Mental Cases 

Wilfred Owen's poem "Mental Cases" exhibits several characteristics of modernist poetry:

1. Fragmented structure: The poem uses a disjointed, non-linear structure with abrupt shifts in perspective and imagery, reflecting the fragmented mental state of the soldiers it describes1.

2. Vivid, disturbing imagery: Owen employs grotesque and visceral imagery to convey the psychological trauma of war, a hallmark of modernist poetry's unflinching portrayal of harsh realities.

3. Stream of consciousness: The poem's flow mimics the chaotic thought processes of the traumatized soldiers, another modernist technique1.

4. Unconventional form: "Mental Cases" does not follow a traditional rhyme scheme or meter, breaking from conventional poetic forms in a typically modernist fashion1.

5. Focus on psychological states: The poem delves deep into the damaged psyches of war veterans, exploring inner turmoil and mental illness, which aligns with modernism's interest in psychological exploration.

6. Critique of societal values: By portraying the devastating effects of war on soldiers' minds, Owen challenges the glorification of war, reflecting modernism's questioning of traditional values.

7. Experimentation with language: Owen uses innovative language and syntax to create a sense of disorientation and horror, characteristic of modernist poetry

8. Intertextuality: The poem alludes to Dante's Inferno, incorporating literary references in a way that's common in modernist works1.

9. Emphasis on individual experience: The poem focuses on the personal, subjective experiences of the soldiers, rather than grand narratives, aligning with modernism's shift towards individual perspectives.

By employing these modernist techniques, Owen creates a powerful and disturbing portrayal of the psychological toll of war, challenging traditional poetic forms and societal attitudes in the process.

The purpose of Wilfred Owen's poem "Mental Cases" is to vividly depict the psychological trauma and suffering experienced by soldiers who have been mentally ravaged by the horrors of World War I. The poem aims to:

1. Portray the devastating mental effects of war: Owen uses graphic imagery to show how the soldiers' minds have been irreparably damaged by what they witnessed on the battlefield.

2. Evoke empathy and understanding: By describing the soldiers' tormented state in vivid detail, Owen seeks to generate compassion for these "mental cases" rather than dismissal or stigma.

3. Condemn the brutality of war: The poem serves as a powerful indictment of warfare by showcasing its long-lasting psychological consequences on those who fought.

4. Challenge glorified notions of war: Owen subverts traditional heroic depictions of soldiers by presenting a disturbing reality of broken men.

5. Raise awareness: At a time when "shell-shock" was poorly understood, the poem aims to bring attention to the very real mental health issues faced by veterans.

6. Create a visceral impact: Through its grotesque imagery and fragmented structure, the poem attempts to make readers feel a fraction of the horror and disorientation experienced by traumatised soldiers.

7. Memorialise the suffering: Owen immortalises the plight of these men, ensuring their psychological anguish is not forgotten or minimised.

By crafting such a powerful and unsettling portrait of war's psychological toll, Owen forces readers to confront the true human cost of conflict beyond just physical casualties.

Wilfred Owen's poem "Mental Cases" vividly reflects his personal experiences in World War I in several key ways:

1. Firstly-hand observation: The graphic, disturbing imagery in the poem stems from Owen's direct encounters with shell-shocked soldiers during his time at Craiglockhart War Hospital. He witnessed the psychological trauma of war victims firsthand.

2. Psychological impact: Owen himself suffered from shell shock (now known as PTSD). The fragmented structure and chaotic imagery of the poem mirror the disjointed mental state he experienced.

3. Empathy for fellow soldiers: Having been through combat, Owen could deeply empathise with the suffering of the "mental cases" he describes. This allows him to portray their anguish with haunting authenticity.

4. Disillusionment with war: The poem's stark portrayal of war's psychological toll reflects Owen's own disillusionment with the conflict and rejection of glorified notions of battle.

5. Medical knowledge: Owen's time at Craiglockhart exposed him to medical terminology and treatments for shell shock, which informs the clinical yet compassionate tone of the poem.

6. Survivor's guilt: The vivid depictions of tormented soldiers may reflect Owen's own feelings of guilt at surviving when many of his comrades did not.

7. Artistic purpose: Owen came to see his role as a poet as bearing witness to the true horrors of war. "Mental Cases" fulfills this mission by forcing readers to confront the devastating psychological impact of combat.

Structure in Disabled

Owen recounts the man’s life and present condition over seven stanzas of differing lengths. Sadness and despair are threaded through every verse:

Stanza one shows us the man in his wheel-chair. He is cold and motionless, waiting for the day to end. The poem is ‘bookended’ by the same scene in the final stanza, when the day has ended and he is left behind in the cold darkness

Stanza two introduces the sexual longing experienced by the wounded man. Recalling how girls ‘glanced lovelier’, he realises that he will never feel again the slimness of ‘Girls’ waists’ l.12

Stanza three juxtaposes the past handsomeness of the young man which had attracted the attentions of a painter with his current appearance – unable to sit up straight, devoid of limbs and colour, ‘half’ the man he was l.19

Stanza four depicts the youthful innocence of a lad more swayed by football, girls, glamour and alcohol than by any measured reflection about the cost of war. We learn that he was not yet nineteen and trying to impress a girlfriend (‘his Meg’ l.26, whose fickleness is conveyed by her absence from the man’s current situation). Now bitterly experienced, the man’s bewilderment and regret are captured by the understatement: ‘He wonders why.’

