Shadwell Stair

Wilfred Owen
wrote this poem
The poem
in February 1918
while on Home
Duties in
Scarborough,
when WW1 was
still ongoing.
Back in 1918,
many people
avoided this
Scarborough place; it wasnt
a very pleasant
area.
Title, structure and form
-Sibilance creates hissing noises
that adds
a sinisterrhyme
-Fixed touch to the already
scheme eeriethat he
suggest
poem.
is trapped in his past experiences of war.
-The indent on the middle two lines of the
stanza gives the impression of floating, feeling
lost or like a ghost or shadow:
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Stanza 1
The speaker establishes himself as the ghost of
Shadwell Stair:
-There is juxtaposition in the lines Along the
wharves by the water-house and And through the
dropping slaughter-house by bringing together
what is life giving and what is life ending.
-slaughter-house introduces an element of
danger.
-Refers to himself as the shadow; almost
haunting, which relates to the next stanza.
Stanza 2
The speaker describes himself as having flesh both firm and
cool:
-This suggests that he, and the other ghosts might not
actually be ghosts and shadows but social outcasts who have
come here to be themselves.
-Despite the bleak surroundings, Owen describes it
beautifully when he writes eyes tumultuous as the gems
and Of moons and lamps in the lapping Thames
-Moons and lamps create an almost romantic atmosphere.
-The reference to moons, lamps and dusk illustrate the dark
surroundings and suggests this is the only time when these
social outcasts can come out and be themselves.
Stanza 3
The romantic imagery continues in this stanza with
purple street-arc though the image of the speaker
being a haunting ghost is referenced through Where I
watch always. The phrase could also be interpreted as
escapism on the speakers part.
-The speaker sounds, for the most part, lonely
throughout the poem.
-To contrast with the romantic imagery, Owen writes
Dolorously the shipping clanks The use of
onomatopoeia coupled with reference to great sorrow
reminds readers that during the day, the Thames is a
hub of trade and energy.
Stanza 4
Owen continues to describe the beauty of the place,
but is brought back to reality when dawn breaks.
-The word syren is spelled differently and has two
meanings. (1. a long and prolonged sound used as a
signal or warning, 2. a Greek mythological character
who lured men to their deaths.)
-Personifies dawn: Owen conveys the message that
Shadwell Stair is only this mysterious place at night
and that when London wakes, it is no longer a place of
privacy.
-Final line: I with another ghost am lain. could be
referring to his own anxiety, and not an actual figure.
Summary
-It may not be about war
-Suggests that beauty can be found even in the
ugliest of places and reality.
-The ghost can be a metaphor for Owens
anxiety.