Wilfred Owen Dulce Et Decorum Est

Task three

Wilfred Owen’s poem ‘’Dulce et Decorum est’’ was written during his World War One experience. Owen was an officer in the British army, the poem explains how the British public and press comforted themselves in the fact that young men were dying in the war doing the noble and heroic thing the reality however was quite different as Owen so horrifically demonstrates to the reader in the poem. Owen wants to throw the war in the readers face to illustrate how vile and in humane war really was this study will focus on Dulce et Decorum est discussing themes and poetic methods engaged, insights will also be provided into Owen’s underlying purpose in adopting these techniques, as cited by Breen in her introduction to the selected poetry and prose in which the poet highlights and outlines his purpose ‘’My subject is war and the pity of war’’ Owen, W. 1988 p4
This statement sums up in a nutshell the poet’s opinion and dislike towards war. Owen through his writing and poetry condemns those who glorify war and those who tempted young men to join the army with heroic rhetoric. It contrasts the idealistic views that were held about the war at the time with harsh reality of those who fought in the front lines. Owen powerfully conveys this to the reader in a very clever way by using visual stimuli to grab the reader to describe the scene. The title of this poem is ironic the title means it is sweet and right to die for ones country its not particularly sweet or heroic to die for ones country and that’s what Owen goes on to explore thorough out the poem. Stanza one begins with a description of the shocking condition of a group of soldiers retreating from the battle field the soldiers are in a state of pure exhaustion the detail used to describe the men’s wretched state is in marked contrast to the glorified image of war suggested by the title there is absolutely nothing glorified or military about the soldiers described in the first 8 lines, infact very much the opposite, stanza one is heavily punctuated, slowing down the pace of the opening of the poem to suggest the slow staggering movements of the weary run down soldiers. ‘’Bent over like old beggars under sacks, Knock kneed, coughing like hags, We cursed our way through sludge’’ Owen, W. 1988, p50 this first simile ‘’Like old beggars’’ undermines stereotypes image of a typical soldier as young, fit and well, this line suggests they are unfit filthy and weak. ‘’Coughing like hags’’ this simile conveys how men have become unrecognisable their masculinity and youth destroyed and taken from them. Prematurely aging there old before there time immediately Owen conveys to the reader that instead of the strapping young men you see them to be in the propaganda posters there bent over, Owen is creating the scene by using these techniques ‘’Knock-Kneed’’ onomatopoeia is used to create and enhance the readers experience almost as if the reader is in the scene. The two K’s in the ‘’Knock-Kneed’’ is also alliteration this is used to emphasise a hard staccato sound to echo the harsh mood of the lines and the soldiers misery. Owens choice of words emphasise how exhausted and depressed the men feel ‘’Trudge’’ ‘’Drunk’’ ‘’Blind’’ ‘’Lame’’ and ‘’Limped’’ the opening lines of the poem describes the terrible physical state of the soldiers Owen conveys how they have been transformed by the war his purpose is to indicate from the start that war is not glamorous and romantic it is anything but.
In stanza two a series of short exclamations conveys panic a sudden contrast to verse one as the soldiers are subjected to a chemical warfare attack they have to regain their senses and adapt to their current surroundings they have to fit their gas masks on quickly.
‘’Gas! Gas! Quick boys –an ecstasy of fumbling’’
The word ecstasy implies madness this is what is in Owen’s mind at this point in a frantic attempt to save their own lives unfortunately they don’t all get to their masks on time, Owen watches as a member of his crew chokes and staggers in the toxic fumes unable to save him from the excruciating certain death. ‘’ As under a green sea, I saw him drowning’’ Owen uses an extended metaphor of the sea and drowning to recreate the froth chocked drowning caused by a gas attack ‘’Like a man in fire’’ Owen leaves his readers in no doubt as to the horrible reality to this situation. He feels helpless and useless as nothing he can do can stop his comrade from suffering at this stage it is too late. This further reinforces Owens point that all these young men are simply a pawn in the game of war.

In stanza three the image of the man ‘’Guttering’’ ‘’Chocking’’ ‘’Drowning’’ permeates Owens thoughts and dreams ‘’In all my dreams’’ forcing him to remember the nightmare again and again this indicates a shift in time as the narrator relates how many years after the war he still recalls this traumatic event that will haunt him for the rest of his days. ‘’helpless’’ this word conveys a sense of guilt that he can do nothing to help his friend owen felt powerless.

In the final stanza Owen provides his readers with a very graphical and physical description of dying he deliberately draws this out over the eight lines to convey the reality and brutality of war and what really went on. He draws out the process of death and shows it in its full physicality and full horror. Owens tone in the final lines is bitter and angry, He uses the patriotic slogan in a darkly ironic way to expose the dishonesty of the romanticized portrayals of war in light of the horrific account of soldier’s experiences he has described.

‘’if in some smothering dreams you too could

Pace behind the wagon we flung him in’’

Flung is an emotive word choice this implies and shows the reader that the soldiers were treated with no respect they were dehumanized also the use of the word ‘’you’’ in this line addresses the reader forcing them to imagine the horror of watching the young soldier die in agony.

‘’And watch the white eyes writing in his face’’

Owen uses alliteration here this emphasises the hideous sight of the man suffering, His eyes rolling as he’s in pain.

‘’Bitter as the cud of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues’’

Contrast in this simile highlights how youth and innocence are destroyed by war. Owen ends the poem with a direct address to the reader asking them to reconsider the truth of patriotic tales of war. That it is right and fitting to die for ones country in light of what the poem has revealed. Owen is very heavily sarcastic when he is addressing everyone to the young men to the soldiers to the kids who cant wait to be soldiers of tomorrow

‘’My friend, you would not tell with such high zest

To children ardent for some desperate glory,

The old lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori’’

In conclusion his anger is not directed at his comrades his combat soldiers, indeed he presents their predicament with great empathy, Instead his anger is geared towards the decision makers. Owen condemned the war and all who supported it and rightly so as he had experienced first hand the tragedies and effects the war had on these young men. This poem unmasked the truth about the war and conveyed to the reader what really went on behind the scenes. The poem also turns upon writers like Jessie pope. All aspects of the poem combine to reinforce the underlying message that war was not what it seemed it was far from it. Structurally thematically and in terms of choice of language the poem is powerful and compelling.