'Dulce et Decorum Est,' by Wilfred Owen and the poem 'To Lucasta, on Going to the Wars,' by Richard Lovelace,
The two poems, “To Lucasta, going to the Wars” by Richard Lovelace and “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen are both devoted to the subject of war. Lovelace’s poem was written in the 17th century and as well as almost all the poetry of the period has romantic diction. The war is shown as something truly worthwhile, glossed and honorable for a man. The protagonist is leaving his beloved for the battlefield and his tone is pathetic and solemn. He calls the war his new mistress and asks his beloved woman not to be jealous as love to her is impossible for him without honor. In this way the overall mood of the poem is idealistic and heroic. The protagonist refers to war as a thrilling adventure and even affection. The tone of the Owen’s poem written under the impact of the World War I is of another kind. It has no trace of glory and devotion. On the contrary, Owen’s aim was to dispel that image of war, to show it as something horrifying and dehumanizing by means of vivid depiction of all the gruesome atrocities, to reflect disillusionment and disgust of war. That’s why the author sets the scene of ghastly battlefield and starkly describes a man perishing from intoxication with gas. The tone is sorrowful and passionate and makes the reader feel empathy with the warriors. The style can be also described with profound depth of emotion.
The according moods of both poems are expressed be means of form; that is to say by rhythm and structure first of all.
The form of “To Lucasta” is presented by three stanzas containing four lines each. It is short and easy to read, and light and energetic rhythm is achieved by alternating from iambic tetrameter to iambic trimeter. The structure reflects dynamics of the plot, for example by the line “A sword, a horse, a shield” which itself reminds the rhythm of a march or a horse’s jogging. At the same time, the poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” is much longer and consists of four stanzas with eight, six, two and twelve lines, respectively.
The according moods of both poems are expressed be means of form; that is to say by rhythm and structure first of all.
The form of “To Lucasta” is presented by three stanzas containing four lines each. It is short and easy to read, and light and energetic rhythm is achieved by alternating from iambic tetrameter to iambic trimeter. The structure reflects dynamics of the plot, for example by the line “A sword, a horse, a shield” which itself reminds the rhythm of a march or a horse’s jogging. At the same time, the poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” is much longer and consists of four stanzas with eight, six, two and twelve lines, respectively.