Reflection for DULCE ET DECORUM EST
Vedanshi Patel 10E
DULCE ET DECORUM EST is a poem written by Wilfred Owen describing the horrors of war. In the poem Owen questions the old saying, “It is sweet and honourable to die for one’s country” and contemplates whether facing the horrors of war is worth the risk for achieving fame and glory for their country. Through the uses of a variety of poetic devices and figurative language, Owen successfully communicates his message about the gruesomeness of war.
The theme of the poem is that war is a tragedy and one that all the soldiers of the war have been scarred with. The poet conveys this theme by describing the point of view of a soldier who witnessed the death of a comrade, killed by poisoned gas. “His hanging face, like a devil 's sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood; Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs” This description creates a feeling of revulsion felt by the reader and presents an insiders perspective of war which they undoubtedly hadn’t experienced. The poems serves as a description of the horrors of war in the hopes that the reader will change their viewpoint on the notion of soldiers being humiliated and forced to serve in the army. This purpose is explicitly clear in the last few lines, “My friend, you would not tell with such high zest; To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est; Pro patria mori”. The angry and horrific tone of the poem also helps to convey