Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,

Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,

Till on the haunting flares we turned out backs,

And towards our distant rest began to trudge.

Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,

But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame, all blind;

Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots

Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!--An ecstasy of fumbling

Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,

But someone still was yelling out and stumbling

And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime.--

Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,

As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams before my helpless sight

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace

Behind the wagon that we flung him in,

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,

His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin,

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood

Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs

Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--

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The tone of the poem is ominous, as it not only represents - quite graphically - the horrors of war, but cracks the shell surrounding the myth that war is glorious. The poem is in both the narrative and lyrical styles. It tells the story of the fight for life and the loss of life, and shows this through a series of graphic and devastating images.

friend, you would not tell with such high zest

The poem Dulce et Decorum est by Wilfred Owen is a very powerful expression of his hatred of war. It had a great effect on me personally, as I actually felt the nausea that I previously discussed. I am pleased that a poet has actually published the disgraceful and horrific things that occur at war. War was never a noble way to die, and Wilfred Owen's anti-war poem has been successful in its purpose of bringing this to our attention. He has shown us just how revolting and futile war really is.

Some common words found in the essay are:
War Owen, GAS Quick, Owen Bent, Wilfred Owen, Lie Dulce, Wilfred Owen's, dulce et decorum, et decorum est, dulce et, decorum est, et decorum, decorum est wilfred, est wilfred owen, est wilfred, wilfred owen, lines third, pro patria, patria mori, est pro, est pro patria, choking drowning,
Approximate Word count = 749
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)