The Truth About War
English 1B
Poetry Essay
The Truth about War
Is Wilfred Owen’s poem, “Dulce et Decorum,” unpatriotic?
Wilfred Owen’s poem, “Dulce et Decorum Est,” is not an unpatriotic poem. Owen uses this poem to show that although people tend to think that there is honor and glory in fighting for your country, war is extremely horrific and draining. Though Owen uses painful, violent, and vivid images to convey the horrifying reality of war, he does not discuss patriotism; instead he uses these images as a form of knowledge. ….
According to the contributors of Wikipedia, Wilfred Owen served as a British Soldier in World War I. At the beginning of his service he was a cheerful optimist; but after a couple of traumatic experiences his optimism faded, and a lot of his work depicted the change in his attitude. He began to write poems about his experiences—especially the ones he relived in his dreams; one of those poems was “Dulce et Decorum Est” (Wikipedia). The whole point of this poem is to shed light on actual events that can occur during war. In the past, and even today, the ad campaign for the army, marines, and navy was one that portrayed honor and glory; those campaigns played on a man’s sense of duty to keep his family safe—his country safe. What those campaigns did not make reference to are the ugly pictures of war; young men used to, and still do, join these institutions without really knowing what they would be facing. “Dulce et Decorum Est” has been written to dispel any romanticized notions of war and educate the public on the harsh reality of it.
Because of his experience in the trenches during World War I, Owen can be seen as the speaker in “Dulce et Decorum Est.” The tone of the poem is angry, and ironic; in fact, the title of the poem itself is ironic. The title of the poem would be translated as “sweet and fitting it is,” yet the entire poem describes how bitter it is to die for one’s country. The poem’s rhyme scheme is “ABAB” and it gives the
Poetry Essay
The Truth about War
Is Wilfred Owen’s poem, “Dulce et Decorum,” unpatriotic?
Wilfred Owen’s poem, “Dulce et Decorum Est,” is not an unpatriotic poem. Owen uses this poem to show that although people tend to think that there is honor and glory in fighting for your country, war is extremely horrific and draining. Though Owen uses painful, violent, and vivid images to convey the horrifying reality of war, he does not discuss patriotism; instead he uses these images as a form of knowledge. ….
According to the contributors of Wikipedia, Wilfred Owen served as a British Soldier in World War I. At the beginning of his service he was a cheerful optimist; but after a couple of traumatic experiences his optimism faded, and a lot of his work depicted the change in his attitude. He began to write poems about his experiences—especially the ones he relived in his dreams; one of those poems was “Dulce et Decorum Est” (Wikipedia). The whole point of this poem is to shed light on actual events that can occur during war. In the past, and even today, the ad campaign for the army, marines, and navy was one that portrayed honor and glory; those campaigns played on a man’s sense of duty to keep his family safe—his country safe. What those campaigns did not make reference to are the ugly pictures of war; young men used to, and still do, join these institutions without really knowing what they would be facing. “Dulce et Decorum Est” has been written to dispel any romanticized notions of war and educate the public on the harsh reality of it.
Because of his experience in the trenches during World War I, Owen can be seen as the speaker in “Dulce et Decorum Est.” The tone of the poem is angry, and ironic; in fact, the title of the poem itself is ironic. The title of the poem would be translated as “sweet and fitting it is,” yet the entire poem describes how bitter it is to die for one’s country. The poem’s rhyme scheme is “ABAB” and it gives the
Cited: Owen, Wilfred. “Dulce et Decorum Est.” The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. 852-53. Print. Wikipedia contributors. "Wilfred Owen." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, 6 Dec. 2011. Web. 6 Dec. 2011.