Dulce Et Decorum Est

A poem that made a vivid impression upon me was “Dulce et Decorum est” by Wilfred Owen. “Dulce et Decorum est” is a first hand account of the sheer horror of war, written when many people believed that dieing for your country was noble and heroic. The poem depicts the mental and physical pain the soldiers go through Owen’s style and use of language helps illustrate this.

The poem describes a gas attack on a group of soildiers while they were marching. One soldier did not put his gas mask on in time and died in front of Owen.

In the first stanza of the poem Owen uses good language and style to describe the men and the condition they are in.

“Bent doubled, like old beggars under sacks”

This simile describes the soildiers marching. They are physical wreaks and prematurely aged. The phrase “Bent doubled” is isolated with commas to emphasize it. The word “beggars” is a very negative word it emphasizes the state of the soldiers the commas create pauses which suggests slow and faltering walking. The men are weak and tired

“knock kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge”

The phrase “knock kneed” suggests ruined and wreaked soldiers. The alliterated “c” and “k” make quite a harsh sound like coughing. The word “hag” is a negative image of an old woman witch is the opposite of the hero soldier image.

“Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots”

The men are totally exhausted and are losing their senses. “many had lost their boot” this emphasizes the terrible conditions.

At the end of stanza one shells are dropped behind the soldiers

“Of tired outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind”

Owen lures the reader into a false sense of security. There seems to be no danger the shells fall way behind. The soildiers ignore them they don’t feel threatened. The calmness and the slow speed of stanza one contrast with stanza two

“Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! An ecstasy of fumbling”

The mood changes everything is rushed and chaotic Owen uses the staccato rhythm to emphasize the panic. The word “boys” draws attention to the youth of the soldiers. The soildiers are in a panic the all struggle to fit their gas masks on. There is deadly danger and extreme tension.

Owen then centers the poem on one unfortunate soldier who was too late.

“But someone was still yelling out and stumbling”

There was one victim. The present participles suggest endless suffering.

“And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime…”

The burning image of “fire or lime” contrast with the word “flound’ring” which is usually associated with fish the ellipsis suggests endless suffering

“Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,

As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.”

Again there is the paradox of burning and drowning. The image is strange and dream like “under a green sea” it is as if they are both underwater, under the green waves of gas.

In stanza three Owen describes what effect the dying soldier has had on him mentally

“In all my dreams before my helpless sight”

Owen is psychologically traumatized by the soldier dying in front of him. The repetition of “my” here shows that Owen feels singled out. He feels guilty and responsibility for the soldier’s death. The word “all” shows it constantly comes back to haunt him he is obsessed with it. The key word “helpless” shows how he could do nothing to help. Owen further explains his nightmares and why he feels guilty.

“He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning”

Owen describes what he saw on the battlefield and in his dreams. Once more Owen uses present participles to emphasize the never-ending torture that started on the battlefield and continued in Owens mind; moreover the lack of the word “and” emphasizes the on-going torture. Owens word choice “plunges at me” shows that he feels singled out and responsibility for the soldier’s death. The hard sounds