...I have chosen this text type, because it gives reasons why Wilfred Owen had a strong opinion on the first world war. My purpose of this text is to show the connections of Wilfred Owen's life to his poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’. I am going to communicate my ideas in this text by analysing Owen's life and his poem supporting my ideas with evidence out of Owen's poetry. I intend to engage my audience by showing them what the purpose of Owen's poetry was. Wilfred Owen does have a strong opinion on the topic World War One as he has experienced the war situation as a soldier in front row. His personal war experience had a big influence on his style, language and also the topics of his poetry. His past as a soldier in front row makes his writing style more...
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...Poetry: Post 1900: An essay analysing ‘Strange Meeting’ by Wilfred Owen in terms of Imagery, themes and sound effects Wilfred Owen’s poetry expresses the horrors of war through dramatic and memorable imagery, whether it’s physical or the soldiers’ inner mental torment. It allows us to feel deep pity with the young soldiers and we share resentment for the government in Britain for encouraging the war. Strange Meeting is an example of a thought provoking poem that carries complex messages regarding the soldier’s mental state. Themes include hopelessness and pity, in stanza three he says ‘Now men will go content with what we spoiled’[1], from ‘we’ we recognise that he himself is taking his share of the responsibility encapsulating the guilt that he and the soldiers must feel. The poem explores the idea that the enemy soldiers are just like them, holding bitter resentment towards the politicians and generals who have caused and encouraged this war, not these ordinary men. The poem’s themes include disillusionment, compassion and the need for reconciliation, we feel hopelessness due to the precise details given regarding emotions, thoughts and sights of the soldier, for example ‘…must die now, I mean the truth untold/the pity of war’[2], we feel pathos as the soldiers must have felt alone and that the truth would never have been told to the people back home so they can stop this meaningless brutality. The future for the living is bleak and with the rest having blood on their...
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...In the poem “Dulce et Decorum est,” the author Wilfred Owen describes how war is hell. Men are pushed savagely across wildernesses to battle against their greatest fears. During the progressive era of World War I the use of barbaric tools of destruction were used in the midst of the war. Chemical Warfare was introduced and new mechanical demands were developed to destroy men’s hopes of freedom. Men feared each other because of the deeds they would perform to survive. Wilfred Owen transmits in words the emotions that men felt as death rained down upon them. Through Wilfred Owen’s poem, “Dulce et Decorum est,” he argues that men’s ethics had to be destroyed because of the will to conquer and survive, he portrays the logic behind a soldiers’ minds...
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...Themes and Elements of British World War 1 Poets July 28th, 1914 was a very grim day that changed history throughout the entire world. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria sparked the start of the first World War in Europe (Gorman 21). During World War 1, British soldiers began to express their wartime experiences through poetry as a way of recollection and to voice their own opinions about the war. Often writing poems to remain sane, the common themes and elements of the British soldier-poets often included the horrors of trench warfare, and the deplorable conditions of war; that the British soldiers encountered on an everyday basis. Two of the most influential poets of the great war were Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. They both displayed many common themes and elements during the peak of their writing. These common themes and elements as well as some differences in their writings shall be discussed. Siegfried Sassoon grew up in a wealthy Jewish family where he often wrote poetry as a young child. As a young adult Sassoon’s only desire in life was to become a poet. Motivated by patriotism Sassoon joined the British Army, just as the threat of World War 1 was realised. As a soldier-poet he would eventually become one of the most well known and influential poets of the first World War. His poems were generally angry and compassionate towards the war, which often brought him public and critical acclaim. Sassoon served with the Royal Welch...
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...Kyle Threlfall English 102 Professor Hickey November 15, 2011 Compare and Contrast “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and “Dulce Et Decorum Est” In this essay you will notice the differences and similarities between “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and “Dulce Et Decorum Est”. “The Charge of the Light Brigade” was written in the nineteenth century by Alfred Lord Tennyson. In contrast, “Dulce Et Decorum Est” was written in the twentieth century by Wilfred Owen. The main similarity observed is that they both capture wartime experiences. However, the poets’ present these events using their own style and the effect is two completely different observations of war. The themes of the two poems are portrayed in very distinctive ways. “The Charge of the Light Brigade” explains in a majestic approach that fighting in war is something every soldier should honor. The poem is also about the loyalty of the soldiers, not the bad luck or foolishness of men. Tennyson presents this in his poem to show the bravery of the soldiers, although, he only highlights on the benefits of war. Tennyson’s poem glorifies the war, celebrating the sacrifice they had made for their country with the statement “Honor the charge they made”, (“The Charge of the Light Brigade”, line 51, Tennyson). By glorifying the Brigade, Tennyson has ignored the obscurity and massacre of the war. This is shown by the loyalty that the soldiers have for...
