Sierra Crites
Allison Kirkman, Instructor
AP Literature and Composition/Poetry Final Essay
05 February 2018
Vivid Imagery, Diction, and Tone in Wilfred Owen's "Dulce Et Decorum Est" Wilfred Edward Salter Owen is one of Britain's most famous war poets, despite his few published works in his short lifetime ("Wilfred Owen"). Born on March 18, 1893, in Oswestry, Shropshire, Owen lived a remarkably uninteresting life. He spent his first few years after graduation in technical work. Owen, interested in the arts from a young age, began to explore poetry at just seventeen years old (Buckwalter 98). Soon after, World War I broke out while Owen is tutoring in France. After much internal debate, Owen returned to England and enlisted in the Artists' Rifles. …show more content…
"Dulce Et Decorum Est" is a quotation from Latin poet Horace, "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori." This translates to "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country." This is ironic because the entirety of the poem illustrates the horrors and dishonorable actions of men at war through the use of vivid imagery and diction. The title's full origin is also revealed in the last two lines of the poem itself, allowing the reader to see the speaker's use of irony. The irony conveyed in the title alone conveys a spiteful tone, contributing to the speaker's disgusted …show more content…
Critics also go on to say Owen's most renowned work is actually not his finest achievement, due to his inability to transcend the scorn and the protest and find the scorn (Simcox). That being said, critics also recognize Owen's poetry as anti-war polemic (Santanu). Owen's desire to reveal the true nature of war by depicting the horrors of the battlefield and success in doing so confirm his prose as anti-war
Allison Kirkman, Instructor
AP Literature and Composition/Poetry Final Essay
05 February 2018
Vivid Imagery, Diction, and Tone in Wilfred Owen's "Dulce Et Decorum Est" Wilfred Edward Salter Owen is one of Britain's most famous war poets, despite his few published works in his short lifetime ("Wilfred Owen"). Born on March 18, 1893, in Oswestry, Shropshire, Owen lived a remarkably uninteresting life. He spent his first few years after graduation in technical work. Owen, interested in the arts from a young age, began to explore poetry at just seventeen years old (Buckwalter 98). Soon after, World War I broke out while Owen is tutoring in France. After much internal debate, Owen returned to England and enlisted in the Artists' Rifles. …show more content…
"Dulce Et Decorum Est" is a quotation from Latin poet Horace, "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori." This translates to "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country." This is ironic because the entirety of the poem illustrates the horrors and dishonorable actions of men at war through the use of vivid imagery and diction. The title's full origin is also revealed in the last two lines of the poem itself, allowing the reader to see the speaker's use of irony. The irony conveyed in the title alone conveys a spiteful tone, contributing to the speaker's disgusted …show more content…
Critics also go on to say Owen's most renowned work is actually not his finest achievement, due to his inability to transcend the scorn and the protest and find the scorn (Simcox). That being said, critics also recognize Owen's poetry as anti-war polemic (Santanu). Owen's desire to reveal the true nature of war by depicting the horrors of the battlefield and success in doing so confirm his prose as anti-war