‘Who’s for the Game?’
and
‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’
Q: Compare the attitudes to the war and its presentation in the 2 poems ‘Who’s For The Game?’ and ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’. Include an analysis of the language used and its structure.
In the two poems ‘Who’s For the Game?’ and ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’, there are many fundamental differences which set the two poems in two different places in a reader’s mind – the way they interpret the poem. I will be explaining how these essential differences make the reader ponder in different ways.
The first difference is that both poems were written by the opposite gender, which to me is a fundamental difference because it shows how they think about the war – ‘Who’s For the Game?’ was written by a female (Jessie Pope) and ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ was written by a male (Wilfred Owen). Along with this major difference, Jessie Pope was a woman who had no part in the war, except for helping in creating propaganda posters and preaching propaganda throughout her country. However, Wilfred Owen was a soldier in World War I, which helped him create his poem as he was able to hark Jessie Pope’s poem and all the propaganda about the war; he was able to show the people of England the true horrors of the war, whereas Jessie Pope created her poem as if she were writing about a game, as if the war were a game, with no first-eye experience, no hand-eye witness of what actually happens in the war.
Next, I will be exploring the two titles and how they are reflected in the poem. In the first poem ‘Who’s For the Game?’ the title is a kind of rhetorical question, wherein the poet Jessie Pope asks her readers ‘who is going to fight for their country?’, ‘who is going to die for their country?’ and ‘who is goi...
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...show her how it really was, with all the gruelling details.
Jessie Pope’s language is very much colloquial and as before mentioned, very informal, and this was mainly because it wasn’t addressing the older men to join, but it convinced younger boys to as well. This adds to the propaganda theme and this sort of language is throughout the poem, which makes me understand even more why Owen had to hark Pope and all the pro-propagandists in the world, because it does very much show how these people treated the war – they thought of it as a game where you win some you lose some, but they didn’t realise that this wasn’t a game and real people with families, their lives were at risk and unfortunately they paid for their mistakes.
Wilfred was very much against the war, as can be shown in his poem because he uses his language to show the reader that the war is not a gam
Those left behind, women, children and exempt men, were often unaware of the true horror of the war and instead were seduced by a romantic ideal. She writes in a more conversational manner, which makes the poem more memorable and persuasive to readers. She compares the war to a 'game', implying that there is little danger on the battlefield. She also refers to the war as a sport such as rugby where a player's injuries would only result with the player returning on crutches because that is the most awful thing that could happen. Within the poem, Pope uses many rhetorical questions, which involve the reader more ...
Written by Spanish-American war veteran, Carl Sandburg, “Buttons” illustrates that the actions of those not in the war first hand but, then exposes those who pay for their decisions in a vivid and ghastly approach (“Carl Sandburg”). “Dulce et Decorum Est” was written in 1917 by an injured Wilfred Owen due to World War 1(“Wilfred Owen”). Owen describes to the reader the graphic and gruesome side of war rather than the typical romanticized description. Similarities in imagery and theme can be found in both of these poems, but the differences in structure and point of view remain prevalent and apparent.
A. The "Dulce et Decorum Est." The Faber Book of War Poetry. Ed. Kenneth Baker.
Another tool in developing the effectiveness of the poem is the excellent use of diction. The word "blood-shod" explains how the troops have been on their feet for days without rest. Also, words like "guttering", "choking", and "drowning" shows us that the troops are suffering in extreme pain and misery. If you haven't noticed, most of these words are examples of cacophony, which are words with harsh and discordant sounds. As this poem is about how harsh and terrible war is, Owen's use of cacophony is very effective in generating the tone of the poem.
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.
Comparing two war poems written by Wilfred Owen: Dulce et decorum Est. and Anthem for Doomed Youth. In this essay I will be comparing two war poems written by Wilfred Owen: ‘Dulce et decorum Est’ and ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’. By Comparing the two I will be able to distinguish the fact that Wilfred Owen is very anti-propaganda and that's why he feels so strongly about this. The two poems have many similarities but also a fair amount of differences, which I will be discussing in this essay.
