How Do Poets Encourage Conflict Through Pro-War Poetry

Poetry is a powerful tool utilised by poets during wartime to express their perceptions of conflict. Some poets encourage conflict through pro-war poems that glorify sacrifice, contrasting other poets criticise pro-war poetry by revealing the gruesome truths about war. Geraldine Robertson Glasgow’s 1916 poem, ‘From: Dulce Et Decorum’ conveys popularised patriotic views through the glorification of sacrifice for one’s country. In contrast, Wilfred Owen explores the brutality of modern warfare through his own personal wartime experiences, within the text ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ (1918). These ww1 texts offer their audience insight into the various wartime values in the 20th century.

Geraldine Robertson Glasgow explores popularised patriotic views

Initially, Owen establishes the physical suffering of soldiers through the line “Knock-kneed coughing like hags” foreshadowing the idea of potential further anguish. In addition, Owen’s use of personification to recall “In all my dreams before my helpless sight,” suggests that the speaker’s experiences have caused deep-rooted trauma, unveiling the ongoing effects of wartime on the disillusioned soldiers. