Dover Beach, by Matthew Arnold and Dulce Et Decorum Est, by Wilfred Owen

566 Words2 Pages

Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach” invites the reader to determine if they, like the speaker, would isolate themselves to preserve their present ideologies; while Wilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est” implores the reader to evaluate what they consider to be worthy of glorification. While the two poems are distinctly different in both time period and setting, Arnold’s poem is better interpreted by the extension of the imagery presented in his last stanza by the war setting in Owen’s “Dulce”. The imagery used in “Dulce Et Decorum Est” expands the reader’s understanding of “Dover Beach” by further illustrating the powerlessness of the position one is placed in, and that there is no difference between physical and mental isolation from the realities of change.

In “Dover Beach”, the speaker describes how beautiful his life was before his ideals were shattered. It is set during the Industrial Revolution, where religion was challenged by the introduction of Darwin’s theory of evolution. The speaker feels powerless against these changes, as shown in the line “Swept with confused alarms o...

Show More
Related

  • Comparing Irony of War in Dulce et Decorum, Regeneration, and Quiet on the Western Front

    1172 Words  | 3 Pages

    The poem "Dulce et Decorum Est", an anti-war poem by Wilfred Owen who was an English footsoldier, states that it is not sweet and fitting to die a hero's death for a country. Right off in the first line, Owen describes the troops as being "like old beggars under sacks" (1). This metaphor indicates that the men are battle weary and suggests reluctance. They also have been on their feet for days and appear to be drained of youth as they "marched asleep" (5) and "limped on, blood-shod" (6). Overall, in the first stanza, Oundjian 2 there seems to be a tension between old and young because it shows how the impact of an endless war has reduced these once energetic young men to the point where they could be referred to as "old" (1), "lame" (6) and...

    Read More

  • Louis Simpson's The Battle and Wilfred Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    When looking at poetry we notice many things. The language, meaning, and emotion all speak to us in many ways; some the author may have not even intended. When we look at the subject of war there have been many poems documenting the horror soldiers feel at their surroundings. The tragedy and atrocity that happens in war have all been written about with great impact. When we look at Louis Simpson's "The Battle" and Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est" we can read first hand of the experiences of soldiers. But when we compare these two poems we can clearly see that "The Battle" seems to have far greater impact than "Dulce et Decorum Est."

    Read More

  • Compare and Contrast Tennyson's The Charge of the Light Brigade and Owen's Dulce Et Decorum Est

    1860 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this essay you will notice the differences and similarities between ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ and ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’. ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ was written in nineteenth century by Alfred Lord Tennyson. In contrast, ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ was written in the twentieth century by Wilfred Owen. The main similarity we have observed is that they both capture war time experiences. However, the poets’ present these events using their own style, and the effect is two completely different observations of war.

    Read More

  • Death: Flowers and Bomb Shells

    1678 Words  | 4 Pages

    The setting of "Dulce et Decorum Est" is a battlefield during wartime, and tells of the main characters, the soldiers, fighting for their lives. The author, Wilfred Owen, was a soldier himself, who died in the war, which is one reason that this poem has such a personal tone about it. It relates directly to human experience. The reader cannot help but wonder if Owen experienced the horrors that he recounts in this poem. Owen also uses many personal pronouns, like "you" and "I" repeatedly as if to remind the reader war is a real thing and that they could easily be in the same situation. Line twenty-one reads, "If you could hear, at every jolt" followed by line twenty-five, "My friend, you would not tell with such high zest". The use of the word "you" and even "my friend" makes both of these lines very personal, as if Owen is speaking directly to the reader.

    Read More

  • Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach

    1585 Words  | 4 Pages

    Matthew Arnold's 'Dover Beach' employs the sounds of language in three ways, through onomatopoeia to aurally represent the actions occurring on the beach, a varying meter which mirrors the varying heights of the waves on the beach, and a rhyme scheme which searches for its identity. In each stanza of the poem when the sounds of language are chaotic, the visual descriptions in the poem are tranquil, but when the visual descriptions are chaotic, the sounds of language become tranquil. This never resolved struggle represents the struggle the speaker finds himself in, which is about looking for something in his world which sounds and looks agreeable with his beliefs.

    Read More

  • Does ‘Musee de Beaux Arts’ or ‘Dover Beach’ Express Universal Truths about Suffering, Art, and Life?

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    Aesthetics is a part of philosophy that pertains to the nature of beauty, art, and taste with the creation and appreciation of beauty. When speaking casually, if we describe a piece of literature, or picture, or anything as ‘aesthetically pleasing’ we usually are referring to the feeling of pleasure we get once looking at it. In this respect the sense of ‘aesthetic’ is loosely synonymous with that of ‘artistic’. Aesthetics derives from a Greek word meaning ‘things perceptible to the sense’, or ‘sensory impressions’. At its broadest, anything could have an aesthetic effect simply by virtue of being sensed and perceived. However, since this definition, aesthetics became narrowed to mean not just sense perception in general but ‘perception of the beautiful’ in particular. The poem ‘Dover Beach’ written by Matthew Arnold is categorised as a classic for its understated, discreet style and gripping expression of spiritual despair. ‘Dover Beach’ is considered an accurate representation of the Victorian Era. It illustrates the mood and tone of society at that time and how they lived their everyday lives. The Victorian Period was also known as the ‘Time of Trouble’ which took a large toll on the happiness of the people. Many writers in this period started to take on a melancholic tone in their work, Arnold included. Broadly, the poem ‘Dover Beach’ is about human misery and loss of religious faith.

