In “Dulce et Decorum est,” Wilfred Owen employs many literary devices such as simile, imagery, and sound devices effectively to show the horror of the war. This poem reveals the hidden truths of the World War I, by uncovering the cruelties of what the soldiers faced. This poem is based on Owen’s wartime experience and what he witnessed on the combat field. The reader is introduced to the horror of war in the first stanza through the use of a strong simile. In line one, “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,” the poet is comparing a soldier to a beggar. If you use your prior knowledge, you would know that a beggar is poor, without food, is in ragged clothing, and has to carry a bag filled with their possessions over his shoulder.
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The innocent soldiers are drained. Innocent soldiers are victim of the atrocities from the opposing side, for instance, the gas attack, which an innocent soldier died because he was unable to wear the mask on time. Owen was unable to forget about his agony. His experiences of war was not good. Owen expresses his own feelings to his poem by using the tone of irony to demonstrate that war is not sweet and honorable. The using of the literary devices effectively shows the horror of the war and the irony the poet intended to portray. In “Dulce et Decorum est,” Wilfred Owen employs many literary devices such as simile, imagery, and sound devices effectively to show the horror of the war. This poem reveals the hidden truths of the World War I, by uncovering the cruelties of what the soldiers faced. This poem is based on Owen’s wartime experience and what he witnessed on the combat …show more content…
In stanza 1, there is a use of regular iambic pentameter, which reflects the restlessness but sad, routine nature of the horror of the soldier’s experiences. The iambic pentameter also mimics the heartbeat of the soldiers. Spondees in lines one, two, and five catches the reader’s attention along with line six, “blood-shot” and “all blind.” Double spondees are present in line nine to reflect the panic of the men. Caesura is present in the middle of line five and seven to convey the lurching, stumbling process of the soldiers. Stanza four is trimeter, which means there are additional beats to emphasize the horror. The last line, “Pro patria mori,” ends in trimester to contrast with the hollow emptiness. The use of onomatopoeia helps create the pace of this poem. In line four, the word, “trudge,” is used to emphasize the fact that the pace is extremely slow. In stanza two, “Gas! GAS!” creates excitement and highlights the speed, which suggests that there is some type of urgency into what is happening at that moment. Repetition in line six, “all” is used to emphasize that no one has escaped. The repetition of “Gas! GAS!” is to engage the readers into the awareness of the terror and horror. In lines fourteen and sixteen, “Drowning” is repeated to emphasize that it is impossible for the poet to forget about the men’s suffering. The use of sound devices in this poem reinforces the meaning of the poetry and the
The innocent soldiers are drained. Innocent soldiers are victim of the atrocities from the opposing side, for instance, the gas attack, which an innocent soldier died because he was unable to wear the mask on time. Owen was unable to forget about his agony. His experiences of war was not good. Owen expresses his own feelings to his poem by using the tone of irony to demonstrate that war is not sweet and honorable. The using of the literary devices effectively shows the horror of the war and the irony the poet intended to portray. In “Dulce et Decorum est,” Wilfred Owen employs many literary devices such as simile, imagery, and sound devices effectively to show the horror of the war. This poem reveals the hidden truths of the World War I, by uncovering the cruelties of what the soldiers faced. This poem is based on Owen’s wartime experience and what he witnessed on the combat …show more content…
In stanza 1, there is a use of regular iambic pentameter, which reflects the restlessness but sad, routine nature of the horror of the soldier’s experiences. The iambic pentameter also mimics the heartbeat of the soldiers. Spondees in lines one, two, and five catches the reader’s attention along with line six, “blood-shot” and “all blind.” Double spondees are present in line nine to reflect the panic of the men. Caesura is present in the middle of line five and seven to convey the lurching, stumbling process of the soldiers. Stanza four is trimeter, which means there are additional beats to emphasize the horror. The last line, “Pro patria mori,” ends in trimester to contrast with the hollow emptiness. The use of onomatopoeia helps create the pace of this poem. In line four, the word, “trudge,” is used to emphasize the fact that the pace is extremely slow. In stanza two, “Gas! GAS!” creates excitement and highlights the speed, which suggests that there is some type of urgency into what is happening at that moment. Repetition in line six, “all” is used to emphasize that no one has escaped. The repetition of “Gas! GAS!” is to engage the readers into the awareness of the terror and horror. In lines fourteen and sixteen, “Drowning” is repeated to emphasize that it is impossible for the poet to forget about the men’s suffering. The use of sound devices in this poem reinforces the meaning of the poetry and the