Dulce et Decorum Est Analysis

Dulce et Decorum Est
by Wilfred Owen

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.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.—
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

Summary of Dulce et Decorum Est
Popularity: “Dulce et Decorum Est” is a famous anti-war poem by Wilfred Owen. It was first published in 1920. The poem presents strong criticism of the war and its aftermath. The poet details the horrors of The Gas War during the First World War, and the miserable situation of the soldiers trapped in it, constitute the main point of the poet's argument. Since its publication, the poem has gained immense popularity due to its depiction of the brutalities of the war. "Dulce et Decorum Est" as a critique of war: as this poem is written in the context of war, the poet describes the horrible experiences of war. As a soldier in World War I, he experienced the sufferings of war and its pains. In describing the death and destruction caused by war, he declares that war is not a heroic act. Many innocent souls are lost for the good of their country. He regards war as a work of the devil that brings violence, destruction and ruin to the people. . In the first part of the poem, he talks about a specific past war-related event: tired, limping, and wounded soldiers return from the battlefield when there is a gas attack, and the speaker observes the helplessness of coughing, choking and dying. He seems immovable from the incident when he sees a soldier succumb to the deadly gas. Later, this image of the constantly reeling soldier haunts him. The second part of the poem further illustrates the pathetic and frenzied events of the war. readers are the realistic images of traumatic incidents demonstrated by the poet to explain the inhumanity of war.
Main themes of “Dulce et Decorum Est”: Death and the horrors of war are the main themes of the poem. The poet incorporates these themes with the He says that those who have lived through these miserable times will never glorify war. He denies the glorious depiction of war by presenting the brutal graphic realities of the b attlefield. These themes are in the foreground in powerful sentences such as “like old beggars under sacks”, “haunting torches”, “bloodied”, “run, choke, drown”, just to show that the poem represents this universal thematic idea.
Analyze the Literary devices used in “Dulce et Decorum Est”
Literary devices are used to add richness and clarity to the texts. The authors and poets use them to make their texts engaging and meaningful. Owen also used some literary devices in this poem to present the thought analysis of war. Analysis of some of the literary means used in this poem has been discussed below.

Alliteration: Alliteration is the use of the same consonant tones on the same line as the tone of / s / in “But someone was still yelling and stumbled” and / w / tone in “And watch the white eyes curl up on his face.
Simile: Simile is a phrase used to compare something to something else in order to describe an object or person has used many self-explanatory similes in this poem such as "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks "," kneel like rabbits cough "," like a man in fire or lime "and" like a devil who is fed up with sin ".
Metaphor: Only one metaphor is used in this poem. It is used on line seven of the poem: “Drunk with fatigue; even deaf to the screams. "It shows the physical state of men.
Onomatopoeia: It refers to the words that imitate the natural sounds of things. Owen used the words" scream "," knock "and" gurgling "in the poem to imitate sounds.
Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant tones on the same line as the / r / tone in “Come gurgle from the foam-rotten lungs.”
Synecdoche: It is a phrase in which one part represents the whole. For example, the word “See "In the second stanza the speaker.
Images: Images are used to get the reader to perceive things with their five senses. Owen has successfully used many images to create a terrible picture of war, pain, and the following sentences show the." effective use of images, as he says: "old beggars under sacks", "had lost their boots", "his drooping face like a devil sick of sin" and "white eyes"
Assonance: Asso nance is the repetition of vowel tones on the same line as / o / sound in “Of vi le, incurable wounds in innocent tongues. “
A careful look at the literary analysis shows that the poet skilfully projected his war experiences under the guise of these literary means. The proper use of resources has made this poem a piece that invites readers to reflect.

Analysis of the poetic devices in "Dulce et Decorum Est"
The poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

Structure: The poem is a combination In the first sonnet, the poet describes his experiences of the war, while in the second sonnet he becomes analytical and attempts to correct the views of others about the war.
Sonnet: A sonnet is a poem by fourteen verses in which a unique idea floats throughout the poem.
Rhyme scheme: The entire poem follows the ABAB, CDCD rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter.
iambic pentameter: It is a type of meter consisting of five iambics . The poem consists of iambic pentameter such as, "Double bent, like old beggars under"
Quotes to use
These lines can be used when describing the dire situation of people facing drought, illness or disease.
"Double bent, Like old beggars under sacks,
Diock on his knees, coughing like witches, we c cured through the mud. ”

These lines can be used when recounting any personal experience of pain or depression.
“Through the foggy windows and the thick green light dim,
As under a green sea I saw him drown.