Wilfred Owen Tone
Wilfred Owen (Essay)
By Catherine Pineda
Wilfred Owen, the famous poet was born in 1893 - 1918.
He was twenty five years old when he was killed in action on the fourth of November, 1918.
Owen's poetry was known and admired in Great Britain from the 1920's when his friend Mr. Sassoon first editted his poems. However, some of Owen's poems has not yet been published.
Wilfred Owen learned to write poems in his room as he was wearing a pair of gloves and a coat to prepare himself when he is in the trenches later on.
During his military career, his poetic techniques was used to express the full pity for the men who died.
He also suffered from shell - shock, however, he courageously volunteered to returned to the Front.
During Owen's life, …show more content…
his mother was his major influence as she shaped his personality in his childhood days through the use of religious beliefs.
Through Owen's past it enabled him to to have a strong compassion, knowledge and experience in Warfare, Christianity and Literature which he was able to express his interests into his poems as techniques in "Dulce et Decorum Est " and "Disabled" . These poems portrays the suffering and pity of the soldiers who went to the war and the effects it had on the soldiers after the war.
Dulce et Decorum Est is one of Wilfred's famous poems which describes the atmosphere and the condition of what war demonstrates to the reader.
Pity and suffering are the most common themes which are explored throughout his poem.
Pity can be described as innocent boys wanting some sort of honour and glory for dying for ones country (Dulce et Decorum Est, Pro patria mori) however, as they are dying through destructive battle grounds filled with gas, mine fields, bullets, corpes, infested diseases and weapons, the old saying "Dulce et Decorum Est, Pro patria mori" has always been a lie and a waste of innocent lives and that these innocent soldiers have been betrayed by their own politics.
The use of imagery and slow rhyme in the last stanza,
"If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace" enables the reader to feel pity for these soldiers because the reader cannot understand the full horrors of the war but can feel pitiful for these men.
Suffering can be described as the current state of these soldiers as they try to go to the enemy's territory.
The use of similes, imagery, senses, reptition, tones, metaphor, persona, first person and onomatopoeia can provide evidence of the suffering of these soldiers.
For example:
"Bent double, like old beggers under sacks"
This quote from the first stanza uses imagery and a simile to describe the physical suffering of these soldiers as they are highly fatigued and so tired that they have to force themselves to keep moving to survive.
Another example is:
"Gas! Gas! Quick boys!"
This is from the second stanza from Dulce et Decorum Est as it shows a change of tone from the first stanza from the poem. The tone from the first stanza was a slow low tone, however, in the second stanza the tone tends to quicken towards a high tone with the use of repititions on the word "Gas!" and the use of exclamation marks to signify a sense of sudden danger, terror, urgency and panic.
The third example is:
"An ecstasy of fumbling"
Although this is in the second stanza this quote provides evidence of suffering through the use of a metaphor. As gas is near the soldiers, the soliders starts to panic that their hands starts to tremble. Although the hand cannot take ecstasy, "An ecstacy of fumbling" can mean that the movement of the hands from the soldiers are trembling so much that they are having great difficulties putting their gas masks on in time.
Another example is:
"...gluttering, choking,
drowning"
An onomatopoeia is used to describe the suffering and the sounds of those soldiers who did not place a gas mask on them in time.
The use of "I" in "Dulce et Decorum Est" can signify that the persona may suffer the same horrific conditions of the war as the other soldiers, however, as the poem is spoken in first person it can also signify that Wilfred Owen wants the reader to sense the personal, mental and physical suffering of the persona as well as the suffering of the other soldiers.
Another poem which Wilfred Owen portrays suffering and pity is called "Disabled" .
As this poem is viewed through the use of the first person and the persona it can provide evidence that this poem is based on the general soldiers experience in society after the war.
The most common themes explored in "Disabled" are suffuring and pity.
Pity can be described as the soldier who has sacrificed his freedom, sanity, and even himself to die for his country but when he comes back only some people gives him the recognition he deserves. It can also be described as a soldier is disabled for the rest of his life as he grows older each day and as the world changes around him.
Some techniques used to express pity are the use of flashbacks, imagery, motif, symbolism, literal language and simile.
For example, colours are used as a motif or symbolism in this poem to provide evidence of pity.
Grey signifies the lifelessness of the persona as he cannot move himself to places and is restricted from social interaction.
Light blue signifies the calmness of the atmosphere before the war.
The quote "He's lost his colour very far from here" can signify that he has lost a whole part of himself from the war, whether it is his beauty, his body parts, his sporting spirit, and the popularity before he went to war.
Purple can signify the loss of blood and the swolleness of the leg of the soldier during the war.
