Comparing Dulce Et Decorum Est And The Naming Of Parts

There has been war as far back as recorded history and even further as far back as man. Dulce et Decorum Est, written by Wilfred Owen, describes the horrors seen in World War II specifically through the first-person perspective of a US Soldier. The poem follows a strict meter while incorporating figurative language and graphic imagery conveying the soldier's trauma and desire in battle. The poem is accompanied by The Naming of Parts by Henry Reed, which is a WWII poem that dives into the mind of a soldier during training. The poem is a free verse that changes between the third and second person as it shows the interactions between a cadet and his commanding officer. Although war is often seen as chaotic, somber, and followed by a sense of danger,

The author commands the language of the poem to go against the content in which he describes, thus proving that structure and content are not mutually exclusive. The second poem, The Naming of Parts, exhibits the opposite pattern by loosely assembling into almost a story style of writing. The Naming of Parts is based around WWII which at the time was the most threatening due to the creation of the atom bomb. Initially concerns were raised over imperialism, the economy, as well as leadership; however, most were too preoccupied with politics to see what was happening under their noses. The Naming of Parts is free verse and is told similarly to a short story with each stanza beginning with a commanding officer naming the parts on a weapon and the second line is the thoughts and distractions of a young cadet. The Commanding officer begins by mentioning the lower and upper swing swivel followed by the safety catch, the bolt, the breech, the cocking piece, and the point of balance. The cadet's mind wanders throughout the poem, particularly to scenes of nature beginning with the Japonica and followed by branches, gardens, almond blossoms, flowers, bees, and