“Dulce et Decorum Est” and “The Soldier”
English 124-Literary Essay
October 19, 2011
“Dulce et Decorum Est” and “The Soldier”
Although the poems “Dulce et Decorum Est “by Wilfred Owen, and “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke, share the elements of writer passion and subjectivity, they differ with regards to tone, theme and literary devices.
The lyrical poem, “The Soldier” was written during the period before the World War, and thus presents an unrealistic viewpoint of war. The speaker is simply regurgitating ideas and concepts about war instilled in him by his country England. The phrases, “England bore, shaped, made aware” and “the thoughts by England given” solidify this theory. It is evident that he has not physically engaged in warfare, nor has he observed the explicit nature of the battlefield because his focus remains on England, rather than the war itself. In fact, his patriotism escalates to the level that he considers himself ‘an extension of England’. The terms, “A body of England’s” and “That is forever England” validate this concept. Contrarily, the poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” was composed during the war itself, and its writer ironically met his demise in the aforementioned. The name of the poem implies that the poet was a proponent of war, but contradictorily we discover that he was not. Undoubtedly, Owen had the practical, realistic knowledge to informatively and effectively portray the war scene. He experienced first-hand the physical, psychological and emotional effects of war on a human being. Although both speakers had contradictory concepts about war based on their own values, knowledge and experiences, they presented their theories with equivalent zeal, tenacity and passion. The speakers are fixated in their beliefs, and adamant about their concepts of war. They have absolutely no inhibitions about using words and phrases to effective portray their emotions and establish tones.
The tones of both poems are clear, identifiable and extreme. In “The Soldier”, the speaker is proud and
October 19, 2011
“Dulce et Decorum Est” and “The Soldier”
Although the poems “Dulce et Decorum Est “by Wilfred Owen, and “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke, share the elements of writer passion and subjectivity, they differ with regards to tone, theme and literary devices.
The lyrical poem, “The Soldier” was written during the period before the World War, and thus presents an unrealistic viewpoint of war. The speaker is simply regurgitating ideas and concepts about war instilled in him by his country England. The phrases, “England bore, shaped, made aware” and “the thoughts by England given” solidify this theory. It is evident that he has not physically engaged in warfare, nor has he observed the explicit nature of the battlefield because his focus remains on England, rather than the war itself. In fact, his patriotism escalates to the level that he considers himself ‘an extension of England’. The terms, “A body of England’s” and “That is forever England” validate this concept. Contrarily, the poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” was composed during the war itself, and its writer ironically met his demise in the aforementioned. The name of the poem implies that the poet was a proponent of war, but contradictorily we discover that he was not. Undoubtedly, Owen had the practical, realistic knowledge to informatively and effectively portray the war scene. He experienced first-hand the physical, psychological and emotional effects of war on a human being. Although both speakers had contradictory concepts about war based on their own values, knowledge and experiences, they presented their theories with equivalent zeal, tenacity and passion. The speakers are fixated in their beliefs, and adamant about their concepts of war. They have absolutely no inhibitions about using words and phrases to effective portray their emotions and establish tones.
The tones of both poems are clear, identifiable and extreme. In “The Soldier”, the speaker is proud and