Analysis Of Wilfred Owen s Poem Dulce Et Decorum Est

Introduction Welcome back to the Poetry and Society unit of the literature topic. We are moving on from last week’s poetry type, American slam and we are now studying Protest and Resistance poetry. The protest poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’, written by Wilfred Owen, challenges the dominant World War One ideologies of militarism and nationalism. You will find that this poem is a great example as it defies the dominant values and beliefs of war in Britain. Wilfred Owen Let’s discuss the poet. Wilfred Owen was one of the leading voices of the first world war. In January 1917, Owen was deployed but he was innocent to the realism of war. In April, he sustained shell-shock during active service, which led to his return to Britain. While being†¦show more content†¦His vivid and ghastly narration of war in the trenches exposes the heroic lies and paints a picture of what only frontline soldiers had experienced; the inhumanity, trauma, moral decay, immense loss of life and resulting grief and surprise of war. Poetic Form It appears that Owen has written in iambic pentameter in the form of a sonnet, but the poem deliberately breaks from the conventional poetic form, according to Mika Teachout, to remind us of the subject matter. The poem consists of rhythmic 8, 9 and 10-meter lines but the pattern is broken repeatedly by punctuation to prove a point and to change society s attitudes about war. Owen was not aiming to write a lyrical dance because he was focusing on writing about a scene from war, with dying, agonised men and the chaos caused by gas bombs. Teachout believes that if there is music in Owen s poem, it is a dirge for the dying. Owen succeeded in departing from conventional poetry where poetic techniques were valued more than implicit meaning. Figurative Language A wide variety of figurative language is used to communicate and sometimes emphasise an implicit idea. The term blood-shod is an example of zoomorphism when it is perceived metaphorically. The term could also be visualised literally, with soldiers’ feet being caked with the blood and guts ofShow MoreRelatedWilfred Owen : The Greatest English Poet During The First World War Poem Summary1358 Words   |  6 PagesDulce Et Decorum Est Wilfred Owen Wilfred Owen is recognized as the greatest English poet during the First World War. Wilfred Owen notable poems contains the lives and historical records. He wrote out of his intense personal experience as a soldier and wrote with unrivalled power of the physical, moral and psychological trauma of the First World War. From the early age of nineteen, Wilfred Owen wanted to become a poet and immersed himself in poetry, being specially impressed by KeatsRead MoreThe History of The Old Lie and Poetry of Wilfred Owen2490 Words   |  10 PagesThe History of The Old Lie and Poetry of Wilfred Owen Dulce et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori is a Latin saying that was expressed by the roman poet Horace. It means It is sweet and fitting to die for your country. When Owen wrote his poetry based on his experience of the Great War he did not agree with this saying; he wrote poetry that was full of horror yet told the truth. Therefore he called this saying the old lie. Owen called it this because war was no longer