    Read More

  • Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold

    1497 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the themes and central messages in Dover Beach are the “Challenges to the validity of long-standing theological and moral precepts have shaken the faith of people in God and Religion” (Cummings). During Arnold’s time new secularist nationalism, humanism, evolution, and religious conservatism by transcendentalists were cropping up and even sometimes taking the place of the old traditional church beliefs (Boulton; Unknown)“the existence of god and the whole Christian scheme of things was cast in doubt” (Cummings). This shift was the result of the changing Industrial Revolution and numerous social and economic problems due to this shift (Unknown). Many in Victorian society were conflicted and “a loss of faith for many became a phase throughout Victorian society as a whole” (Unknown). The writers, who at the time felt their duty was to write of the common experiences and ideas of society ...

    Read More

  • The Use of Figurative Language in Owen and Jennings' Poetry

    1184 Words  | 3 Pages

    Figurative language allows poets and writers alike to exaggerate or alter specific linguistic points of interest. The two poets that I shall be looking at for this discourse are Wilfred Owen who is widely acknowledged for his war poetry using one of his most popular works Anthem For Doomed Youth and Elizabeth Jennings One Flesh. Jennings poetry is known for its spiritual connotations and emotional intensity. The two poems contain a common theme ‘the loss of youth’ but it’s only by examining the use of figurative language, that we are able to gain an understanding of the various connotations.

    Read More

  • The Harsh Reality of War in Wilfred Owen’s Poem Dulce et Decorum Est

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” makes the reader acutely aware of the impact of war. The speaker’s experiences with war are vivid and terrible. Through the themes of the poem, his language choices, and contrasting the pleasant title preceding the disturbing content of the poem, he brings attention to his views on war while during the midst of one himself. Owen uses symbolism in form and language to illustrate the horrors the speaker and his comrades go through; and the way he describes the soldiers, as though they are distorted and damaged, parallels how the speaker’s mind is violated and haunted by war.

    Read More

  • Dulce Et Decorum Est Analysis Essay

    670 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the start, “Dulce et Decorum Est” is straightforward poem, a retelling of a life lived in fighting. As Wilfred Owen recounts his story, it sends a strong message of a soldier who has lived through hell and is singularly opposed to war, showing his distaste in the form of a poem. Owen’s poem is an anti-war story, designed to shame and dissuade the people who are pro-war by using images and memories of war.

    Read More

  • Dulce Et Decorum Est

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the early 20th century when countless wars occurred, men were encouraged to fight for their country. That time, “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” was a prominent term which sparked multitudes of men to participate in wars. Translated into English, the saying means “it is sweet and glorious to die for one’s country;” however, in Wilfred Owen’s poem, the speaker emphatically contradicts this idea. Motivated to prove his point of view, he shares his and his colony’s physical, mental and emotional tribulation during the war.

    Read More

  • Comparison Between Dulce Et Decorum Est And Anthem For Doomed Youth

    1123 Words  | 3 Pages

    The poems “Dulce et Decorum Est” and “Anthem for Doomed Youth” are written about war, death and society. Is it written by Owen, who has actually experienced being in the dreadful warzone. These poems express the truth and reality of what war really is and shows his belief in the ignorance of the people. The vocabulary and language used in each poem allows the reader to see the treacherous endeavours through Owen’s perspective. He gives us a clearer image. Both poems are set in the battlefield, during the period of WW1. Wilfred Owen fills the poem with deep personal emotions and it helps stimulate the reader’s feelings. He tells us what it’s really like living life in the trenches.

    Read More

  • Astonishing Imagery in Wilfred Owen's Poem, Dulce et Decorum Est

    504 Words  | 2 Pages

    The poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ by Wilfred Owen portrays the horrors of World War I with the horrific imagery and the startling use of words he uses. He describes his experience of a gas attack where he lost a member of his squadron and the lasting impact it had on him. He describes how terrible the conditions were for the soldiers and just how bad it was. By doing this he is trying to help stop other soldiers from experiencing what happened in a shortage of time.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Dulce Et Decorum Est By Wilfred Owen

    1465 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wilfred Owen wrote about the distilled pity of war from his first-hand experience. Owen concisely features the carnage and destruction of war in both the poems, ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ and ‘Strange Meeting’ Owen uses these poems document the psychological and physical debilitation of war. In ‘Dulce et Decorum est’, Owen uses a various amount of literary techniques to visually depict the cruel and grotesque death from the mustard gas whereas ‘Strange Meeting’, portrays the speaker in conversation with a dead soldier that he is presumably responsible for killing, symbolically which emphasises the effect of the wartime trauma. Wilfred Owen’s poetry effectively highlights the carnage and destruction of war to educate the audience on the disillusionment of war.

    Read More

  • The Send-Off, by Wilfred Owen

    512 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Send-Off, by Wilfred Owen, is an ironic and dark humored description of how the soldiers The Send-Off The Send-Off, by Wilfred Owen, is an ironic and dark humored description of how the soldiers we’re sent off to the battlefront, during World War I (keyword “The Send-Off”). In this poem, Owen conveys to us that the soldiers are being sent to their doom. From the very start we sense the soldiers’ lost fate. The soldiers go to the train, they are singing joyfully, as if they are being sent to a country picnic, but of course the narration is omniscient, we know what lies ahead of them, and so simultaneously the lanes are darkening around them. Secondly, the soldiers are surrounded by wreath and spray, a wreath and a spray are decorative flower arrangements usually plac...

    Read More

More about Dover Beach, by Matthew Arnold and Dulce Et Decorum Est, by Wilfred Owen

Open Document