'Dulce Et Decorum Est' by Wilfred Owen
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Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!--An ecstasy of fumbling
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime...
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--
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.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Dulce Et Decorum Est: A Critical Analysis
Introduction
Wilfred Owen's poem "Dulce Et Decorum Est" is a powerful anti-war piece that vividly depicts the horrors and atrocities of war. The poem was written in 1917 during World War I, and it is considered one of the most significant war poems of the 20th century. In this essay, we will examine its structure, language, and imagery to understand its meaning and significance.
Analysis
Structure
The poem is structured in four stanzas, with each stanza serving a specific purpose. The first stanza sets the scene and depicts the soldiers returning from the front line. The second stanza describes the gas attack and the chaos that ensues. The third stanza portrays the death of a soldier, and the final stanza is a direct address to the reader, challenging the notion that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country.
The use of four stanzas is significant because it allows Owen to create a sense of progression in the poem. The first two stanzas describe the physical conditions of the soldiers, while the third stanza focuses on the emotional and psychological impact of war. The final stanza is a direct challenge to the reader, urging them to reconsider the glorification of war.
Language
The language used in the poem is simple and direct, yet the words used are carefully chosen to create a sense of horror and disgust. Owen uses vivid verbs such as "guttering, choking, drowning" to describe the effects of the gas attack. The use of the first person plural "we" creates a sense of shared experience and emphasizes that the soldiers are all in this together.
The repetition of the phrase "Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!" creates a sense of urgency and panic, while the use of the exclamation mark emphasizes the severity of the situation. The use of similes such as "like a man in fire or lime" and "like a devil's sick of sin" further emphasizes the horror and torment of the soldiers.
Imagery
The imagery used in the poem is graphic and disturbing, designed to shock and horrify the reader. The opening stanza, for example, depicts the soldiers returning from the front line, "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge." This vivid description creates an image of the soldiers as broken and defeated, their bodies and spirits crushed by the brutality of war.
The gas attack is described in graphic detail, with the soldiers choking and suffocating as they struggle to put on their gas masks. The use of the metaphor "an ecstasy of fumbling" to describe their panicked attempts to put on their masks emphasizes their desperation and fear.
Themes
The central theme of the poem is the horrors of war and the dehumanization of soldiers. Owen challenges the notion that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country, arguing that war is not glorious but rather a brutal and dehumanizing experience. The poem highlights the physical and emotional toll that war takes on soldiers and challenges the glorification of war.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Dulce Et Decorum Est" is a powerful and moving poem that vividly depicts the horrors and atrocities of war. The poem's structure, language, and imagery are carefully chosen to create a sense of horror and disgust, challenging the glorification of war and emphasizing the dehumanizing effects of warfare. The poem remains a significant anti-war statement today and continues to resonate with readers around the world.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Dulce Et Decorum Est: A Powerful Anti-War Poem
Wilfred Owen's Dulce Et Decorum Est is a powerful anti-war poem that vividly depicts the horrors of war and the devastating impact it has on soldiers. The poem is a scathing critique of the glorification of war and the propaganda that encourages young men to enlist and fight for their country. Through vivid imagery and powerful language, Owen exposes the reality of war and challenges the notion that it is sweet and honorable to die for one's country.
The poem begins with a vivid description of soldiers trudging through mud and exhaustion. The opening lines, "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, / Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge," immediately convey the physical and mental toll that war takes on soldiers. The use of similes, comparing the soldiers to "old beggars" and "hags," emphasizes their degradation and dehumanization. The soldiers are no longer individuals, but rather a mass of exhausted bodies, struggling to survive.
Owen then introduces the image of a gas attack, which is the central focus of the poem. The soldiers are suddenly jolted into action as they hear the gas shells dropping behind them. The use of onomatopoeia, "Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!" creates a sense of urgency and panic. The soldiers frantically try to put on their gas masks, but one soldier is too slow and is caught in the gas. The description of the soldier's death is graphic and disturbing: "And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime... / Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, / As under a green sea, I saw him drowning." The use of metaphor, comparing the gas to a "green sea," emphasizes the suffocating and drowning sensation that the soldier experiences. The image of a man "flound'ring like a man in fire or lime" is particularly powerful, as it conveys the agony and helplessness of the soldier's death.
The second stanza of the poem is a direct address to the reader, challenging the idea that it is sweet and honorable to die for one's country. Owen writes, "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." The Latin phrase, "Dulce et decorum est / Pro patria mori," translates to "It is sweet and honorable to die for one's country." Owen directly challenges this idea, calling it an "old Lie." The use of the word "Lie" emphasizes the deception and manipulation that is used to encourage young men to enlist and fight in wars. The direct address to the reader is particularly effective, as it forces the reader to confront their own beliefs about war and the glorification of soldiers.
The final lines of the poem are particularly haunting: "The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est / Pro patria mori." The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the power and pervasiveness of the propaganda that encourages young men to fight and die for their country. The use of the word "old" suggests that this idea has been around for a long time and has been used to justify countless wars and deaths. The final lines of the poem leave a lasting impression on the reader, challenging them to question the glorification of war and the sacrifice of young lives.
Overall, Dulce Et Decorum Est is a powerful anti-war poem that challenges the glorification of war and the propaganda that encourages young men to enlist and fight for their country. Through vivid imagery and powerful language, Owen exposes the reality of war and the devastating impact it has on soldiers. The poem is a scathing critique of the glorification of war and the manipulation of young men to fight and die for their country. The final lines of the poem leave a lasting impression on the reader, challenging them to question the glorification of war and the sacrifice of young lives.
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