The poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen presents the horror of the first world war. In the beginning, the poem explains a group of wounded soldiers who are simply making their way to the front line. They are exhausted and trying to remain awake, and suddenly, they face and attack by gas. The speaker presents the devastation of the one man who does not seem to put his mask back on time successfully, and the description of the struggles of this man is disturbing. The poet’s description is quite disturbing as pretty graphic things are mentioned, like “blood gaggling from his froth-corrupted lungs” (Owen 22) ends the poem by addressing the specific audience of the reader, he tells them that if they got the chance to get the experience and witness the war, they would not rash into glorifying war. Generally, the poem makes every effort to discourage war and clearly mentions that it does not bring good or make people heroes. Owen, in this poem, describes the soldiers and lays more emphasis on the fact that they are exhausted. The situation they are in is described to be quite bad, and the poet seems to sympathize with them.
The main theme presented in this poem is the message against war, and the poet makes the details of the outcome to ensure that the war is discouraged at all costs by society. The great focus on the war means that the pet wants to make the audience or the reader of this particular work see war as something that has not so much good to the society of the people in this case. The poem manifests the impact and gives a vivid illustration of the war and, through this, tries to discourage the audience from anything that would motivate them to participate in the war. The poem emphasizes the theme of discouraging war at all costs in society. There are also other points that the author seems to have given attention to the idea of honesty and truth. Giving the direct account and the truth surrounding the war experience ensures the audience gets clarity on the whole war experience.
The tone presented in this poem includes bitterness, irony, and some elements of anger, all of which are associated with war. The tone in the poem also presents the graphic description of the events highlighted by the poet, which creates a sense of outrage and condemnation towards anything that promotes war in society. The bitterness and irony are seen in the manner the speaker in this poem brings about the link between the devastation of war and the reasons that various individuals give to justify it. Irony mainly comes out in the final lines that are presented using the Latin phrase “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori,”
The main reason why the poet has chosen this tone and idea to present the message is to ensure it is effectively passed to the reader and the audience gets the idea effectively. He wants to ensure the reader is shocked by the outrage of the war. The brutal reality highlighted in this poem gives a different angle or perspective on war. The poet effectively uses this tone to communicate his message (Owen, 17). By exposing the brutal reality of war and challenging the prevalent narrative about it, he hopes to startle and outrage the reader. Owen can evoke a sense of urgency and convey the emotional impact of war on the soldiers who experienced it through explicit language and direct address to the reader.
The poem’s language reflects both its topic matter and the poet himself. The reader experiences a visceral and emotional response to the graphic descriptions of the gas attack and the soldiers’ suffering, emphasizing war’s brutality and inhumanity. Owen’s use of irony and biting sarcasm reflects his disillusionment with the romanticized conceptions of war that were prevalent during his time and his anger at those who perpetuated these falsehoods. Overall, the poem’s language is potent and effective, conveying a powerful anti-war message and exposing the reality of conflict.
The imagery used in the poem alludes to the brutality of war and the anguish soldiers endure. The poem uses vivid and graphic details, such as “thick green light” and “white eyes writhing in his face,” to create a picture of the gas attack. The descriptions of the soldiers struggling to put on their gas masks, the sounds of their coughing and choking, and the sight of the man dying from the gas all produce a visceral and emotional reaction in the reader.
Beyond the superficial description of the gas assault, the poem contains a deeper meaning. Wilfred Owen uses the poem to dispute the propaganda that was commonly used to recruit young men to fight for their country during World War I. The poem reveals the disparity between the reality of conflict and the idealized concepts used to justify it. Owen encourages readers to query the myths and propaganda they had been fed about the supposed glory of fighting for one’s country by depicting the horrific reality of war.
In addition to its anti-war message, “Dulce et Decorum Est” examines the dehumanization of combatants during conflict. The soldiers are described as “bent double, like elderly beggars beneath sacks,” emphasizing the physical and emotional toll of war on their bodies and spirits. The use of animal imagery, such as “blood gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs” of the dying soldier, emphasizes the notion that conflict reduces human beings to mere disposable objects.
Work Cited
Owen, Wilfred. “‘Dulce et Decorum Est’by Wilfred Owen.” Poetry Foundation (1920).
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