The Dead-Beat Wilfred Owen Celine and Ardelia

Language  Slang terms and language  ‘Dead-beat’; “I’ll do ‘em in”; stiffs; ‘Doc’  Experience of real soldiers  Similes  ‘stupid like a cod’; ‘heavy like meat’  Useless, inanimate; dehumanised, treated like an animal (that is dead)  Criticising women (and uncles) at home during the war  ‘brave young wife’; ‘improved materially’  Mocking, cynical  Slang terms and language  ‘Dead-beat’; “I’ll do ‘em in”; stiffs; ‘Doc’  Experience of real soldiers  Similes  ‘stupid like a cod’; ‘heavy like meat’  Useless, inanimate; dehumanised, treated like an animal (that is dead)  Criticising women (and uncles) at home during the war  ‘brave young wife’; ‘improved materially’  Mocking, cynical

Language  ‘nor the Hun ’  Propaganda: Germans portrayed as barbaric  Even though the ‘Hun’ are the enemy, it’s the women at home that ‘have crazed him’  Explaining ambiguity in previous stanza (“I’ll murder them”).  Lack of sympathy  ‘We sent him down at last, out of the way ’  At first it sounds like they are relieved he is getting help, but they are actually just relieved to get rid of him  ‘Stretcher-bearers winked ’; ‘well-whiskied laugh ’; ‘scum’; ‘HOORAY!’  Description of his physical health: ‘Unwounded’; ‘stout’  Find the man’s suffering funny; not taken seriously  Includes himself in the story  ‘none of us ’; ‘blinked at my revolver’; ‘ We sent him down’  Sharing the guilt  ‘nor the Hun ’  Propaganda: Germans portrayed as barbaric  Even though the ‘Hun’ are the enemy, it’s the women at home that ‘have crazed him’  Explaining ambiguity in previous stanza (“I’ll murder them”).  Lack of sympathy  ‘We sent him down at last, out of the way ’  At first it sounds like they are relieved he is getting help, but they are actually just relieved to get rid of him  ‘Stretcher-bearers winked ’; ‘well-whiskied laugh ’; ‘scum’; ‘HOORAY!’  Description of his physical health: ‘Unwounded’; ‘stout’  Find the man’s suffering funny; not taken seriously  Includes himself in the story  ‘none of us ’; ‘blinked at my revolver’; ‘ We sent him down’  Sharing the guilt

Form  a-b-b-a rhyme scheme in first 4 lines  Iambic pentameter  Irregularities highlight the disturbing situations  ‘Bold uncles, smiling ministerially’; ‘Unwounded’; “Not half.”  Pararhyme: ‘stra f e’ and ‘lau gh ’  Link between suffering and mockery  a-b-b-a rhyme scheme in first 4 lines  Iambic pentameter  Irregularities highlight the disturbing situations  ‘Bold uncles, smiling ministerially’; ‘Unwounded’; “Not half.”  Pararhyme: ‘stra f e’ and ‘lau gh ’  Link between suffering and mockery

Structure  Different voices  Owen’s own voice: shared guilt  ‘low voice’: most understanding  Longest ‘dialog’, in the middle of the poem; most important message  ‘Stretcher-bearers’ and doctor: unsympathetic, disgust  End of the poem, also end of the soldier’s life  Shocking ending, leaving readers with a lasting impression  Different voices  Owen’s own voice: shared guilt  ‘low voice’: most understanding  Longest ‘dialog’, in the middle of the poem; most important message  ‘Stretcher-bearers’ and doctor: unsympathetic, disgust  End of the poem, also end of the soldier’s life  Shocking ending, leaving readers with a lasting impression

Tone  Ambiguous  Title  “I’ll murder them ”  “That scum you sent last night soon died.”  Cynical  ‘ Bold uncle’  ‘ brave young wife, getting her fun.’  ‘Malingering?’  Ambiguous  Title  “I’ll murder them ”  “That scum you sent last night soon died.”  Cynical  ‘ Bold uncle’  ‘ brave young wife, getting her fun.’  ‘Malingering?’

Background  Incident he witnessed in France  First poem written after meeting Siegfried Sassoon ; strong influence  Developed while at Craiglockhart  Incident he witnessed in France  First poem written after meeting Siegfried Sassoon ; strong influence  Developed while at Craiglockhart

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