Dulce et decorum est

Dulce et decorum est, by Wilfred Owen is a shocking and thought-provoking poem which highlights the horrors and pointlessness of war, through vivid imagery and word choice , Owen conveys his anti-war sentiment to the reader.

The poem begins with a glimpse at the soldiers living conditions and their lifestyles which has provided them with untimely age. The poem is authentic as Wilfred Owen is describing his own experience and the atrocities of this war. Almost abrupt, Owen begins to describe a deadly gas attack which had disastrous outcomes for one soldier in particular, from here on Wilfred continues to focus on this soldier throughout the poem, Toward the end , the poem resumes and Owen begins to expose ‘The old lie’.

The poem starts in the middle of an action, as if interrupted in an incomplete event.

“Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed, coughing like hags”

This quotation provides the reader with an unexpected image of soldiers as they are portrayed as strong healthy men, this shows that war has made the men age prematurely

Wilfred Owen varies his language and choice of techniques throughout the poem to the point that every word has a meaning.

“And Floundering like a man on fire or in lime...”

The word floundering suggests having no control and being in a state of panic. The use of ellipsis shows that the next events that happened were too gruesome and horrific to talk about and to continue would be savage.

In addition to this, Owen also uses imagery to make comments on the terrible mental effects that the war has on the men, “drunk with fatigue”.  This helps convey the exhaustion that the men have to endure and throws into sharp relief the hardships and suffering of the men.  The use of this metaphor is significant because the extreme tiredness of the men is being compared to the effects of alcohol, suggesting that the men are exhibiting a lack of coordination and awareness of their surroundings.

As the poem progresses, Owen makes the far reaching effects of war abundantly clear by describing his own nightmares. He does this through the technique of Transferred epithet. ‘In all my dreams, before my helpless sight” This line clearly demonstrates the horrific impact the war has made on those who survived it and this emphasises his torment as he has to experience this over and over again in his dreams.

In conclusion, the poem ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ by Wilfred Owen is a deeply poignant poem that uses a variety of powerful techniques to express a very of the physical, mental and emotional affects of war, Owen skilfully delivers a searing attack on those who would encourage young men to fight without understanding the real horrors of war.  Owen seeks to shed light on these horrors and in doing so highlights the tragedy of innocent men who are misled into sacrificing their lives for their country, thus exposing  ‘the old lie’