{
 "id": "wilfred-owen/the-chances",
 "title": "The Chances",
 "poet": "Wilfred Owen",
 "poet_slug": "wilfred-owen",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Poems",
 "book_slug": "poems",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 15,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1920,
  "venue": "Poems (1920)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/poemsowenwil00owenrich",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1034"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/wilfred-owen_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1034",
   "https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100547417"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-12"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 18,
  "n_stanzas": 2,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 55,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "I mind as ’ow the night afore that show",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Us five got talking⁠—we was in the know,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Over the top to-morrer; boys, we’re for it,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "First wave we are, first ruddy wave; that’s tore it.”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Ah well,” says Jimmy⁠—an’ ’e’s seen some scrappin’⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“There ain’t more nor five things as can ’appen;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Ye get knocked out; else wounded⁠—bad or cushy;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Scuppered; or nowt except yer feeling mushy.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "One of us got the knock-out, blown to chops.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "T’other was hurt, like, losin’ both ’is props.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "An’ one, to use the word of ’ypocrites,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "’Ad the misfortoon to be took by Fritz.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Now me, I wasn’t scratched, praise God Almighty",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "(Though next time please I’ll thank ’im for a blighty),",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But poor young Jim, ’e’s livin’ an’ ’e’s not;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "’E reckoned ’e’d five chances, an’ ’e’s ’ad;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "’E’s wounded, killed, and pris’ner, all the lot⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The ruddy lot all rolled in one. Jim’s mad.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}