Throughout the collection of war poems by Wilfred Owen, all the poems share the same subject; “the pity of war”. Therefore unpleasant details and exaggerated emotions play a big part from a war poet who was serving for his country in World War One. W.B. Yeats dismissed Owen’s poetry as ‘all blood’ and ‘dirt’ you could argue that Owen is a little obsessed with it but with no hope and constant death surrounding him on the Western Front who can blame him for feeling this way? The war poem collection could also be considered to face other aspects of war not necessarily the graphic events, but the hatred of civilians, justified details and distractions from war such as coping mechanisms.
‘Mental Cases’ and ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ are two outstanding pieces created by Owen, each using techniques such as hyperboles, personification and imagery that associate the two poems, giving us, the readers, a bigger picture of what is happening in the poets eyes. In the poem Mental Cases Owen expresses his perception that war is taking away a soldiers future, a life full of happiness. It illustrates the bloodshed and suffering of war, using a series of graphical description of young men who are treated for war-related illness’, such as shellshock. It was a heart-wrenching poem for Owen because he himself was a patient of shellshock. The repetition of question marks and dashes illustrate the confusion and frustration witnessing Owens fellow comrades, it is a demanding tone begging for explanation for the entrapment of victims.
Throughout ‘The War poems’ Owen creates a sense of sympathy for the soldiers who fight in war and are forced to endure horrific atrocities that either they themselves commit, or are committed against them, the continual assaults on their physical and emotional wellbeing. In the poems Owen recreates his experiences being an officer on the ‘Western Front’ in World War I, and voices his bitterness towards and rejection of the futility of war; the never ending loss of life at the hands of the British Military. Owen condemns those who encouraged young men to go to war and used rhetoric to give off the impression that war rewarded young men with glory. Owen rejects this in his poems by reflecting his own experiences as ‘Glorious’ and investigating the horrors of war, and their effect on the physical and emotional wellbeing of soldiers. Owen’s poems are riddled with references to the loss of youth, innocence and life.
Line 1: "passing-bells" is a tolling of a bell to announce a soul is passing, or has passed, from its body. It is also a tolling during the passing of a funeral procession to the grave, or during the actual funeral ceremony. Line 2: "anger of the guns" is an example of personification; attributing human qualities to a nonhuman object or force. Lines 1-2: These men don't get to have a conventional death; they die in a big field surrounded by other rotting corpses. They don't get to hear the bells calling them to heaven, because the sound of the angry guns is too loud.
Joseph Moran English Composition 2 Professor Bleecker Essay Choice #1 (PG. 1952) 4/22/2015 “The Hurt Locker” By: Brian Turner Beginning with the title, “The Hurt Locker”, is a title that shapes the meaning of this heartbreaking poem. Brian Turner does not explain what the hurt locker is or what it means, nonetheless it is the key element that shapes the meaning of this poem. I believe that a hurt locker is a period of immense, unavoidable, or emotional pain, something that will happen during war. Turner does an exceptional job capturing the painful and terrible moments of the war in Iraq.
The poem also gives a horrific description of a soldier dying in a gas attack, while his comrades look on helplessly. Ultimately, the poem builds to a climax, where Owen points the finger of blame at those who encouraged young men to enlist through their patriotic propaganda. In particular, this poem was written in direct response to Jessie Pope’s poem, “Who’s for the Game,” which advocated the glory of war. Owen clearly conveys his fury at this notion and presents the true brutality of war through a variety of poetic techniques. The title and structure of the poem contrasts with the content of the poem, helping to convey Owen’s anger at those who advocated war.
He was killed in action a week before the war ended in 1918. Owen was against the propaganda and lies that were being told at the time that were glorifying war. He had first-hand experience of the horror in the trenches and wanted to tell people back at home the truth. Owen was an officer and often had to send men to their deaths, causing injury and 'Disabled´ gives a soilders account of what the war was like. Many patriotic poems regarding the war had been written at the time but Owen knew that they lied.
How does Wilfred Owen present war though his poems? Wilfred Owen produce a poem called dulce et decorum est. In this poem Wilfred Owen explores the many horrors and cruel ordeals of World War One. He does this by using horrific imagery and techniques such as vivid imagery and dramatic descriptions. Owen then seeks to convince the reader that it is not honourable or right to die for your country, as the title of the poem suggests so.
A poem we have recently studied in class is Dulce Et Decorum Est. It was written by a highly acclaimed poet called, Wilfred Owen. Wilfred Owen is a poet that writes about the horrors the soldiers faced and witnessed as he fought on the front line and experienced it first-hand. He named his poem, Dulce Et Decorum Est which means it is sweet and right. The title of the poem, Dulce Et Decorum Est is a contradiction of what the poem is about.
‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ by Wilfred Owen and ‘The Soldier’ by Rupert Brooke are poems about war which treat their subjects differently. Both poems are examples of the authors’ perceptions of war; Owen’s being about its bitter reality and Brooke’s about the glory of dying for one’s country. There are a number of similarities between ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ and ‘The Soldier’. ‘The Soldier’ says that fighting in a war for the sole purpose of defending one’s country is memorable, hence encouraging the act. On the other hand, ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ brings about extreme patriotism, that it is sweet and seemly to die for one’s country, though the poem itself discourages the act.