Owen condemns war as the cause of immense and painful loss of youths, killed like animals. He also attacks the church, generally held to preserve human life and dignity, implying it is powerless and irrelevant in a war situation. Brooke expresses ready acceptance (his view is meant to be the general view) of possible death on his country's behalf in grateful return to her for having "bore, shaped and made aware" him and enriching him spiritually. There is no reference to the horrors and pain of war. Apart from the poets' different attitudes towards war, there are many other differences such as tone, imagery and language.
World War One had an inevitable effect on the lives of many young and naive individuals, including Wilfred Owen, who, like many others, joined the military effort with the belief that he would find honour, wealth and adventure. The optimism which Owen initially had toward the conflict is emphasised in the excerpt, in which he is described as “a young poet…with a romantic view of war common among the young” (narrator), a view which rapidly changed upon reaching the front. Owen presents responders with an overwhelming exploration of human cruelty on other individuals through acts of war and the clash of individual’s opposed feelings influenced by the experiences of human cruelty. This is presented through the horrific nature of war which the
A Comparison between Shakespeare's Agincourt Speech and Wilfred Owens Dulce Et Decorum Est This essay will scrutinize Shakespeare's 'Agincourt Speech' and Wilfred Owens 'Dulce Et Decorum Est'. Initially the essay will analyse elements of the poems context as well as the origin of the actual passage and how it is created by the influence on each writer's own experience. Additionally, the analysis will similarly focus on more intimate elements of each poem such as the attitude towards war at the time that they were written and how the author shows there own attitude and beliefs towards war (The Myth of War). Furthermore the essay will conclude by contextualising the language and structure of each poem, by showing how the authors create an impact upon the reader and by noting the differences or the similarities between the poems as well as the writer's themselves.
Ultimately, we have two poems which can be compared on the grounds of their subject, but are poles apart regarding their message. The structure of these poems is not what would be typically expected from a war poem, but are structured on the basis of these typical structures in order to create some sense of familiarity. Brooke’s poem expands on this familiarity while Owen attempts to deliberately sabotage it. In regards to content, Brooke shows throughout his perception of the nobility of dying for one’s country, whilst Owen uses all of his poetic techniques to show the opposite.
In the thick of a war Owens wants the reader to know that these young men are giving their lives, for nothing that is worth dying over. He showed though out both of these poems that war is grim and pointless. Although Owens thought war was not worth the ultimate sacrifice of death, he still fought in World War I. He did so because so many men his age were pushed to fight in the war. Owens eventually died in the war one week before the war ended, he ended up living the old lie “Dulce et decorum est /Pro patria mori” (27-28).
Through the use of dramatic imagery in Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est,” Owen is able to recreate a dramatic war scene and put the reader right on the front lines. The use of language is very effective in garnering the readers’ attention and putting the dire images of war into the mind. He emphasizes that war is upsetting and appalling at times. There is nothing sweet about it. He only strengthens his argument by the use of strong descriptive words and vivid figurative language. The utilization of these techniques gives the poem a strong meaning and provides the reader with a vivid portrayal of the events that took place during this grisly occurrence.
One similarity between the two poems is that they both have titles which express positive feelings about war. However, the titles are both used in different ways; 'Who's for the game?' is an extended metaphor, as it is repeated again during the poem, ‘Who’s for the game, the biggest that’s played…’
To draw into the poet’s world, the poet must draw relations between them, including the reader, making them feel what the poet feels, thinking what the poet thinks. Wilfred Owen does this very creatively and very effectively, in both of his poems, Dulce et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori and Anthem of Doomed Youth, who is seen as an idol to many people today, as a great war poet, who expresses his ideas that makes the reader feel involved in the moment, feeling everything that he does. His poems describe the horror of war, and the consequences of it, which is not beneficial for either side. He feels sorrow and anger towards the war and its victims, making the reader also feel the same.
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.