In stanza five Owen tells us that the disabled man had had no idea of the realities of warfare. He’d not previously experienced focused enmity or paralysing ‘Fear’ l.32; rather, he joined up for the uniform, comradeship and pay, cheered to the front by crowds and drums

The brief penultimate stanza details the man’s inactivity once wounded, merely the passive recipient of others’ unenthusiastic attentions

The final stanza reminds us that the ex-soldier is now permanently excluded from the ranks of those who are ‘strong’ and ‘whole’ l.44, unable even to go to bed unaided.

Time shifts

The opening stanza, which depicts activity eclipsed by stillness due to the passing of the hours, serves as a metaphor for the effects of time on the young man in the rest of the poem. There are many references that signal the past: ‘about this time’ l.7 / ‘in the old times’ l.10 / ‘one time’l.21. Owen’s triple use of ‘now’ pulls us back to the present. Each time the word appears at the start of the line. In l.11 and 16 it appears within the stanza and is the first word of the final stanza.

Versification

Rhyme

Owen’s rhyme scheme in Disabled is fairly regular with words rhyming within two or three lines of each other and within the stanza. However, he links the narrative from verse to verse by overlapping rhyme patterns into new stanzas. Thus, ‘grey’ and ‘day’ in stanza one rhyme with ‘gay’ in the second verse; ‘dry’ and ‘thigh’ in stanza three link to ‘shoulder–high’ in the next verse. The bringing together of veins running dry and the purple spurting thigh of the injured man with the 'shoulder-high’ triumph of his glory days distils the pity. 

Similarly, in l.35 (stanza five) the man is in his prime, one of the ‘young recruits’. This brave phrase is rhymed in the forlorn sixth verse with the ‘fruits’ he earned from his labours – not glory, but sympathy and a life (in stanza seven) of ‘sick years in institutes’. 

It is perhaps significant that l.12 ends with ‘hands’, which has no counter rhyme anywhere else in the poem. The warmth of the girls’ hands will never again be experienced by the disabled man.

Rhythm

Owen received a letter from Robert Graves criticising him for the irregularity of his line lengths and for daring to break with the poetic tradition which demanded a regular pattern. Graves told Owen that, despite Disabled being a ‘damn fine poem’, he must follow the rules:

‘Make new metres by all means, but one must observe the rules laid down by custom of centuries’.

Writing largely in pentameter, in lines 10 and 40 Owen introduces an extra foot. This serves to disrupt the narrative flow and halt the forward progress of the reader, just as it has halted the progress of the young soldier. 

In line 23 Owen adds an extra syllable, subtly focusing on the incoherence of a man who has drunk too much after a football match and signs up as a consequence. With too much time to reflect, indicated by the dash, the man is now bewildered at how things ended up as they did (‘- He wonders why.’ l.24). Owen evokes the halting search of the man’s memory for the reasons he went to war by employing frequent caesurae in the fourth stanza.

Though much of the metre is iambic, Owen reverses the opening feet of l.38 and 39 in the sixth stanza which helps create a sense of stasis after the rapid, rhythmic motion of the preceding lines, linked by a series of ‘and’s (l.33-6).

Wilfred Owen's use of imagery in "Mental Cases" reflects his own experiences in the war, particularly his time at Craiglockhart Military Hospital, where he was treated for shell shock.  He differs from other war poets through his focus on the psychological aftermath of war, employing grotesque and visceral imagery to depict the mental torment of soldiers.

The imagery in the poem is vivid and gruesome, capturing the psychological torment of soldiers who have been mentally ravaged by war. Here are some ways Owen's imagery reflects his experiences:

1. Grotesque, Hellish and Visceral Imagery: Owen describes the soldiers as "purgatorial shadows," with "drooping tongues from jaws that slob their relish" and "teeth that leer like skulls' tongues wicked" . This imagery emphasises the dehumanisation and mental anguish of the soldiers, portraying them as ghostly figures trapped between life and death.

2. Imagery of Pain and Suffering: The poem uses phrases like "stroke on stroke of pain" and "gouged these chasms round their fretted sockets" to depict the relentless physical and mental suffering of the soldiers . This imagery highlights the deep scars left by their traumatic experiences.

