An Analysis of Owen’s 'Dulce et Decorum Est' and Tennyson’s 'The Charge of the Light Brigade'

An analysis of Owen’s Dulce et Decorum est and Tennyson’s The Charge of the Light brigade

Wilfred Owen and Alfred Lord Tennyson both wrote prominent poetry on the issue surrounding war. Owen was born on the 18th March 1893. Owen experienced the war and therefore he wrote elaborate detail on life on the battlefield. One of his famous poems on the aspect of war is known as ‘Dulce et Decorum Est which means it is sweet and beautiful to die for your native land in Latin. Although the title of the poem is positive the message in the poem illuminates the negative aspects of war and is written through the eye of a soldier which is Owen himself. He relates his experience in his poem and mirrors his views negatively about war in depth. Alfred Lord Tennyson was born on 6th August 1809 and is known as a well established poet. He wrote a poem which depicts the bravery and gallantry of a soldier faced with adverse circumstances. His poem The Charge of the Light Brigade is based on a more positive aspect of war and highlights the dedication and bravery soldiers have in name of their country.

In this essay I will first analyse Owen’s poem: Dulce et Decorum Est in term of what message he was trying to convey in his poem and how the use of language helped him convey this message. Next, I will analyse Tennyson’s Poem: The charge of the Light Brigade and observe what language and imagery he used to convey his message. This will lead me onto comparing both poems analysing the similarities and differences of each poem. In doing do I will look at how each poet is effective in conveying the message through their use of imagery.

Wilfred Owen most eminent poem regarding war is known as Dulce et Decorum est which means The Old Lie in Latin. T...

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...eam for fighting for their country is in reality a living nightmare both physically and psychologically and in fact there is nothing honourable in war and life on the battlefield. Instead he wants the reader to understand that war rapes a soldier of human dignity. He does this effectively through the use of his bold description of the gas attack incident and his elaborate description of the soldiers appearances. However, more importantly, Owen achieves conveying his negative aspects of war through his narration of the poem which is exclusively described through the meticulous lens of a soldier which make it reliable and provide an honest perspective towards the authentic life of a soldier on the battlefield and provide a more sombre view of a soldiers life in the trenches.

On the whole, it can be said that both poem provide a differing perspective of war