Throughout World War I, war was viewed as robust and marvelous. Those who do serve may comeback, while others died an unheroic death. The poems, “Dulce et Decorum Est” and “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” strives to press on the issue. In these poems, the author uses vivid details, to show the reality and dejection of war.
In the poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen speaks of the malice and wickedness of the war. The speaker in the poem warns young people who are yearning to go into war; “To children ardent for some desperate glory,” (line 26), war is not what its perceived to be. “… I saw him drowning… He plunges at me guttering, chocking, drowning.” (lines 15-16), the narrator describes the gruesome scene, where a Five -Nine was able to get to them. He witnessed his fellow comrade, inhaled chlorine gas and slowly died. In the same fashion, “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” by Randall Jarrell speaks on how war is an inevitable death. “Six miles from earth, loosened from its dream of life” (line 5), in this line the ball turret is on his way to his death, while he falls from the aircraft. These poems give graphic and explicit details on war and how those who want to participate should think twice about their decision.
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In “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” the poem is very short, but the author uses his word choice very precisely. He doesn’t tell you what exactly happens but, he gives you enough information to know what’s happening. In contrast to “Dulce et Decorum Est”, the author uses twenty lines explain to us in graphic and explicit details on how he saw one of his comrades “…white eyes writhing in his face. His hanging face, like a devils sick sin,…” making sure that he doesn’t miss a single detail, like the image that he saw that haunts him at