Another example is the use of flashbacks and imagery as it consists the reader to feel pitiful.
In the first stanza, it describes the present as he is sitting in a wheel chair in the park at night time as he is reminiscing of the children playing as he is waiting for someone to come and take him back into the institutes.
The second, third, forth and fifth stanza describes the persona's past as her was althletic, popular, handsome and the reason why he signed himself to the army.
Although the sixth stanza describes the past, it also demonstrates the lack of recognition he recieved for returning back.
The ending of the poem describes the future and the present of the persona.
"Now, he will spend a few sick years in Institutes"
"Tonight he noticed how the women's eyes "
"Passed from him to the strong men that were whole."
"How cold and late it is!" The next example involves the use of literal language to describe pity towards the responder.
"....Before he threw his knees away"
This quote signifies the waste of the soldiers sacrifice in the war.
Similes are used to describe how the persona is no longer popular with women as he is disabled.
"Like some queer disease...."
This provides more evidence of the limitations and restrictions he has in his lifestyle now as he is socially isolated.
Suffering can be decribed through the change of lifestyle, whether it is a physical, emotional, spiritual or social change.
The use of imagery, flashbacks and simile are used to provide evidence of suffering.
For example in the first and last stanza it provides evidence of the present suffering of the soldier after the war through the use of imagery and flashbacks.
It also describes the suffering of the soldier in an emotional and social state ( women do not see him as tasteful), physical state (he is disabled) and spiritual (he has to depend on others).
But in the second, third, forth, and fifth stanza it describes his past, however, it does not explain that he suffered from any form of suffering but was healthy in every aspect of wellbeing.
His physical state was maintaned as it described himself as an athlete, his emotional and social state was maintaned as he had a high ego about himself which enabled him to be popular and his spirit was maintained through the use of sports and motivation.
Another example of suffering is expressed through the use of a simile.
"All of them touch him like some queer disease."
This can also describe the emotional and social suffering of the persona as he is viewed in the society as different or not upto their standards.
Wilfred Owen's poems of "Dulce et Decorum Est" and "Disabled" has expressed the trageties of war, the general effects it has on the soldiers after the war and the old lie "Dulce et Decorum Est, Pro patria mori (it is a honour to die for one's country) but it also enables the responser to sense a connection of pity and suffering of the soldiers through the use of language techniques and tones.
By Catherine Pineda
Wilfred Owen, the famous poet was born in 1893 - 1918.
He was twenty five years old when he was killed in action on the fourth of November, 1918.
Owen's poetry was known and admired in Great Britain from the 1920's when his friend Mr. Sassoon first editted his poems. However, some of Owen's poems has not yet been published.
Wilfred Owen learned to write poems in his room as he was wearing a pair of gloves and a coat to prepare himself when he is in the trenches later on.
During his military career, his poetic techniques was used to express the full pity for the men who died.
He also suffered from shell - shock, however, he courageously volunteered to returned to the Front.
During Owen's life, …show more content…
his mother was his major influence as she shaped his personality in his childhood days through the use of religious beliefs.
Through Owen's past it enabled him to to have a strong compassion, knowledge and experience in Warfare, Christianity and Literature which he was able to express his interests into his poems as techniques in "Dulce et Decorum Est " and "Disabled" . These poems portrays the suffering and pity of the soldiers who went to the war and the effects it had on the soldiers after the war.
Dulce et Decorum Est is one of Wilfred's famous poems which describes the atmosphere and the condition of what war demonstrates to the reader.
Pity and suffering are the most common themes which are explored throughout his poem.
Pity can be described as innocent boys wanting some sort of honour and glory for dying for ones country (Dulce et Decorum Est, Pro patria mori) however, as they are dying through destructive battle grounds filled with gas, mine fields, bullets, corpes, infested diseases and weapons, the old saying "Dulce et Decorum Est, Pro patria mori" has always been a lie and a waste of innocent lives and that these innocent soldiers have been betrayed by their own politics.
The use of imagery and slow rhyme in the last stanza,
"If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace" enables the reader to feel pity for these soldiers because the reader cannot understand the full horrors of the war but can feel pitiful for these men.
Suffering can be described as the current state of these soldiers as they try to go to the enemy's territory.
The use of similes, imagery, senses, reptition, tones, metaphor, persona, first person and onomatopoeia can provide evidence of the suffering of these soldiers.
For example:
"Bent double, like old beggers under sacks"
This quote from the first stanza uses imagery and a simile to describe the physical suffering of these soldiers as they are highly fatigued and so tired that they have to force themselves to keep moving to survive.
