Dulce et Decorum Est

Wilfred Owen The poems written by Wilfred Owen are about the horrors, the ugliness, the suffering and the countless tragedies that war has brought. The anti-war them and serious tone used in his poems is extremely effective at portraying ear as horrid and devastating. The detailed descriptions of blood, guts and death are overpowering. In the poem 'Dulce Et Decorum Est', Owen stresses how war should not be glorified or glamorised. The title meaning 'It is sweet and becoming to die for one's country' is used satirically because the poem describes the horror and agony that the soldiers endured during their time in the trenches.

Owen’s main aim was to open up the truth about war and the horrific and gruesome reality of being a soldier, contradicting the propaganda illustrating soldiers as heroic, honorable, and proud. Owen’s poem ‘Strange Meeting’ shows the horrors of war through dramatic and memorable imagery that allow us to feel deep pity for the young soldiers, whether it’s physical or the soldier’s inner mental pain. For example, “They will be swift with swiftness of the tigress” (line 29) is a metaphor describing the violent attacks during the war. Meanwhile, “With a thousand fears that vision's face was grained” (line 11) gives a clear picture of what the dead soldier’s face was like, bringing pity to the reader. These images are used to show the immense harm and the brutality of war and its effect on men.

The sonnet form is commonly adopted by Owen to tersely present his numerous ideas and to evoke contemplation. The elegy, ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’, is written as a basic Shakespearean sonnet to mourn for the enormous loss of young soldiers from two distinct angles, the improper burials they obtained and the remembrance they deserve. The first two stanzas of ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ also adopt the sonnet form to explore two varying aspects of torment within war, the terrible conditions faced by all the men on a day-to-day basis and the sickening suffering of one particular youth. Owen uses this possible intertwining of contrasting thoughts within sonnets to emphasise that in every generation, there will always be different views with regard to the war. However, it is of key significance that the millions who died and suffered in this futility will be forever remembered.

The man is now a charity case ‘take whatever pity they may dole.’ If he had not fought in the war then this would never have happened to him. Owen uses striking images and vivid imagery in both poems to clearly show his anger of people who were disillusioned about war, and to show the harsh reality of war. A sense of pathos runs throughout the poems in the reader for the men. The sarcasm used in ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ shows Owens passion of getting his point across. Many peoples attitude of war in England had changed drastically by the time Wilfred Owen wrote these two poems.

This is to challenge the speaker to think of what could of caused their conditions and with the subjects being nameless it spans the fact that there is more than one returned soldier like this. Good morning (Afternoon) my fellow disciplinaries, These words from Wilfred Owen, which helped shape our understandings of the human condition, our understandings of the realities of war and the horrific deaths of which were experienced and witnessed by the soldiers of World War one. Known as one of the leading poets of the first world war. Owen’s poem Dulce et Decorum Est, themed the horrors of trench and gas warfare are heavily utilised to contrast the public’s perception of war of that era. The speaker describes these soldiers as ‘shadows’ which rock in the twighlight.

This poem represents Owen’s outrage at the waste and loss of life experienced during the war but also explores the loss of innocence experienced by these young soldiers. A close analysis of Owen’s language techniques in these two poems will illustrate how Owen effectively shocks his responders, in order to reveal the barbarity and dehumanisation of war. To begin, in the graphic poem ’Dulce Et Decorum Est’ Wilfred Owen immediately unveils the grim reality of war through the effective use of powerful imagery. Owen vividly forces readers to recognise the loss of innocence and the waste of human life, effectively immersing them in the tragic world of the poem. For example, the use of the simile when

In conclusion Wilfred Owen has successfully reached his points across about futility. In both poems Owen reflects the reality of war with a very strong tone and his ideas and themes can be clearly seen in these poems. Both poems show how everything happens in a sudden. Wilfred Owen describes the pain and horrors of the soldiers, unforgettable and if we were in that same situation, we could not encourage the next generation to fight. Wilfred Owen conveyed that these poems show the horrors of war and how pointless and worthless it is.

World War One has influenced many poets to write their experiences of war. Dulce et Decorum est, by Wilfred Owen, is a poem about the horrid experiences soldiers went through while they were at war. Owen describes the atrocity of a gas attack and the painful mental anguish that was shown on the soldiers face. Rupert Brook’s, The Soldier, describes the patriotism that supposedly accompanies war. His view of war is that dying for your country is the most honorable act of man.

Owen’s poem uses symbolism to bring home the harsh reality of war the speaker has experienced and forces the reader to think about the reality presented in romanticized poetry that treats war gently. He utilizes language that imparts the speakers experiences, as well as what he, his companions, and the dying man feels. People really die and suffer and live through nightmares during a war; Owen forcefully demonstrates this in “Dulce et Decorum Est”. He examines the horrific quality of World War I and transports the reader into the intense imagery of the emotion and experience of the speaker. Works Cited Griffith, George V. “Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est”.

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... ... middle of paper ... ...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.