Wilfred Owen, one of many young men who joined the army during World War I, has his own misconceptions about war, but it doesn't take him long to understand what war is. Owen's position quickly became anti-war due to his personal experiences and observations during the Great War. Owen uses poetry to inform the audience that war is not only about patriotism, bravery, and glory, but also about atrocity, cruelty, and destruction. Through his poetry, Owen criticizes government officials, religious authorities, and public figures for glorifying war and sending naive young men to death and destruction. Examples of Owen's anti-war sentiment and his criticism of public ignorance of the war can be found in his poem "Disabled" (Ward 23). Owen writes: “He thought he had better join. – He wonders why. / Someone said he'd look like a god in a kilt, / That's why; and perhaps also to please his Meg” (Ward 24), and illustrates the ignorance and naivety of the young man in the poem. The young man doesn't know why he should join the army, but he joins anyway because someone tells him he will look good in uniform and will be admired by women. Owen criticizes civilians who encourage naive young men to join the military without informing them of the potential consequences. Owen also highlights the government's disservice to the young man in the poem when he writes: “He asked to join us. He didn't need to beg; / Smiling, they wrote his lie: aged nineteen” (ward 24). Officials don't care if the young man is of legal age to enlist or if he understands the consequences of his actions. All they care about is reaching their quota and sending soldiers to the front. In addition to the government, Owen also comments on the...middle of the newspaper......ng man who joined the army for the good things that the army stands for. He never understood or imagined the realities of war because no civilian understood it enough to explain it to him. Additionally, although government officials knew the consequences of the war, they chose not to publicize the downsides in order to keep recruiting numbers high. Once Owen realizes this and recognizes his own misconceptions, he uses his poetry to degrade the glorified perception of war and inform young men of its consequences. He makes it clear that although joining the army and going to war may seem like an easy and patriotic thing, war is an unforgettable and often debilitating experience. Works Cited Owen, Wilfred. "Disabled." British Poets of the First World War. Ed. Candace Ward. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 1997. 23-24.