The Dead-Beat
Wilfred Owen
1893 to 1918
Track 1
Reconstruct the poem by dragging each line into its correct position. Your goal is to reassemble the original poem as accurately as possible. As you move the lines, you'll see whether your arrangement is correct, helping you explore the poem's flow and meaning. You can also print out the jumbled poem to cut up and reassemble in the classroom. Either way, take your time, enjoy the process, and discover how the poet's words come together to create something truly beautiful.
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Next day I heard the Doc.'s well-whiskied laugh:
Bold uncles, smiling ministerially;
It's not these stiffs have crazed him; nor the Hun."
I'll murder them, I will."
Malingering? Stretcher-bearers winked, "Not half!"
—Didn't appear to know a war was on,
In some new home, improved materially.
Just blinked at my revolver, blearily;
And none of us could kick him to his feet;
He dropped,—more sullenly than wearily,
Maybe his brave young wife, getting her fun
"I'll do 'em in," he whined, "If this hand's spared,
Unwounded;—stout lad, too, before that strafe.
"It's Blighty, p'raps, he sees; his pluck's all gone,
Or see the blasted trench at which he stared.
Lay stupid like a cod, heavy like meat,
Dreaming of all the valiant, that AREN'T dead:
We sent him down at last, out of the way.
A low voice said,
"That scum you sent last night soon died. Hooray!"