How does Owen use language to convey the horror of War in ‘The Sentry’ and ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’? ‘The Sentry’ and ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ both convey the harsh reality of war that Owen personally experienced however, ‘Dulce...’ focuses on the pain of the gased soldier whilst Owen widens the perspective in ‘The Sentry. There are many similarities between both poems, such as the way Owen presents a dramatic image of war by use of language techniques, however there are also many differences. Owen uses language to show the reality of war. The simile “like old beggars under sacks” illustrates the dirty, weak image of the soldiers which contrasts the strong, heroic image which was portrayed of them at the time.
His aim is not poetry, but to describe the full horrors of war. In this essay I have firstly decided to analyze two poems by the war poet Wilfred Owen, taken from his writings on the First World War. Both 'Dulce et Decorum est' and 'Disabled" portray Owen's bitter angst towards the war, but do so in different ways. Then I will analyze a very different poem 'Who's for the Game?' written by Jessie Pope, and finally contrast this with the poems by Owen.
An important theme throughout the poem is the concept of war used to glorify violence. The title of the poem which was widely used propaganda at that time exalts the concept of war, saying it’s a good and honourable thing to die for your country, but in reality, as evidenced by the soldier in the poem could not be more different. The idea of suffering is explored with the use of depressing and dismal language. The use of simile such as “bent double like old beggars” gives the impression that the soldiers have been prematurely aged, and seemingly deformed by the harsh conditions of war. This simile is an important contrast of the information people were fed at the time of soldiers being strong and proud.
Charles Yale Harrison’s novel “Generals die in bed” directly depicts the catastrophic dehumanization of soldiers in war through each and every one of his characters. Dehumanization is the process of losing altruistic or individual qualities, as may occur in some psychotic states or in environments that produce emotional trauma and may be influenced by external forces. The environment and external forces in Harrison’s novel were the trenches. From the beginning of the novel the men are normal civilians, with morals and righteous beliefs who show great respect for their fellow man. Yet soon after they are stationed on the western front these men are transformed into barbaric killers whom resent and show very little mercy for their fellow man
This positive representation of conflict could be linked to Tennyson’s role of Poet Laureate under Queen Victoria’s reign. On the other hand Futility could be considered as an elegy for the unnamed solider and opens with a tender and sad tone shifting to pointlessness in the second stanza. The use of the pronoun him in the opening line suggests this could be any soldier from World War one demonstrating the number of men who would remain unnamed and unclaimed during this conflict and how bad it was that so many people died, and even the most patriotic soldiers would still die, unnamed in the end. The Charge of the light Brigade comprises of six stanzas, of varying in length from six to twelve lines and goes in chronological order. This could offer the reader the sense of riding in to the battle with the soldiers.
Also the use off an oxymoron "restless silence" foreshadows the tragedy that is to come. Larkin presents loss off time with the adverbs "never", "all day", "domesday", "past", "lasting" and "leaving" these adverbs represent the negative impact of war and how time passed so fast. Larkin places capitals at the beginning off line, this reinforces authorities power at he beginning of the war, and how they had such a massive impact on people's loss of lives. Larkin uses both poetic devices and language devices technically through out his poem, all of these devices highlight the impact off war and the extreme losses people had
The poem however, rejects this maxim by vividly describing the condition of physically poor and decrepit old soldiers ready to die. The weary soldiers are returning from battle and the front liners are gassed unexpectedly by their enemies. The poem records the painful struggle of one of the men, affected by the poisonous gas, as he approaches his inevitable death. Throughout the poem, Owen creates gory, graphic images and uses apt diction to clearly convey the horror and squalor of the war and the soldiers’ extreme languor and suffering. To end the poem, he simply refutes the old Latin saying he considers a total lie; a fallacy.
Why is Imagery so important in Wilfred Owen’s poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’? In Wilfred Owen's poem "Dulce et Decorum Est," the narrator is Owen himself. The story tells the tale of one particular day when he has to watch one of his fellow soldiers gruesomely suffocate to death from inhalation of chlorine gas. Owen paints the soldiers as not necessarily heroic, but rather more desperate and terrified, "like old beggars under sacks," (Owen line 1), also "coughing like hags" (Owen line 2). I feel that Owen portrays his fellow soldiers this way to try and illustrate the point that these people are terribly afraid of death and are faced with it every day they live.
Wilfred Owen’s poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ describes a particular scene in the lives of WWI soldiers. Owen opens the poem with a description of the soldiers who are ‘Bent double, like old beggars’ (line 1). The soldiers are tired, fatigued, their feet are bleeding; they are marching from the battlefield towards their camp for some rest. They are then attacked by poisonous gas, effects of which are similar to drowning. One of the soldiers fails to fit the gas mask in time, and Owen masterfully describes himself witnessing the soldier’s gruesome death.
Wilfred Owen said “my subject is war, and the pity of war. The poetry is in the pity’”. The three poems I wish to explore portray Owen’s pity towards men going through the First World War. ‘The Send-off’ shows anonymous men who are about to depart to the battlefront, ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ explores trench life and, ‘Disabled’ charts the legacy of war on the wounded. ‘The send -off’, shows Owen’s cynical attitude towards war.