Dulce Et Decorum Est Rhetorical Analysis

Through diction and repetition, “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen presents a harsh reality of war that challenges the ideal of militarism by mocking the assumed glory in the military. In this piece, the poet scorns militarism-created perceptions of war. In the midst of a bombing, he describes preparing for the gas as “… [a]n ecstasy of fumbling / Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time” (9-10). The words ecstasy and fumbling contradict each other in their connotations as ecstasy is related to happiness, and fumbling usually signifies being embarrassingly helpless. The poet uses this word choice to bring attention to the fact that there was no ‘ecstasy’ in the fighting; it was dehumanizing and humiliating. In this way, he is directly opposing