Another example is:
"Gas! Gas! Quick boys!"
This is from the second stanza from Dulce et Decorum Est as it shows a change of tone from the first stanza from the poem. The tone from the first stanza was a slow low tone, however, in the second stanza the tone tends to quicken towards a high tone with the use of repititions on the word "Gas!" and the use of exclamation marks to signify a sense of sudden danger, terror, urgency and panic.
The third example is:
"An ecstasy of fumbling"
Although this is in the second stanza this quote provides evidence of suffering through the use of a metaphor. As gas is near the soldiers, the soliders starts to panic that their hands starts to tremble. Although the hand cannot take ecstasy, "An ecstacy of fumbling" can mean that the movement of the hands from the soldiers are trembling so much that they are having great difficulties putting their gas masks on in time.
Another example is:
"...gluttering, choking,
drowning"
An onomatopoeia is used to describe the suffering and the sounds of those soldiers who did not place a gas mask on them in time.
The use of "I" in "Dulce et Decorum Est" can signify that the persona may suffer the same horrific conditions of the war as the other soldiers, however, as the poem is spoken in first person it can also signify that Wilfred Owen wants the reader to sense the personal, mental and physical suffering of the persona as well as the suffering of the other soldiers.
Another poem which Wilfred Owen portrays suffering and pity is called "Disabled" .
As this poem is viewed through the use of the first person and the persona it can provide evidence that this poem is based on the general soldiers experience in society after the war.
The most common themes explored in "Disabled" are suffuring and pity.
Pity can be described as the soldier who has sacrificed his freedom, sanity, and even himself to die for his country but when he comes back only some people gives him the recognition he deserves. It can also be described as a soldier is disabled for the rest of his life as he grows older each day and as the world changes around him.
Some techniques used to express pity are the use of flashbacks, imagery, motif, symbolism, literal language and simile.
For example, colours are used as a motif or symbolism in this poem to provide evidence of pity.
Grey signifies the lifelessness of the persona as he cannot move himself to places and is restricted from social interaction.
Light blue signifies the calmness of the atmosphere before the war.
The quote "He's lost his colour very far from here" can signify that he has lost a whole part of himself from the war, whether it is his beauty, his body parts, his sporting spirit, and the popularity before he went to war.
Purple can signify the loss of blood and the swolleness of the leg of the soldier during the war.
Another example is the use of flashbacks and imagery as it consists the reader to feel pitiful.
In the first stanza, it describes the present as he is sitting in a wheel chair in the park at night time as he is reminiscing of the children playing as he is waiting for someone to come and take him back into the institutes.
The second, third, forth and fifth stanza describes the persona's past as her was althletic, popular, handsome and the reason why he signed himself to the army.
Although the sixth stanza describes the past, it also demonstrates the lack of recognition he recieved for returning back.
The ending of the poem describes the future and the present of the persona.
"Now, he will spend a few sick years in Institutes"
"Tonight he noticed how the women's eyes "
"Passed from him to the strong men that were whole."
"How cold and late it is!" The next example involves the use of literal language to describe pity towards the responder.
"....Before he threw his knees away"
This quote signifies the waste of the soldiers sacrifice in the war.
Similes are used to describe how the persona is no longer popular with women as he is disabled.
"Like some queer disease...."
This provides more evidence of the limitations and restrictions he has in his lifestyle now as he is socially isolated.
Suffering can be decribed through the change of lifestyle, whether it is a physical, emotional, spiritual or social change.
The use of imagery, flashbacks and simile are used to provide evidence of suffering.
For example in the first and last stanza it provides evidence of the present suffering of the soldier after the war through the use of imagery and flashbacks.
It also describes the suffering of the soldier in an emotional and social state ( women do not see him as tasteful), physical state (he is disabled) and spiritual (he has to depend on others).
But in the second, third, forth, and fifth stanza it describes his past, however, it does not explain that he suffered from any form of suffering but was healthy in every aspect of wellbeing.
His physical state was maintaned as it described himself as an athlete, his emotional and social state was maintaned as he had a high ego about himself which enabled him to be popular and his spirit was maintained through the use of sports and motivation.
Another example of suffering is expressed through the use of a simile.
"All of them touch him like some queer disease."
This can also describe the emotional and social suffering of the persona as he is viewed in the society as different or not upto their standards.
Wilfred Owen's poems of "Dulce et Decorum Est" and "Disabled" has expressed the trageties of war, the general effects it has on the soldiers after the war and the old lie "Dulce et Decorum Est, Pro patria mori (it is a honour to die for one's country) but it also enables the responser to sense a connection of pity and suffering of the soldiers through the use of language techniques and tones.