The Old Lie: Dulce et Decorum Est
Wilfred Owen had experienced first-hand the horrors of World War One, and watched as countless young lives were slaughtered believing “The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est” (27), that it was sweet and fitting to die for one’s country. He wrote the poem Dulce et Decorum Est to clearly refute the message espoused by many, that war is glorious, by bringing to life the horrors of warfare through vivid imagery. This was accomplished by exposing the gruesome conditions the soldiers fought through, vividly describing the death of one of the soldiers, and revealing the dreadful nightmares that haunted the soldiers who survived the war.
Owen allowed the reader to comprehend the detestable circumstances the soldiers …show more content…
The narrator described the event leading up to the death of his comrade as an “ecstasy of fumbling” (9) to put the gas masks on before the poisonous gas could take their lives. Owen used the word “ecstasy” (9) to describe to the soldier’s heightened emotional state of terror. The terror causes a surge in adrenaline which makes the soldiers fumble while trying to put their masks on. This showed how easy it was for soldiers to take a second too long to put their masks on due to their “fumbling” (9).Thus, it was just as likely for any of the soldiers to have died the same slow, agonizing death as their …show more content…
In other words, when the solider inhaled the green gas it burned the inside of his lungs, which caused the soldier to choke to death. To illustrate, the narrator then stated that “as under a green sea, [he] saw [the solider] drowning” (14). Owen tried to further depict the awful agony that results from the inhalation of the poisonous gas by comparing it to drowning. By relating this situation to downing, the readers can visualize the solider “guttering, choking, drowning” (16) in the green sea, and are able to better comprehend the torment he underwent. By painting such a vivid image of the soldier’s horrific death, Owen emphasized the horrible tragedies the soldiers suffered during the
Wilfred Owen had experienced first-hand the horrors of World War One, and watched as countless young lives were slaughtered believing “The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est” (27), that it was sweet and fitting to die for one’s country. He wrote the poem Dulce et Decorum Est to clearly refute the message espoused by many, that war is glorious, by bringing to life the horrors of warfare through vivid imagery. This was accomplished by exposing the gruesome conditions the soldiers fought through, vividly describing the death of one of the soldiers, and revealing the dreadful nightmares that haunted the soldiers who survived the war.
Owen allowed the reader to comprehend the detestable circumstances the soldiers …show more content…
The narrator described the event leading up to the death of his comrade as an “ecstasy of fumbling” (9) to put the gas masks on before the poisonous gas could take their lives. Owen used the word “ecstasy” (9) to describe to the soldier’s heightened emotional state of terror. The terror causes a surge in adrenaline which makes the soldiers fumble while trying to put their masks on. This showed how easy it was for soldiers to take a second too long to put their masks on due to their “fumbling” (9).Thus, it was just as likely for any of the soldiers to have died the same slow, agonizing death as their …show more content…
In other words, when the solider inhaled the green gas it burned the inside of his lungs, which caused the soldier to choke to death. To illustrate, the narrator then stated that “as under a green sea, [he] saw [the solider] drowning” (14). Owen tried to further depict the awful agony that results from the inhalation of the poisonous gas by comparing it to drowning. By relating this situation to downing, the readers can visualize the solider “guttering, choking, drowning” (16) in the green sea, and are able to better comprehend the torment he underwent. By painting such a vivid image of the soldier’s horrific death, Owen emphasized the horrible tragedies the soldiers suffered during the