“Disabled” begins in the present tense, where an unnamed character sits in a “wheeled chair, waiting for nightfall.” The character is not named, because there is not just one but several soldiers who share the same fate. Instead of using a wheelchair, Owen used the phrase "wheelchair." This suggests that someone must push the soldier's chair because he cannot do it himself, thus showing that he is dependent on society. Owen uses the word “dark” which can be a metaphor for death. This may indicate that the soldier has lost most of his life and can no longer do anything other than "wait for night." The soldier “shivered in his horrible gray suit.” The use of the word “shivered” shows that the soldier is cold. This suggests that the soldier is not well taken care of and is isolated by society. He wears a "horrible gray suit", which could be considered a sickness suit, showing an absence of life. The soldier probably did not choose to wear these clothes – someone else may have chosen them for him, showing that he is dependent on society, even if he is isolated by it. The alliterations “horrible” and “gray” emphasize the sadness and lack of life of the soldier. Owen's word choices make this emphasis effective – "Horrible" is a harsh word that shows the soldier's dark and depressed state of mind. “Gray” represents lack of color and sadness. The soldier is “legless” and “stitched short” at the elbow. This alliteration is effective because it makes his arms look like they are sewn. A caesura in the middle of the line powerfully affects the reader because it reflects the character. The sentence is “cut short”, just like the soldier. Owen repeats the word “voice” in the first stanza to emphasize what the soldier can no longer do. The soldier must also be “mothered” in the middle of the paper… because society has abandoned and isolated him. Owen repeats the phrase "why don't they come" to emphasize the pity and desperation of the soldiers. World War I left soldiers suffering even after the war. Many suffered not only physical, but also mental disorders. As a result, soldiers were dehumanized by society. Owen's brilliant execution of a wide variety of contrasts made "Disabled" a brutally effective poem. The continual shift in tense and tone leaves the reader with a feeling of not only sympathy toward the soldiers, but also anger toward the government for lying to them and toward society for betraying the soldiers. Owen's ingenious use of language and poetic techniques, such as the multiple rhetorical questions at the end of the poem, leave the reader with one question: who is responsible for the fate of the soldier, society, or himself ??