“Dulce et Decorum Est” (1918), a poem by Wilfred Owen, provides readers with a view of war contrary to the romanticized portrayals common during the early 20th century. Owen, born in 1893, died fighting in World War I in 1918. This British writer amplified the basic theme of the poem by beginning the poem in iambic pentameter; later, he diverged from the poetic form to submerge the reader into the chaotic and desperate atmosphere of the poem. The author’s main idea reflects the haunting tragedy and irony of war in a passionate plea to those who appeal to the youth with glorified ideas of battle.
The dramatic situation, of this poem, provides information about the speaker, audience, and plot. “Dulce et Decorum Est” is told from the viewpoint of a soldier. The speaker is a character in the poem, and the use of “we” and “I” determine that the poem is written in first person point of view. The speaker addresses those who would present the idea of fighting as a soldier in the war, as a noble and heroic action. The story takes place during a gas-attack on a British company during World War I (Moran). The use of past and present verb tenses explains the impact of the events on the narrator and the tone of the poem. The past tense is used in describing the war scene and situation, but the present tense, used to describe the dreams of the narrator, exemplifies the unforgettable nature of the events. The tone of desperation, bitterness, and irony reflects the speaker’s motivation.
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...
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...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” provides the reader with information perhaps needed to understand that romanticized visions of war are contrary to reality.
Works Cited
Lutz, Kimberly. “Overview of ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’.” Poetry for Students. Ed. Michael L. LaBlanc. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. Online. Literature Resource Center. 11 May 2011.
Moran, Daniel. “Overview od ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’.” Poetry for Students. Ed. Michael L. LeBlanc. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. Online. Literature Resource Center, 11 May 2011.
“Dulce et Decorum Est” shows how one soldiers need to survive indirectly causes another soldiers death. From the very beginning of the poem the reader sees how the war affects the soldiers. Fighting in the war has aged the soldiers, the once young men now “bent double, like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed, coughing like hags” trudge through the warzone (Owen 1-2). The men, completely drained f...
A. The "Dulce et Decorum Est." The Faber Book of War Poetry. Ed. Kenneth Baker.
The Poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” attempts to make war seem as repulsive as possible. The author’s goal is to discourage people from joining the war or any future conflicts by shattering the romantic image people have of the fighting. The setting of this poem helps
In contrast, ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ gives us the complete opposite. It takes away the lie that describes the war as a place of pleasure and vividness. When in reality it is a...
However, they are different. The sand is different. ‘Dulce et decorum Est’ expresses a great deal of horror and anger. I am a snob. The horror is set aside for the terrible pain and terror of the gas attack, not only for the victim, but also for the poet....
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.
The imagery and figurative language in “Dulce et Decorum Est” highlights the suffering of the soldiers, contradicting any notion of romanticized war. Owen uses the simile “like old beggars” (1) to describe the soldiers, which is ironic in that most of the soldiers in World War I were young men. This irony emphasizes how war has changed the soldiers for the worse; they seem “old” and bedraggled, unrecognizable in comparison to their old selves. In addition, the soldiers are “deaf even to the...Five-Nines that dropped behind” (7-8). Owen conveys the soldiers’ exhaustion to be extreme enough that they take no notice of the bombs falling around them, as if they are a
In Wilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” the speaker’s argument against whether there is true honor in dieing for ones country in World War I contradicts the old Latin saying, Dulce et Decorum Est, which translated means, “it is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland”; which is exemplified through Owen’s use of title, diction, metaphor and simile, imagery, and structure throughout the entirety of the poem.
Owen, Wilfred. “Dulce Et Decorum Est.” Poetry X. Ed. Jough Dempsey. 9 Sep 2003. 10
‘Poetry can challenge the reader to think about the world in new ways.’ It provokes the readers to consider events, issues and people with revised understanding and perspectives. The poems Dulce Et Decorum Est (Wilfred Owen, 1917) and Suicide in the Trenches (Siegfried Sassoon, 1917), were composed during World War One and represented the poets’ point of views in regards to the glorification of war and encouraged readers to challenge their perspectives and reflect upon the real consequences behind the fabrications of the glory and pride of fighting for one’s nation.
Owen, Wilfred. “Dulce Et Decorum Est.” World War I British Poets. Ed. Candace Ward. Dover Publications, Inc; New York, 1997.
In the poem Dulce et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori, he shows his feelings of betrayal, pity and the sense of sacrifice of human life due to the war, as the consequences do not result in any good for anyone, especially the family and friends of the victims. The title, when translated to English from Latin, means ‘It is sweet and honourable to die for one’s country’, being very ironic, compared to what he is writing throughout the poem, by his sense of hatred and pity towards war. He starts off with a simile, “like old beggars under sacks”, which does not depict a masculine image, already, ironic to the title, as it is not honourable to die “like old beggars”. Throughout the poem, a very graphical and comfronting image can be pictured in the reader’s head, recounting all of the shocking details of the war, such as the gas, “Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!” which is also a reminder of their youth and innocence, being put into a war where they thought it might be fun. I...
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.
“Dulce et Decorum Est” showing an anti-war side, the poem was originally entitled to Jessie Pope. It shows a tone through out the poem of depression, sadness Owen gets his message across very rapidly and makes the reader feel like they had just experienced the war in the few minutes of reading ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ this is done from the metaphors and magnificent imagery used to show a terrible side of war.
The poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ by Wilfred Owen portrays the horrors of World War I with the horrific imagery and the startling use of words he uses. He describes his experience of a gas attack where he lost a member of his squadron and the lasting impact it had on him. He describes how terrible the conditions were for the soldiers and just how bad it was. By doing this he is trying to help stop other soldiers from experiencing what happened in a shortage of time.