Wilfred Owen
Rupert Brooke
Poem:
Dulce Et Decorum Est
The soldier
Similarities:
- Theme
- Period
Theme:
- War
Period:
- During World War 1
Differences:
- Point of view
- Style
- Tone
- Structure
- Choice of Words
- Description/Literary Techniques
- Pace
- Message to public
- Impact towards humanity
Point of view:
- Negative towards war
- Thinks that war is horrible and cruel as throughout the poem Owen makes disgusting remarks and descriptions of the war
- War is horrible as soldiers get hurt and some inhale chlorine, which causes death upon them.
- Positive towards war
- Dying in war for his mother country is a glorious and right thing to do as England shaped the person he became and nourished him throughout these years. (Lines 5-8)
- Soldier’s sin may all be forgiven as he sacrifices his life for England (“all evil shed away”)
- If he shall die in the battle, he shall remain in the foreign country forever as his dead body will turn that piece of land in the belongings of England (lines 1-3)
Style:
- Painful
- Agonizing
- Calmly
- Patriotically
Tone:
- Anger
- Sadness
-Horrified
- Calm
- Peaceful
- Proud
Structure:
- Similar to a French ballade (1st stanza contains 8 lines while the 2nd stanza contains 6 lines)
- Sonnet
Choice of words:
“Cursed”, “Haunting”, “Flares”, “Limped”, “Blood-shot”, “Lame”, “Fumbling”, “Stumbling”, “Drowning”, “Helpless”, “Devil”, “Guttering”, “Choking”, “Writhing”, “Gargling”,
“Dreams”, “Pulse”, “Breathing”, “Laughter”, “Peace”, “Heaven”, “Gentleness”
Description/Literary Techniques
- “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks” (repeating of “B” sound and describing the soldiers as old beggars)
- “Knock-kneed, coughing like hags” (repeating of “K” sound and describing the soldiers ill bodies”
- “Many had lost their boots” (long “O” sound and gives readers an image of untidy soldiers, banishing the stereotype of smart soldier uniforms”
- “But limped on, blood-shot” (described that despite the soldiers were injured, they still have to bare with the pain and continue to fight)
- “All went lame; all blind; drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots” (Owen describes the soldiers as “blind”, “drunk” and “deaf” as to let readers vividly picture exactly how exhausted they were)
- Lines 9-16 has used a lot of “ing” ending words i.e. Fumbling, yelling, stumbling, drowning, choking, guttering, floundering (Owen used a lot of continuous tense words to create an effect of on-going chaos, thus providing a more tense atmosphere for the poem)
- “Behind the wagon that we flung him” (the choice of word “flung” gives a feeling that the soldier is not important and as if he was a piece of trash)
- “And watch the white eyes writhing in his face” (repeating of “W” sound help emphasizes the pain on the man’s face)
- “The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori” (Owen addresses those who tell young boys that fighting in a war is honorable are wrong and that their believes are lies)
- “A dust who England bore, shaped, made aware” (Brooke described that England bored and shaped him, symbolizing it is his mother)
-“Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home” (suggests that even the England sun blesses him, he also states that England is his home, showing how patriotic he is)
- “Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given” (states that he will do his best to give his spirit to England, showing how willing he is to sacrifice for his mother country)
- “A body of England’s, breathing of England’s air” (expresses his love for England and its people)
- “And laughter, learnt of friends' and gentleness;” (these showed the values that England had taught and nourished him into, also suggesting the happiness England had brought him. This showed how much Brooke respected those values and how much he loved his home country”
- “In hearts of peace, under an English heaven” (the words “English heaven” projects the idea of an idealistic place, reassuring readers that dying for his own country will be rewarded by God)
Pace:
- Short, choppy sentences. Owen tends to add more comas between lines to create a terrified and scared effect
-Long, flowing sentence. Brooke tends to let the sentences flow more, creating a smooth and calm effect
Messages to public:
Owen hopes to alert public, especially young boys, that fighting for your home country is not as honorable or sweet as it sounds. It is in fact horrible and cruel. Those beliefs told by others are simply lies.
Brooke hopes to tell readers that war is not always started for the reasons that your government tells you; there is a larger picture to consider. Also, fighting and sacrificing for your home country is a right and proud thing to do. It is because your home country has nourished and bore you into what you are today. Fight and defending your country is the best way to thank it. Thus God will also make you hero.
Impact towards humanity:
(x)
The poem is often read at the memorial services of soldiers nowadays to glorify their heroism.
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