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...A poem “Dulce et Decorum est” by Wilfred Owen conveys the horrors of war and uncovers the hidden truths of the past century. The poet’s ability to create effective imagery; his usage of expressive language and poetic techniques and the poem leaves a reader to experience feelings such as pity and guilt. I consider Wilfred Owen a good poet from the very start as he shows ability to captivate the reader into his story by applying and engaging heading. Dulce et Decorum est reveals the hidden truths of the past century’s war, by uncovering the cruelties the soldiers were left to face. The poem is authentic as Wilfred Owen was ‘there’ to experience the atrocities of the First World War. The poem begins with a glimpse at the soldiers’ living conditions and their lifestyle, which provided them with untimely age. The poet then describes a dreadful gas attack that follows along with its horrid outcomes. The poem resumes eventually, the poet confirms the present propaganda to be “the old Lie” – as the glory of war is a myth. Reading this poem, made me realize my own luck and circumstance: I have been fortunate to avoid the Wars and brutalities that were brought on by World War One. The appalling conditions the soldiers were left to face made me appreciate that my own life has not been disturbed. I am devastated by the fact that even today, many innocent people are exposed to such horrors. The poem is started unexpectedly: in the middle of action as if halfway through an incomplete...
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...Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen an Analysis The Work: Dulce et Decorum Est is a poem written during World War I by soldier and poet, Wilfred Owen. The poem is known for Owen’s graphic and realistic depiction of the horrible trench warfare of WWI. Owens paints a verbal picture of the scene, speaking in first person, and describes what’s going on to him and his fellow troop members. Important to mention is what the poems title means, it is latin for “It is sweet and right to die for one's country”. The phrase was commonly used during the WWI era, and thus would have resonated with Owen's readers in that time period (Poets.org). The poem starts out with Owen describing the troop of army men of which he is a member. He chronicles the men as been doubled over, “coughing like hags” as they “cursed through sludge”. He paints a grim picture of trench warfare that was so prevalent during WWI; describing the men trudging through the mud, saying “many had lost their boots but limped on”. In the next stanza comes utter panic as gas shells are dropped and hurled in troops direction. They rush to put on their helmets on and run to safety but by the end of the stanza Wilfred notices one of his comrades is in trouble, writing, “As under a green sea, I saw him drowning”. In the next two lines Owen uses powerful imagery talking about the helpless soldier. Saying, “In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.” He truly gives you a sense...
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...Wilfred Owen letter: My own dearest Mother, Immediately after I sent my last letter, more than a fortnight ago, we were rushed up into the Line. Twice in one day we went over the top, gaining both our objectives. Our A Company led the Attack, and of course lost a certain number of men. I had some extraordinary escapes from shells & bullets. Fortunately there was no bayonet work, since the Hun ran before we got up to his trench. You will find mention of our fight in the Communiqué; the place happens to be the very village which Father named in his last letter! Never before has the Battalion encountered such intense shelling as rained on us as we advanced in the open. The Colonel sent round this message the next day: 'I was filled with admiration at the conduct of the Battalion under the heavy shell-fire.... The leadership of officers was excellent, and the conduct of the men beyond praise.' The reward we got for all this was to remain in the Line 12 days. For twelve days I did not wash my face, nor take off my boots, nor sleep a deep sleep. For twelve days we lay in holes, where at any moment a shell might put us out. I think the worst incident was one wet night when we lay up against a railwav embankment. A big shell lit on the top of the bank, just 2 yards from my head. Before I awoke, I was blown in the air right away from the bank! I passed most of the following days in a railway Cutting, in a hole just big enough to lie in, and covered with corrugated iron. My brother...
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...concentrating on one unfortunate soldier who does not get the opportunity to wear the mask in time and is gradually but surely poisoned to death. The thought of lung smoldering "And floundering like a man on fire or lime" makes an alarming picture of the man writhing and experiencing the side effects of intoxication. These acute description of Owen’s poem, encourages the readers to question the reality of what propaganda advertise, “the glory of...
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...the soldiers returned, they would most likely come back both physically and mentally crippled. Wilfred Owen, a soldier and poet, understood the detrimental effects combat had on the soldiers, and tried to change the population’s misleading ideas on war. This was done through the wartime poetry he wrote, including the poem Dulce et Decorum est. Through the use of imagery and diction, Wilfred Owen alters society’s previous beliefs on war and displays the cruel and gruesome reality of living and fighting as a soldier. Owen utilizes imagery in order to describe the horrors of war by explaining the pitiful state of the soldiers. He writes, “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,/ Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge…” (Owen 1-2). This sentence allows the audience to visualize the...
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...A Must Have: Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est” Dear Mr. Kennedy, I recently learned that you are getting ready to start your preparations for the next edition of An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. There will have to be many tough decisions made on selections of literature that should be in the next edition. I would like to offer you a suggestion on a piece that I find very interesting and should be used in the next edition. That is a poem by Wilfred Owen “Dulce et Decorum Est.” I consider myself to be a bit of a war buff, and this poem gives you the feeling that you are there in the trenches with the men. Wilfred Owen is able to give you a first person point of view of war through his poem. Owen uses great visual imagery on what life is like during trench warfare to help you feel like you are there beside him during the horrors of war. I beg of you to include Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est” in the next edition! Throughout the poem Owen uses visual imagery to get his message of the horrors of war through. In An Introduction, to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing you define visual imagery as “Often this experience is a sight . . .” (751). When reading “Dulce et Decorum Est” Owen gives the ability to visualize what is going on constantly throughout the poem. Owen is able to use visual imagery to show you the shape the men are in during the battle and what chaos goes on during a gas attack. Owen also uses visual imagery about the nightmares he deals with after...
