"S.I.W" a poem by Wilfred Owen is about the pressures a soldier must endure from his family, brutality of the war, and military laws. This is ironic because these factors, which are set in place to preserve life, liberty, and freedom, are the very things that cause the soldier's death. Through the use of dramatic imagery and figurative language the author is able to capture the true meaning of the poem. These insightful analyses into both the external and internal pressures the soldier must undergo emphasize and enable us to comprehend the reasons for the young soldier's ultimate mental breakdown.
             First and probably most prominent throughout the poem are the demands the soldier must bear from his family. The soldier's father's perceptions of patriotism are acknowledged in the beginning of the prologue. The line "Father would sooner him dead than disgrace" (3), represents his family's values of courage and bravery as they pertain to war. And just to ensure the message was inscribed in the soldier's mind: "Each week, month after month, they wrote the same" (9). Even away at war, family influences continued to haunt the soldier. His father words "Death sooner than dishonour, that's the style" (23), are quick reminders of his family's expectations of him.
             Secondly, the young soldier must cope with the brutality of the war battles. Owen, through is writing, is able to capture the true essence of a battle: "Where once an hour bullet missed its aim" (11). Although most would be thankful for their lives, Owen in the proceeding line "And misses and eased the hunger of the brain" (12), contrasts this common relief. The soldier's mind is beginning to be taunted by idea of death. Near the end of the prologue, both the mental and physical state of the man is revealed: "Courage leaked, as sand from the sand bags after years...