Analysis Of The Dead By Rupert Brooke

Poems of War

Rupert Brooke’s “The Dead” (Brooke p109) tries to convince you that death in battle is sweet and honorable. Compared to Wilfred Owens “Dulce et Decorum est” we read a poem with a completely different opinion about war. It's a gruesome first hand experience of trench warfare. Through the entire poem Rupert Brooke tries to persuade the younger generation of readers in joining the army. He tries to make it seem sensational, and plead to the younger generation by making it come across as heroic. In comparison to Brooks poem Owen describes images related to dying for your nation as cruel, painful and upsetting but Brooke views it as something extremely honorable and something to be proud of. Personally I feel that if you happen to die in the line of battle it is in fact a heroic death. While Brook's poem describes his views of war from an outsiders perspective, Owen's Poem gives an outstanding description of war as he experienced it firsthand.

Brooke sees that laying down your life during the line of duty for your country is honorable and heroic, and while you engage the first stanza you will see that Brooke writes: "the rich dead”(1). Talking about those who went to battle were rich in honor, this is because they were willing to die for their cause and what they believed in. You will read in the third line of the stanza: “But, dying, has made us rarer gifts than gold” (3). I feel he is trying to persuade the reader that battle is in fact very rewarding, and they will be valued more in death verses when they are alive. It also suggests that the sole reason for living is to become honored from a death in battle.

Looking at the language of the poem you can see many metaphors are created throughout the poem. Within the ...

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...ttempt at humor because thought the whole poem he is basically trying to persuade the complete opposite. Which when compared to Brooks opinion, he feels its glorious to die in battle. The two views of the poets are seen very clearly thought their work and we can see that they are both very different. We can also see from the metaphors used and pictures painted how they contradicted one another. I personally prefer Wilfred Owens “Dulce et Decorum est” because this gave an opinion of someone who was there. It provided more of a firsthand experience and personally I don't like things being sugar coated. I've been in armed conflicts before and while the bullets where flying and motors going off I didn't see sunshine and rainbows in the air. Perhaps if Brook took part in war and was not on the sidelines writing about it we may have read a much different poem from him.