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. And as a result, it encourages the reader to consider the impact the war had on both, the soldiers who survived, and those who didn’t. Dulce et Decorum Est brings to reality that war is not what people say it is. Given by its very title, ‘It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country’. Although, it only an illusion reinforced throughout the poem, along with its irony and sarcasm that is ‘The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori’, it is not sweet and fitting to die for ones country.
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. The title, which translates to “sweet and right it is,” suggests that the poem is about something positive and glorious – the Great War. This is emphasised by the structure of the poem, which is very rigid as it is written in iambic pentameter and has an ABAB rhyme scheme. The title, coupled with the rigidity of the structure represents the powerful left right march commonly associated with soldiers. It also represents the strength and power the public associated with the British army during WW1.
The German soldiers torment Billy Pilgrim for self-satisfaction because he is an easy target. Another moment when the war affects Billy negatively is when he is on-route to the prisoner of war camp: “And now there was an acrimonious madrigal, with parts sung in all quarters of the car. Nearly everybody, seemingly, had an atrocity story of something Billy Pilgrim had done to him in his sleep. Everybody told Billy Pilgrim to keep the hell away” (79). This passage suggests that Billy is an outlier and does not fit in even with his own men who were once fighting along side him.
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.
“Generals Die in Bed” shows that humans are totally dehumanised by war. Discuss. ‘Generals Die in Bed’, written by Charles Yale Harrison demonstrates the tremendous impact that war can have on an ordinary man and the dehumanising acts that this entails. It shows that the battle of war can test the dignity and morals of men and the emotional impact of this can further destroy that of comradeship and mateship. However, when all dignity and values seem lost, signs of their former selves can, and do return.
“…Did they really believe that this war would end wars…it all happened again, and again, and again,” this use of rhetorical question and repetition emphasises the anti-war sentiment that both Bogle and Dawe capture. Similarly in Homecoming, it is illustrated the dehumanisation of war. “…mortuary coolness…deep-freeze…sorrowful…frozen sunset…wintering tree…bitter…grief…”through an extended metaphor, it is suggested the implications on the society from the death of thousands of loved ones; the coldness is symbolising the death, grief and struggling of society and the individual. Dehumanising effects give poets their anti-war point of view the effectively portray the bonds between the society and the
Loneliness, like many other misleading emotions can lead to insanity. The soldiers in The Wars are given time to think, to regret, to feel guilty and ultimately succumbed to the emotions of anguish. Timothy Findley demonstrates that the loneliness of war has the potential to result in depression and eventual insanity. Through careful analysis of Timothy Findley’s The Wars, it will become evident that depression, loneliness and insanity are not just emotions felt on the front line, but also at home. By the thorough
In “Dulce et Decorum Est”, Owen is revealing that the idea of going to war for glory and honor is a lie because it is truly a painful and tragic way to die. Throughout the poems entirety, the tone of the poem is horror, melancholy and at times almost completely hopeless. This is Owen stating that the image of war is much more glamorized than it truly is. At the beginning of the poem, Owen introduces the reader to a platoon of soldiers, tired, war torn, and almost pathetic: Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge (Owen, lines 1-4) With these four lines, Owen uses metaphors to show the weariness of the soldiers. The first two lines represent this the most, with the usage of phrases such as; “...like old beggars under sacks”, and “knock kneed, coughing like hags,”.
Throughout both poems, Dulce et Decorum Est and An Irish Airmen Foresees His Death, both poets Wilfred Owen and W.B Yeats both have different perceptions of war at that time. In Dulce et Decorum est the poem is portrayed in a very demeaning way bringing about strong repulsive feelings towards war, while in An Irish Airmen Foresees His Death the poet W.B Yeats’ perception of war is more serene. Both poet’s make strong use of imagery and other literary devices to portray their perception of the war. Firstly in the poem Dulce et Decorum Est, Wilfred Owen’s perception of war is that it is a brutal barbaric waste of human life. The poem Dulce et Decorum Est is filled with many disturbing images, death and suffering.
This notion is further emphasised through the use of jargon in the lines, “The Japs used to weigh us, to see how thin our bodies could get before we started dying”. This statement implies the nature of the camp to be brutal and unforgivable. Misto has incorporated both visual images and jargon to create an effective sense of authority to therefore relive their experience of war through memory. Likewise, the poem Dulce et decorum est by Wilfred Owen is how the post himself saw war with no knowledge, imagination or training which prepared Owen for the shock and suffering of front line experience. Its horrifying imagery has made it one of the most popular condemnations of war ever written.