What Is The Mood Of The Poem Dulce Et Decorum Est

Written in 1917 “Dulce Et Decorum Est” meaning “that it is sweet” was written by English poet, Wilfred Owen during World War 1. The poem is about the pain and obstacles soldier’s battle and the tragic death of a soldier due to gas-shells. This poem has a rhyme scheme consisting of an abab pattern. There are four stanzas: the first stanza contains eight lines, the second stanza has six lines, the third stanza has two lines, and the fourth stanza has twelve lines. The number of beats in each line of the poem ranges from 4-13.

The speaker of the poem is a soldier, most likely in World War 1. It is assumed that this poem was written in first person perspective because the poem is seen through the speaker’s eyes: “As under a green sea, I saw him drowning” (stanza 2, line 6). We know this because he describes the tragedies that happen in the war as he is

“Bent double like cold beggars under sacks” (stanza 1, line 1) compares the physical, mental, and emotional state the war left them with. “Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge” (stanza 1, line 2) provides the reader with a vivid image of physically ill soldiers. We see this because they are “coughing like hags” and their leg bone is suffering deformities. “Men marched asleep” (stanza 1, line 5) draws attention to the fatigue and exhaustion that was brought upon to the soldiers. Stanza two is when the chaos begins, gas-shells drop and the speaker witnesses a soldier who was unsuccessful in the application of his gas mask: “And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime” (stanza 2, line 4). Following the third stanza, Owen seems to slowly experience the horrific death of the soldier. The last stanza is again focusing on the speaker visualizing the last stage of his death: “His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin” (stanza 4, line 4). It ends with the deception of war being related to