twice Owen decided to write something in his style. “The Dead Beat” bears all the marks of Siegfried Sassoon's influence; the attacking style, dramatic form, and the colloquial diction.

  3. What’s it all about? • Wilfred Owen recounts an episode in the trenches, where a fellow soldier’s mind suffers as a result of the war (shell-shock). • He is accused of malingering (skiving) by others. • Although not physically wounded, he mysteriously dies the next day. • The poem highlights the irony that the soldier is in conflict, not just with the enemy, but with those on his own side as well.

  4. What’s it all about? • He is telling the story of a man who gives up in the war and loses his mind. • He will not fight so he is worthless to the army. • They are as glad he died as if he had been an enemy. • They forget about the "bold uncles" in England, politicians, conscientious objectors and others who will not fight, and pour out their hatred on this one man. • They don't believe anything is wrong with him, and then he dies.

  5. Style and Structure • Italian sonnet (abba) – used to make the poem more passionate • The action is contained within 4 irregular rhymed stanzas • Iambic pentameter is used (broken rhythmically) • Censura (a natural pause or breathing space within the line, “–”.) This rather disjointed effect fits the disturbing nature of the theme.

  6. Simile highlights how useless the soldier is Use of this simile suggests that men were seen as no more than meat in those times Owen includes himself in the bad treatment of the soldier. He dropped, -- more sullenly than wearily,Lay stupid like a cod, heavy like meat,And none of us could kick him to his feet;Just blinked at my revolver, blearily;-- Didn't appear to know a war was on,Or see the blasted trench at which he stared."I'll do 'em in," he whined, "If this hand's spared,I'll murder them, I will." Illustrates the violence of ordinary trench-life ‘Them’ - is he referring to the Germans or to those in the following stanzas? Soldier is past caring

  7. He sees England and all the people left behind – “Blighty” – colloquialism for England. Courage/fighting spirit A low voice said,"It's Blighty, p'raps, he sees; his pluck's all gone,Dreaming of all the valiant, that AREN'T dead:Bold uncles, smiling ministerially;Maybe his brave young wife, getting her funIn some new home, improved materially.It's not these stiffs have crazed him; nor the Hun." Uncles suggest that his wife is having fun, perhaps with other men, in a house paid for by the soldier Bitterness/sarcasm at the ‘bold’ (brave) uncles safe at home? It isn't the dead people or fear of the Germans that makes him give up; it's the idea of England and home.

  8. Accused of skiving, not being brave; highlights the lack of sympathy towards the man. Highlights the physical fitness of the man; yet, still he died We sent him down at last, out of the way.Unwounded; -- stout lad, too, before that strafe.Malingering?  Stretcher-bearers winked, "Not half!"Next day I heard the Doc.'s well-whiskied laugh:"That scum you sent last night soon died.  Hooray!" Highlights how worthless this man has become because he will not fight. Leaves the reader with a disgusted feeling Again, sarcasm & bitterness: the contrast of the Doctor’s better conditions to the life of the soldiers in the trenches. The reaction of those we would expect to be caring shocks us Strong language shows how little even the doctors at the front knew about the mental effects the war had on front-line soldiers.

  9. Other Techniques • Alliteration – not used very much, however; - (line 1) “sullenly …wearily” - (line 5) “war was” - (line 17) “Stretcher-bearers” - (line 18) “well-whiskied” • (line 2) “Lay stupid like a cod, heavy like meat…” (Simile as well as body imagery)

  10. Why is the man dead-beat?(a further explanation) • “It’s not these stiffs have crazed him; nor the Hun.” (line 14) If this is true, than it’s not the exposure to war that destroyed him ( like in Owen’s poem Exposure) but perhaps news from home of “his young wife, getting her fun …” (line 12) Owen deeply disapproved and dispraised of these women (which is unfair in most cases as people forget that soldiers were not the only ones who suffered during this time including countless wives, girlfriends, and mothers who had cause to weep.) • Going back to when Owen mentions “the Hun” ( the German) – If its barbarians we’re looking for, we’ll mot find them here among the Germans. What remark is more barbaric than the “wink” of the stretcher-bearers or the Doc’s “laugh.” They find it amusing! These are supposed to be the life-savers, men engaged in acts of mercy! • The dreadful irony is that he who is “dead-beat” through no fault of his own should be in conflict, not with the enemy he’s been sent to fight, but with those who belong on his OWN side!

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