Dulce Et Decorum Est Analysis Essay

Through Owen’s powerful portrayal of themes and ideas, as well as shifting rhythms, dramatic description, and rich, raw images, Owen seeks to convince us that the horror of war far outweighs the patriotic clichés of those who glamorise war, and evokes more from us than simple disgust and sympathy; but issues previously unconsidered are brought to our attention through the use of unusual perspectives and relationships.
Throughout Dulce et Decorum Est, Owen highlights the dehumanisation of the soldiers, which shows an unusual perspective on the reality of war and its horrors. At the beginning of the first stanza, Owen uses a death-like calm, using alliteration and onomatopoeia joined with powerful figurative and literal images of war to produce a pitiful sense of despair, ‘bent double’ and ‘knock-kneed.’ Owen constantly refers to the overpowering exhaustion of the soldiers, describing them as ‘old hags’. This highlights that the soldiers are ageing prematurely, dehumanising their bodies, demonstrating that they are only used for their numbers, that they are mediocrity.
Owen forces his readers to enter his horrific story of war terrors, and to take the journey with him by presenting his poem in three stages; before, during, and after the gas attack.
This deathly relationship between ‘Abram’ and ‘Isaac’ shocks the audience, allowing them to understand the true nature of