3. Blood Imagery: Owen frequently uses blood imagery to symbolise the pervasive violence and trauma. He describes "sunlight seems a blood-smear," "night comes blood-black," and "dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh" . This imagery suggests that the soldiers' entire world is stained with the blood of their experiences, and their mental anguish is unending.

4. Imagery of Madness and Horror: The soldiers are depicted as "men whose minds the Dead have ravished," wandering through "sloughs of flesh" and "treading blood from lungs that had loved laughter" . This imagery captures the haunting memories and psychological damage inflicted by the war, presenting a picture of life as a living hell.

5. Symbolism of Death and Madness: The imagery of "multitudinous murders" and "carnage incomparable" symbolizes the overwhelming death and madness that soldiers faced. Owen's own exposure to the horrors of war and the mental breakdowns of soldiers around him informed this imagery.

6. Lack of Romanticism: Owen's imagery starkly contrasts with the romanticized depictions of war found in earlier poetry. His use of graphic and unsettling images serves to dismantle any notions of glory, instead presenting war as a source of unending psychological trauma.

7. Psychological Focus: While many war poets describe the physical horrors of war, Owen delves deeply into the psychological effects, using imagery to illustrate the soldiers' mental deterioration and psychological torment. Phrases like "purgatorial shadows" and "multitudinous murders" convey the haunting memories and mental scars left by the war.

8. Dehumanisation and Objectification: Owen uses imagery to depict the soldiers as "purgatorial shadows" and "drooping tongues from jaws that slob their relish," emphasising their dehumanisation and objectification. This reflects society's failure to recognise the soldiers' humanity, viewing them instead as mere "cases" to be studied or managed. 

9. Critique of Responsibility: The poem implicates society in the soldiers' suffering by using imagery to show how they are "plucking at each other" and "snatching after us who smote them." This suggests that society, which sent them to war, is responsible for their madness and torment.

Through this vivid and unsettling imagery, Owen not only portrays the horrors faced by the soldiers but also critiques the societal structures that allowed such suffering to occur, urging readers to confront the true cost of war. Owen's unique use of imagery in "Mental Cases" effectively conveys the devastating impact of war on soldiers' mental health, illustrating their nightmarish existence and the inescapable horror of their memories.

Activity: Find an Example of each technique below- highight them in the Mental Cases poem in your  poetry booklet.  For each, comment on the effect of the technique in relation to the quote and connect them to either Owen's purpose, modernist elements or context. 

1. Rhetorical Question 

2. Interrogatory Tone

3. Grotesque Imagery 

4. Simile 

5. Oxymoron

6. Motif

7. Extended Metaphor

8. Sibilance 

9. personification 

10. caesura 

• • The Psychological Horrors of War
    “Mental Cases” is one of Wilfred Owen’s most graphic war poems, and was based on his first-hand experience in Scotland’s Craiglockhart Military Hospital. The poem is deeply critical of WWI, and argues that many young men's experiences in the conflict will go on to haunt them. These men—the “mental cases” of the poem's title—are so troubled by what they’ve been through that they've essentially become the living dead. The poem argues that the effects of war stretch far beyond the battlefield, and it condemns those who bear responsibility for this suffering and dehumanization. No cause, the poem implies, justifies the “carnage” and “madness” of modern conflict.
    The speaker describes the conditions inside a war hospital in gruesome detail in order to establish the horrific physical and mental consequences of war—particularly a war as deadly as WWI. The hospital is presented as a kind of "hell," the soldiers there so far removed from being their former selves that they don't even seem fully human.
    This idea reflected by the poem's focus on their individual body parts. The speaker never identifies another soldier by name, instead focusing on "tongues," "jaws," "hair," "palms," "eyeballs," and so on. This dehumanisation of the men speaks to the way that war itself has stripped them of their humanity. The focus on body parts also creates a shockingly horrific atmosphere, gesturing towards the gruesome injuries and deaths that were a daily fact of warfare.
    But these men are not just in the hospital for bodily injuries; these are the "mental cases" who are suffering the ongoing psychological torture inflicted on them by their wartime experiences. Though they have technically escaped the battlefield, their trauma lives within them like a parasite. And this inner war—the war that never ceases—is so overwhelming that the men can no longer properly function in the world.
    Instead, they sit there drooling, their eyes staring off into the distance, their hands twitching in spasms. The speaker attributes this to the way their minds have been “ravished” by “the Dead” (the word capitalized to represent them as a great, zombie-like horde). The poem implies that living after the war is perhaps a worse fate than dying during it, because the after-effects are so harrowing.
    For these men, then, life will never return to normal. When dawn breaks and brings a new day, it brings for them only purgatory—the ongoing pain of psychological suffering. And in its conclusion, the poem turns to the reader—“brother”—and suggests that it was “us” who dealt the men “war and madness.” This might refer to the collective failure of humanity that leads to war, or more specifically the initial enthusiasm for the war in Britain that led so many young men to sign up, expecting more of an adventurous holiday than either death or lifetime of psychological torture.