Dulce Et decorum est
The First World War was an event that brought to many people, pain, sorrow and bitterness. Accounts of the war shows that no other war challenged existing conventions, morals and ideals in the same way as did World War. Many people touched by the terrror of the war have written pieces of literature about the massacre that was World War 1, wishing people to understand the horror and tragedy that befell those involved. "Dulce et Decorum est", by Wilfred Owen, is one such elegy that presents to the reader a vivid, horrifying description of World War 1, aiming to illustrate that war is not romantic and heroic, but a senseless and devastating event. In this poem, techniques such as imagery, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia and contrast are used to express Owen's angry and bitter view towards what happened in the war. "Dulce et Decorum Est" uses strong images to convey Owen's feelings about the war, and to force the reader to take his view. Ghastly pictures of the war occur throughout the poem, largely in the last stanza, working together to present a vivid picture of the war. These images, utilised by Owen, show the ultimate irony and the moral of the poem, that it is not in fact a sweet fate to die for one's country even though
The rhythm of "Dulce et Deorum est" is non existent. The poem is written in such a way that when read, sounds conversational. This stresses the eerie quality to the poem as no usual conversation expresses such horror or such solemness. This lack of rhythm or musicality in the lines of the poem stresses the seriousness of "Dulce et Decorum est" as the poem is not a piece of rhythm or music, but a work expressing the deep feelings and disgust Owen feels about the war. others may think it heroic. This irony is illustrated using juxtaposition at the end of the poem. The men who enlist are "innocent", they are "children" who have learned that war is full of "high zest" and this makes them "ardent for some desperate glory". These innocent boys are willing to believe the Lie but will think differently once they experience the war first hand. Metaphors are used to illustrate more vividly the descriptions used in the poem. This is evident in the description of the soldiers as "old beggars under sacks". This not only says that they are tired, but that they are so tired they have been brought down to the level of beggars who have not slept in a bed for weeks on end. In the description "his hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin" Owen compares the gas victim's face to the devil seeming corrupted and baneful. A metaphor even more effective is one that compares "...vile, incurable sores..." with the memories of the troops. It not only tells the reader how the troops will never forget the experience, but also how they are frightening tales, ones that will the troops will never be able to tell without remembering the extremely painful experience. These comparisons illustrate the point so vividly that they increase the effectiveness of the poem. The most important means
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Approximate Word count = 1195
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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