New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Understanding ideas of war and isolation in Owen's ‘Disabled’

I can understand how Owen presents ideas of war and isolation in ‘Disabled’.

New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Understanding ideas of war and isolation in Owen's ‘Disabled’

I can understand how Owen presents ideas of war and isolation in ‘Disabled’.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Wilfred Owen is widely considered to be one of the most important WW1 poets.
  2. Arguably, Owen’s poetry reveals the horror and futility of war.
  3. ‘Disabled’ focuses on an injured soldier in the aftermath of WW1.
  4. We might read ‘Disabled’ as demonstrating how the young men who enlisted did not know what they were signing up for.
  5. We might see ‘Disabled’ as exploring the loss of identity and isolation of soldiers in the aftermath of war.

Keywords

  • Enlist - enrol or be enrolled in the armed services

  • Aftermath - the period that follows an unpleasant event or accident, and the effects that it causes

  • Isolation - the state of feeling alone and without friends or help

  • Futility - the fact of having no effect or of achieving nothing; pointless; useless

Common misconception

WW1 poets portrayed dying for their country as glorious.

While some WW1 poets did portray it as glorious, poets such as Wilfred Owen depicted the horrors and futility of the war.


To help you plan your year 10 English lesson on: Understanding ideas of war and isolation in Owen's ‘Disabled’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It would be useful for students to share their answers to Task B so that they have a clear understanding of the poem.
Teacher tip

Equipment

There is a copy of Owen's 'Disabled' in the additional materials; alternatively, you can find the poem in the Eduqas 2025 Anthology.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following are the dates for the start and end of WW1?
1899-1902
Correct answer: 1914-1918
1939-1945
Q2.
Who fought with the British in WW1?
Germany
Turkey
Correct answer: France
Correct answer: Italy
Q3.
Which of the following is the definition of 'isolation'?
a feeling of unhappiness and anger because someone has something you want
a feeling of fellowship or friendship
Correct answer: the state of feeling alone and without friends or help
Q4.
'To enlist' means which of the following?
Correct answer: to enrol or be enrolled in the armed services
to be tricked into joining the armed services
to be forced into joining the armed services
Q5.
'Almost not at all' is the definition of which of the following words?
abundantly
Correct answer: scarcely
substantially
Q6.
Comparing someone to "cattle" has which of the following connotations?
It suggests they are being treated as a human being.
Correct answer: It suggests they aren't being treated as a human being.
It suggests they are an honourable human being.

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following summarises Owen's involvement in WW1?
Owen protested against WW1 and refused to enlist.
Correct answer: Owen fought and died in WW1.
Owen fought in WW1 and was discharged due to injury.
Q2.
Which of the following does Owen suggest that the soldier feels in the aftermath of the war?
proud
Correct answer: isolated
relieved
Q3.
'the period that follows an unpleasant event or accident, and the effects that it causes' is the definition of which word that begins with 'a'?
Correct Answer: aftermath
Q4.
Complete the following quotation from Owen's 'Disabled': “All of them touch him like some queer __________”
animal
Correct answer: disease
human
Q5.
Which of the following does Owen suggest about the soldier's awareness of the realities of war?
He was fully aware of the realities of war.
Correct answer: He was not aware of the realities of war.
He was somewhat aware of the realities of war.
Q6.
'The fact of having no effect or of achieving nothing; pointless; useless' is the definition of which word beginning with 'f'?
Correct Answer: futility, futile, Futility

Additional material

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