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

Although the poems "Recalling War" by Robert Graves and "Mental Cases" by Wilfred Owen are both concerned with the damage that war does to the soldiers involved, they are different in almost every other respect. Owen's poem examines the physical and mental effects of war in a very personal and direct way - his voice is very much in evidence in this poem - he has clearly seen people like the 'mental cases' who are described. It is also evident that Owen's own experiences of the war are described: he challenges the reader with terrifying images, in order that the reader can begin to comprehend the causes of the madness. Graves on the other hand is far more detached. His argument is distant, using ancient images to explore the immediate and long-term effects of war on the soldier.

Owens's work leaves one with an enduring sense of the tragedy of war. Owen used his strong sense of indignation to create a feeling of compassion for all the soldiers. As Owen himself experienced a deep horror and disgust at the reality of war. In the trenches he realized how horrific the war was and started to make notes about the conditions. He would attempt to fix the scenery of the war firmly in the mind of the reader and in this way more expressively stress the tremendous suffering that constitutes 'the pity of war'.

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.

War and Trauma: Owen & Turner Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen and The Hurt Locker by Brian Turner are captivating and heartbreaking examples of great antiwar poems. Wilfred Owens and Brian Turners first hand experiences of the traumatic horrors of war make their writings overwhelmingly effective. Their poems both express how war is physically and mentally damaging and their words paint vivid pictures of the unspeakable realities of war such as suicide bombers, and the use of mustard gas among other weapons. These poems force the reader to see war for what it really is and not for what it was said to be. Even though Owens and Turners writings are both anti war themed each writer takes a different approach to it.

The first stanza of this poem immediately immerses the reader in the experience of battle, and it depicts the desperate and dilapidated nature of the soldiers. The use of the simile “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks” emphasizes the sad condition of t... ... middle of paper ... ...during wartime. The dramatic situation in this poem follows the speaker who is a soldier. The dramatic examples and word choice submerges the reader into horrific scenes of war. The impact of war on a soldier is well developed, and the consequences of these experiences are examined as an effort to implore and correct the audience.

Dulce et Decorum Est’ by Wilfred Owen and ‘The Soldier’ by Rupert Brooke are both poems commentating on the effects of war, yet both have two drastically different viewpoints. Both poems are examples of the authors’ perceptions of war; Owen’s being about its gruesome and harsh reality during his experience and Brooke’s about the glory of dying for one’s country. The poets express their sentimental emotions on the subject matter in terms of figurative language, tone, diction and imagery. The tone is exhibited through the use of unyielding and vivid imagery, primarily by the use of compelling metaphors and similes. Both poets swirl around the idea of death in the name of ones country, in this case England in the World War 1 era, but this example serves different purposes in the two poems.

The tone is bitter and intense in a realistic way. It is achieved by the vivid and gruesome images in the poem. Wilfred Owen 's use of imagery in this poem is by depicting emotional, nightmarish, and vivid words to capture the haunting encounters of WWI that soldiers went through. In the first stanza, Owen depicts his fellow soldiers struggling through the battlefield, but their terrible health conditions prevent them from their strong actions in the war. When Owen says, “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed, coughing like hags” (lines 1-2).

The use of devices boosts the effects of the poem. In conclusion, both the poets show their experiences of war and its effects on them. Owen presents the poem in a war descriptive setting whereas Komunyakaa remembers the dreadful memories that have haunted him for life. These poems share the same idea of loss and helplessness. Komunyakaa poem is more about life, whereas Owen’s poem is associated towards death and fighting for honor.

Wilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce est Decorum et” paints a horrific image of the blood-shed and horror behind war. Owen uses his personal traumas to illustrate the graphic image that is undisclosed when people first join. Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Man He Killed” tells of one man’s experience of killing a man and living with the consequences afterwards. The speaker is forced to attempt to justify his actions to himself.

He describes war as atrocious, and explains the cruelty and massacre the soldiers go through. He addresses the reader and advises them that it’s not worth dying at war for quick glory. Owen has shown this by saying, “His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sins;”, which signifies the horror of what they were dealing with. They without doubt have converse portrayals of war. Figurative languages have been used in both poems to portray their experiences at war.