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...1. Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, The reader is introduced to the horror of war in the first lines of the poem as Owen depicts the poor physical condition of the men.They are facing huge challenges and that they were not the men that they were at first because they were young men who were highly motivated. We cursed through sludge suggests to us how the soldier are off to war this shows that they are cursed and the word sludge suggests to us that they are off to fight in horrendous conditions. Additionally, at the end it shows us that rather being glories young men they turn into this horrible creature because they are being described as old beggars and hags and it shows that they are old before their time and they have got no control over their lives. They can’t walk properly and this tells us that they are very weak because it clearly shows that they are not prepared for it and that they were just brainwashed to go to war to fight for their country which was sweet and glory. Moreover, the soldiers are coughing like an old sick ugly women and this clearly defines how they are feeling and are compared to weak and old. This simile demonstrates how dirty and unhealthy the soldiers appear. The comparison to ‘old beggars’ Coughing like hags is a simile and they are compared to these old ugly women...
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...become the focus and inspiration for some of the greatest works of art. Wilfred Owens would use his experience on the battlefield to capture the purest, most untainted image of war in his literary work. His ability to let the moment speak for itself, letting the vivid imagery represent the war and not adding anything to change what happened, would be the catalyst for what makes Owens the greatest war poet. However, greatness always has a beginning, born on March 18, 1893 in Oswestry, England, Wilfred Owen would go on to be educated at Birkenhead institute and would enroll in the University of London. According to the encyclopedia of Britannica, “after an illness in 1913 he lived in France. He had already begun to write and, while working as a tutor near Bordeaux, was preparing a book of “Minor Poems—in Minor Keys—by a Minor”. In 1915 he would enlist in the British army to serve for his country of origin. The warfare of The Great War would swiftly affect the young soldier. Seeing the various methods of countries’ inhumane slaughter of others led to Owens choice to document the war and its effects. These experiences are forever etched in history because of his literary work that survived the Great War. Sadly his work is the only piece of him that survived as he would be killed...
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...manipulated to intensify the pain by isolating singular characters. Sacrifices of the men force the reader into an uncomfortable atmosphere. Sebastian Faulks’ Bildungsroman Birdsong highlights the suffering of individual to understate that of the masses. Regeneration, written by Pat Barker in 1991, uses factual occurrences of Sassoon and Owen’s lives in Craiglockhart to detail historic experiences of suffering. The poetry features both pro and anti-war perspectives from historical figures featured within Regeneration. Birdsong emotively persuades readers that individual anguish has detrimental effects on soldier’s lives intensifying their suffering. The texts use third person narrative to create emotive circumstances which manipulate the reader into understanding the suffering as either mass or individual. The writers’ portrayal of individual suffering was the most poignant compared to the subversion of widespread suffering. The texts expose the stigmatization of physical disability as a cause of individual suffering. Historically, the dependence of disabled life reflects the burden faced by soldiers of returning to normality. Wilfred Owen’s poem Disabled explores the first-hand impacts and consequences of war, coupled with the persistent individual suffering. Owen became infamous during the war as his poetry extracted the distorted views of the home-front and revealed reality. The metaphor, “put them to bed”[2] symbolizes the individual suffering caused by dependence, and also...
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...War usually tells us a story that is about death, violence, brutality and tragedy faced by the soldiers that are sent to the battlefield. However, war doesn’t only tell that story, but rather looks at the survival and sacrifices that soldiers must face in order to survive – and uncovers the true reality of war. This can be seen in selected stories from Tim O’Brien’s novel the things they carried and Wilfred Owen’s WWI poem Dulce Est decorum. Through the individual stories the man I killed and the things they carried, we are able to explore how the author struggles to deal with the effects of war, surviving through the guilt and heartache of expected murder and sacrificing individual dreams in order to keep his team safe. Similarly, Owen’s poem explores how individuals have to survive through the ghastly environments associated with war at the cost of individual lives. Both texts reveal how men at war are forced to sacrifice their hopes and dreams in order to survive the demands of war. In Tim O’Brien’s novel, the things they carried, the composer gives us an insight into the mindset and the emotional depth of soldiers in war, and the difficult sacrifices needed to make in order to survive. The theme of sacrifice is most evident in the chapter the things they carried, as the main character Jimmy Cross faces a moral dilemma; to either sacrifice his dreams, or to sacrifice the safety of his team, after the death of Ted Lavender in which he felt responsible for. The quote “He had...
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