Dulce Et Decorum Est Poem Analysis

In this poem, we know the perspective of the poem is from a child as childish language is used, such as "daddy frog", "mammy frog" and "best of all. " A child-like theme is also seen when the frogspawn is stored in "jampotsful" on "shelves at school" and the use of "Miss Walls" as an authoritative or adult figure. This gives a theme of innocence as children are seen as innocent, and the poem is from the perspective of a child.

In "Dulce et decorum est" the transition from childhood to adulthood is shown more implicitly. Because this poem is about war, the violence and the death in this poem are much more obvious prevalent themes, but there is a more hidden theme of transition childhood to adulthood, which is shown in the language used. In

This was accurate, as in World War One, when the poem was set, children as young as fourteen were trying to sign up to fight in the war, perhaps for "desperate glory." Even in the midst of a gas attack, which is the main action feature of the poem, the soldiers are referred to as "boys." This tells us that the soldiers are children, and children are seen universally as innocent. However, during the poem when the soldiers who were referred to as "children" when they were enlisting for "desperate glory" are actually at war and in battle, they are referred to as "men marched asleep." There are also physical changes, as they are now "coughing like hags" and are "bent double like old beggars under sacks." This suggests that the soldiers have gone from boys to men, and the physical deterioration of the soldiers emphasises the drastic change in the soldiers, as children are not usually seen like this, in fact, this is closer to imagery of the elderly. This shows a loss of innocence as the transition to adulthood itself is often seen as a loss of innocence due to adulthood usually being the point that a person

Towards the beginning of the poem, the mood is mostly tranquil and pleasant, but there are hints at a more sinister theme. This is shown through the weather and the environment throughout the poem, such as at the beginning, the bubbles that, "gargled delicately", the "dragon flies, (and) spotted butterflies" and the fact that frogspawn was collected "every spring". All of this terminology suggest innocence, as "delicate" and "spring" suggest innocence, youth and purity, and dragon flies and butterflies are seen as beautiful, fragile creatures by many people, which also suggests innocence. However, even at the beginning of the poem, when the theme of innocence is most prevalent, the weather and environment is used in pathetic fallacy, such as the, "punishing sun" and the flax that, "festered" and "rotted" which was, "weighted down by the huge sods." All of these phrases imply a negative, unsettling and worrying tone, which in turn suggests that the innocence may be lost. Mood and tone can also be seen to be violent, aggressive and very negative towards the end of the poem. This is done more through imagery. Violent words such as "invaded","obscene" "mud grenades" and "vengeance" are all used towards the end. This suggests a loss of innocence as this would be terrifying for a child, whom we know has "ducked through the hedges" to see this event, and the fear and