Rachel Moran's Poem 'Dulce Et Decorum Est'

"Dulce et decorum est" Rachel Moran

"Dulce et decorum est" is a poem written by Wilfred Owen during World War I and I am going to convey how the poet captures the horrific and outrageous circumstances the soldiers had to suffer.

This poem describes the horrendous situations the exhausted soldiers had to go through, from in the trenches to gas attacks. Owens aim of the poem is to argue the saying ‘Dulce et decorum est' and to show the reader the reality of World War I, he makes this clear in the last stanza.

The poet shocks us in the first few lines of the poem by his disturbing use of imagery and word choice. This is portrayed in the words: "Men marched asleep". This shows that the soldiers were doing everything in routine
This vivid account of the man dying in the gas attack is portrayed in these words: "He plunges at me". The word "plunges" suggests how desperate and vulnerable the man is; also it is creating an image that the man is falling towards Owen showing that he has no strength left, and although the man is now incurable he indicates that he is not ready to die yet. Another way in which Owen powerfully conveys this image is in the words: "Guttering, choking, drowning". The list and repetition of these words strongly emphasises how horrifying and painful this lingering death is. The drowning noises convey that the man is trying to get help but is helpless himself; Owen is probably traumatised himself as he is haunted by these words from the repetition which creates an image that it is never going to go away, it will always come back. The effect of the onomatopoeia is impressive as you can imagine the terrified young man drowning to his death right in front of you. A phrase which further clarifies this point is when the young man has just died: "Obscene as cancer". The poet compares dying from the gas attack to a horrific illness. Owen uses very strong word choice here and it is almost unbearable, as cancer is an excruciating, ghastly disease to have to live with and everyone fears it. It also suggests that once that gas has attacked you, you have not much hope in living. I found that when
The poet highlights this when he is states about the keen children, "For some desperate glory". The young men show the excitement of the war beforehand, but Owen states that fighting for your country is not as glorious a task as it may appear to be. The word "desperate" suggests how determined these young men are to fight for their country. It also shows that they have not achieved anything in their lives before worthwhile celebrating and they now want some "glory", while it is being offered. The young men may also be brainwashed and forced into sacrificing their lives under hideous conditions. Owen addresses the reader directly and his bitterness is conveyed powerfully at the very end of the poem: "The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori". This translates to ‘How sweet and noble it is to die for your country'. Owen accuses a journalist named Jesse Pope of claiming ‘Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori', to lead young, innocent, keen boys to a horrific fate, as they went into battle without even knowing the truth behind their smart, manly uniform. Because the poem ends in these words, it makes them seen even more obscene and ridiculous, especially as they rhyme. Today, I do not think that there are many people who still think of war as something exciting. If most people haven't experienced it first hand, they at least acknowledge the full measure of its