Human Life in Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay

Dulce et decorum est

By Wilfred Owen

Dulce et decorum est by Wilfred Owen makes me think about the value of human life. During this essay, I am going to discuss how effective the poetic techniques used are and how they deepen my understanding of what life was like in World War 1.

As a reader, Owen has made me think about how terrible the conditions were for many of the soldiers and the lack of value put on human life.

Owen has used many similes in Dulce et decorum est in order to help me imagine how bad the conditions were in the war. Bent double like old beggars under sacks is used to compare the soldiers to old homeless men. As readers, this comparison is effective because it is not our usual image of what soldiers look like. I usually think of them as smart men in uniform marching in formation but this image shows the complete opposite.

Owen drives this image home with the next simile coughing like hags which gives the reader the odd image of the soldiers as old, sick women. Owens use of similes deepens the readers understanding of the war as we become more aware of the terrible conditions the soldiers had to put up with in World War 1.

Onomatopoeia is when the word sounds like what it is describing. Owen has used this in the form of hoots to suggest that the soldiers do not hear the bombs properly anymore and that their hearing has been damaged by the constant noise of war. The technique is effective because it helps me understand better the conditions in which the soldiers had to exist and gives me the sense that they did not care about the bombs anymore. Owen helps me to understand better the graphic realities of warfare and how horrific it must have been to try and survive in these conditions.

Owens use of the metaphor blood shod when describing the physical state of the soldiers is effective because it gives you a sickening image of what trench life was like. The mens bodies would be in a terrible condition and their feet would slowly start to rot away from being constantly wet. The mens feet would be all bloody from foot rot or from ill fitting boots. As a reader it deepens my understanding by telling me all about how badly the men had been treated and how bad was their physical condition from living in these terrible conditions.

Owen directly appeals to the reader by using the word you. By using this technique Owen brings the reader personally into the poem by involving me and asking me to think about the value of human life in the war. As a reader Owen makes me feel like I am there and that I get a very detailed picture in my head about what Owen had experienced during his time serving in the army.

The irony used in Dulce et decorum est is used to great effect by Owen to help me understand how the lack of sleep affected the mens actions and behaviour. Drunk with fatigue is an example of this as the soldiers were not drunk but staggered about extremely tired. This is because the soldiers had very little time to rest as the Germans would attack them during the night and shell them during the day. As a reader I can see why Owen uses this as it gives you an insight into what it must have felt like having to fight a pointless war without any sleep.

An ecstasy of fumbling is also another good piece of irony. Ecstasy means very or extremely happy but this part of the poem means something else. In this context it means that everyone is running about and barely fitting their gas masks in time. As a reader it strengthens the connection between the lack of sleep and how it affected their ability to perform simple tasks.

Owen uses monosyllabic words and use of exclamation marks to quicken the pace and to emphasis the urgency of the gas attack. Gas! GAS! Quick boys! is an example of this. It is effective because it helps me to sense the state of urgency when there is a gas attack. As a reader it gives me the sense of how quickly the men had to get their gas masks on in order not to die an extremely painful death.

Transferred epithet is when the wrong adjective is used to describe a noun helpless sight. Helpless is the transferred epithet in this quote as it is not Owens sight that is helpless but himself. It is effective because he knows that all he can do is stand and watch this poor soldier dying a painful death that he does not deserve. As a reader it deepens my understanding by making me feel what it was like to just stand there and watch this poor young innocent man dying the most gruesome death imaginable and not being able to help him.

The use of the capital L in the old Lie gives greater effect to the lie that the Government used to lure soldiers to volunteer and to go and fight in this war, Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori means It is sweet and fitting to die for ones country. This was in complete contrast to what it was really like for the men in the trenches. Owen must have spent a long time choosing these last words for the poem. As a reader, this is the most dramatic part of the poem as it brings home what the war, the conditions and the loss of live was all about.

In conclusion to this essay I have discussed Wilfred Owens use of poetic techniques and how they have deepened my understanding of the poem. This poem is very moving and uses a lot of graphic description in order to imagine what it was like. I have enjoyed writing this essay as it has made me think about what it was like for the soldiers in the terrible conditions and the futility of the war.