Summary of the poem Insensibility

Introduction to the author 

Wilfred Edward Salter Owen MC (18 March 1893-4 November 1918) was an English poet and soldier. He was one of the leading poets of the First World War. His war poetry on the horrors of trenches and gas warfare was much influenced by his mentor Siegfried Sassoon and stood in contrast to the public perception of war at the time and to the confidently patriotic verse written by earlier war poets such as Rupert Brooke. Among his best-known works most of which were published posthumously - are "Dulce et Decorum est", "Insensibility", "Anthem for Doomed Youth", "Futility", "Spring Offensive" and "Strange Meeting". Owen was killed in action on 4 November 1918, a week before the war's end, at the age of 25.

Summary of Insensibility 

Introduction:

Insensibility is a poem written by Wilfred Owen during the First World War which explores the effect of war fare on soldiers, and the long and short term psychological effects that it has on them.

Wilfred Owen's dual role:

The poet was well aware of his dual role in this most terrible war. First and for most of the time he was there to serve with and lead his men. Secondly, he wanted to record through poetry the pity of war, as someone pleading for sanity and compassion.

Unusual form of the poem:

'Insensibility' has an unusual form -six stanzas of varied which some is an ode-and some notable slant or para rhymes throughout. This poem has no obvious full rhyme scheme and no clear foundation of metre. There is a mix of iambic pentameter. It is similar to the steady marching rhythm of the men as they march in the battlefield.

Horrors of war:

The opening line indicates that the soldiers are happy inspite of knowing about their death. This is a shock to the reader. The soldiers are indifferent to death, even if their own blood in their veins is already cold. To survive the horrors of war, a soldier has to lack warmth and feeling and compassion, become a ruthless killing machine. The speaker is suggesting that they are very happy when compassion is absent. They turn into robots effectively. Their feet do not get sore on the cobbles. The cobbles are the actual skulls of the dead warriors.

Indifference of the array officers:

The men go on dying in the battlefield and fill the gaps between the dead bodies already present. The soldiers are like shelves and commodities. Once they are gone it is a simple matter of finding some more replacements. The generals, the officers and society do not care for this kind of pathos (Loss of lives).

Insensibility:

The soldiers are numb without feeling or any way of caring whether those incoming shells will hit them or not. Though there are chances of being killed easily they are insensible. A lad sings a song as he marches. The soldiers are able to laugh even as others die around them. Owen is ironic and mock at the beautitudes in the 'New Testament' where Christ addresses a large crowd.

Dullards:

The final stanza concentrates on those dullards, those civilians and senior army staff who are not at the fore front of the battle. They are not spoken of as wretched and incapable of pity. Dullards refer to the insensible soldiers. They are turned to stone. The poet's contempt towards the military high command, the politicians, the religious leaders and the people of England is effectively revealed in the poem.

Conclusion:

The main idea of the poem is to highlight the lack of sympathy towards our fellow-beings and the meaninglessness of the deaths caused by wars.