Wildred Owen letter home during WWI

Below is reproduced a letter written to his mother in 1917, during the First World War, by Wilfred Owen, the famous poet. Owen, aged 24, was serving as an officer in the British Army on the Western Front.

Apr 4 1917

Dearest Mother,
Know that I have cut my forefinger with a tin of Lobster, and that is why I write shaky. I have been 4 days caravanning from the CCS & have just found our HQ. Journeying over the new ground has been most frightfully interesting. The Batt. has just done something great, which will find its way into the Communiqué. I am going up to join them in an hour’s time. They have lost one officer & many are wounded, Heydon among them. I shall no doubt be in time for the Counter Attack. I have bought an automatic pistol in the town (from which I sent a P.P.C.). By the time you get this we’ll be out of the line again.
Tonight will be over.... My long rest has shaken my nerve. But after all I hate old age, and there is only one way to avoid it!
Last night I bedded down with a family of refugees, 3 boys, 2 tiny girls: a good class socially, and of great charm personally. I was treated as a god, and begin to suspect I have a heart as comprehensive as Victor Hugo’s, Shakspere’s or your own. In 24 hours I never took so many hugs & kisses in my life, no, not in the first chapter even. They took reliefs at it. It would have astounded the English mind. – While, just the night before I was in blues as deep as the Prussian Blue. not having heard an affectionate spoken word since I left you – or rather since I left A. I am now in the Pink. No need to tell you where I am going up to fight. It is the town on which the hopes of all England are now turned. I must now dress up in Battle Order.
Your own W. XXXXX

PS Without your letters I should give in. What to I know not, but I ‘sorter’ feel I should ‘give up the unequal contest!’ – without a definite object for carrying on. And that object is not my Motherland, which is a good land, nor my Mother tongue, which is a dear language, but for my Mother, of whom I am not worthy to be called

The Son
_______
X X X

Analysis

This personal letter is an interesting mix of simple and informal language ('sorter') juxtaposed with some literary ('give up the unequal contest') and more formal touches (note the lack of elision; I have, I am, and it is are written out in full). Sentences are mostly short, many simple or compound, but some complex and exclamation marks are used for emphasis. The letter is clearly written by an educated and well-read writer and shows powerful emotions which are kept mostly under control. Owen is nerve shaken, contemplating being killed, without an affectionate word since he left his mother, with his mother the only object for continuing; there is evidence of very strong emotional bond with his mother reflected in his language: 'great heart', 'Without your letters I should give in'. Reflecting the private nature of the communication, there are deictic references which are puzzling to modern readers: 'CCS', 'Heydon', 'A.' as well as a lexical field of warfare 'HQ', 'Counter Attack', 'battle order'. There is some explanation of the frontline situation, but not very precise details; instead, the missive is mostly concerned with personal matters and the post-script in particular shows a lack of conviction about fighting in the war.