Similarities Between Wilfred Owen And The Great War Poetry

The Great War and the Great War Poet

Throughout history, tragedy and suffering have inspired great works of art and literature; and Poetry is no exception. The Great War spawned an entire new age of poets and poems, all sharing views, opinions or experiences related to World War I. The poets who touched on the topic of World War 1 became known as “War Poets”. One of the most famous of these poets is Wilfred Owen and his famous and highly scrutinized Poem “Dulce et Decorum Est”. Many critics agree that Wilfred Owen’s famous poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” showed an accurate account of wartime conditions and hardships while criticizing the glorification of war, all through his own experiences and hardships. “Dulce et decorum Est” was written

Much of what he wrote about was experienced firsthand or felt very strongly about. Wilfred Owen was born March eighteenth, 1893 to two parents, both of whom had Welsh blood. (Hibberd 442) Owen, who was very proud of his Celtic heritage once, wrote “Celtic blood makes poets sing and prophets see” (Hibberd 443). Owen knew from a young age that he was artistic, and desired to be a poet, but he lacked the money to support an artist’s lifestyle (Hibberd 447). On October twenty first, 1915 Owen lack of money lead to his enlistment into the, army as a Cadet in the “artist’s rifles” (Hibberd 447). As the war dragged on Owen was shocked at the wretched conditions of war and used this to inspire his poetry. While enlisted, Owen performed admirably earning the respect of his fellow soldiers, and eventually the title of second lieutenant (Bell 2158). However Owen soon showed mental strain and signs of being unfit for duty. (Bell 2158) He was sent to the Craiglockhart military hospital, were he met Siegfried Sassoon. The two men quickly became friends and Sassoon (who was actively anti war) convinced Owen to write about the hardships and horror of the battlefield. (Bell 2159) Owen took his friend’s advice and used his experiences to write and even put himself into countless poems including “Dulce et Decorum Est”. There are several instances throughout the poem were Owen uses his own experience to place himself into the poem. “In the Second line, the speaker (Wilfred Owen) defines his relationship to the situation: “We cursed through sludge” (LaBlanc 110). By identifying himself as one of the soldiers, he establishes the authority necessary to comment on the hardships he describes (LaBlanc 110). In addition, he reminds the reader that the war is not some far-away spectacle… is as real and close as the speaker himself (LaBlanc 110). After spending years fighting and writing about his experiences Wilfred Owen died in