Wilfred Owen Dulce Et Decorum Est Analysis
Literary Device #4 - Imagery
Imagery originates from the Old French word imagerie, which comes from imager, meaning to “make an image.” In literature, one of the strongest devices is imagery, wherein the author uses words and phrases to create “mental images” for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize the author’s writings more realistically .
Example: “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, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud/ Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues” (Lines 19-24). Wilfred Owen Dulce Et Decorum Est
FUNCTION
Context: Prior to the quote, there is an army of men who are “drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots” (Line 7). War-ridden, these men are suffering the costs of war, but the situation only gets worse for them. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Five-Nines are dropped behind them from the enemy, and gas spreads through the area quickly. To survive, many of the men instantaneously put on their gas masks to avoid the gas. …show more content…
This simile supports the imagery by helping listeners create the picture of the devil in their minds. Continuing, “the blood come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs” is compared to “cancer” using the word “as” (Line 21-22). As mentioned in the context, the way cancer is compared to the man’s death highlights how terrifying war deaths actually are. When something is compared to another thing that readers know about, they can clearly realize the intensity of death, which is what this poem advocates. Therefore, listeners cannot look at war deaths the same way ever again because of the two similes and the imagery Owen
Imagery originates from the Old French word imagerie, which comes from imager, meaning to “make an image.” In literature, one of the strongest devices is imagery, wherein the author uses words and phrases to create “mental images” for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize the author’s writings more realistically .
Example: “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, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud/ Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues” (Lines 19-24). Wilfred Owen Dulce Et Decorum Est
FUNCTION
Context: Prior to the quote, there is an army of men who are “drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots” (Line 7). War-ridden, these men are suffering the costs of war, but the situation only gets worse for them. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Five-Nines are dropped behind them from the enemy, and gas spreads through the area quickly. To survive, many of the men instantaneously put on their gas masks to avoid the gas. …show more content…
This simile supports the imagery by helping listeners create the picture of the devil in their minds. Continuing, “the blood come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs” is compared to “cancer” using the word “as” (Line 21-22). As mentioned in the context, the way cancer is compared to the man’s death highlights how terrifying war deaths actually are. When something is compared to another thing that readers know about, they can clearly realize the intensity of death, which is what this poem advocates. Therefore, listeners cannot look at war deaths the same way ever again because of the two similes and the imagery Owen