Analytical Essay on Wilfred Owen's War Poetry- "Dulce Et Decorum Est"- by Za
Analytical Essay on “Dulce et Decorum Est”
By ZA 2010 and 15 years of Age
British war poet, Wilfred Owen, incorporates many techniques of poetry writing in his works. As a soldier, Owen often wrote poems which described the misery and hardships on the fronts of World War One. To illustrate the image and scenes of the conflict, Owen uses an array of techniques which can be noticed in his poem “Dulce et Decorum Est”
In the poem, “Dulce et Decorum Est”, Owen recollects the event of a gas attack on returning soldiers. Owen writes the poem in his own voice and from his own experiences of war. He addresses the misery, plight and hardships of war to his primary audiences in Britain. Owens main objective of writing “Dulce et Decorum Est” was to expose the horrors and realities of war, which were often concealed under the posters of pro war propaganda.
The title, “Dulce et Decorum Est” are the words of a Roman poet, Horace, and was a familiar phrase at the time of World War One. This phrase was often used to encourage young men to fight for their country and die. Owen wrote his poems in opposition to this form of encouragement and its suggestions to young men. He contradicts the phrase by writing it as the “old lie”.
Owen has applied a structure to his poem which divides the events of the gas attack in to a series.
The poem consists of three stanzas. The first and second stanza, are equal in length and have 8 lines, whereas the last stanza (third) has 12 lines. In the third stanza Owen shares his reflections about the gas attack and the death of the soldier. Owen is very deeply affected by the death of his fellow, and is disgusted at the horrid scene. The poet also communicates to the reader and condemns the encouragement given to young men to enlist in war- the “old Lie”, “Dulce et Decorum Est”. Most lines are of equal length, with the exception of the twenty-third, “Bitter as the Cud” and the final (twenty-eight) “Pro Patria Mori”. Owen has written these lines separately
By ZA 2010 and 15 years of Age
British war poet, Wilfred Owen, incorporates many techniques of poetry writing in his works. As a soldier, Owen often wrote poems which described the misery and hardships on the fronts of World War One. To illustrate the image and scenes of the conflict, Owen uses an array of techniques which can be noticed in his poem “Dulce et Decorum Est”
In the poem, “Dulce et Decorum Est”, Owen recollects the event of a gas attack on returning soldiers. Owen writes the poem in his own voice and from his own experiences of war. He addresses the misery, plight and hardships of war to his primary audiences in Britain. Owens main objective of writing “Dulce et Decorum Est” was to expose the horrors and realities of war, which were often concealed under the posters of pro war propaganda.
The title, “Dulce et Decorum Est” are the words of a Roman poet, Horace, and was a familiar phrase at the time of World War One. This phrase was often used to encourage young men to fight for their country and die. Owen wrote his poems in opposition to this form of encouragement and its suggestions to young men. He contradicts the phrase by writing it as the “old lie”.
Owen has applied a structure to his poem which divides the events of the gas attack in to a series.
The poem consists of three stanzas. The first and second stanza, are equal in length and have 8 lines, whereas the last stanza (third) has 12 lines. In the third stanza Owen shares his reflections about the gas attack and the death of the soldier. Owen is very deeply affected by the death of his fellow, and is disgusted at the horrid scene. The poet also communicates to the reader and condemns the encouragement given to young men to enlist in war- the “old Lie”, “Dulce et Decorum Est”. Most lines are of equal length, with the exception of the twenty-third, “Bitter as the Cud” and the final (twenty-eight) “Pro Patria Mori”. Owen has written these lines separately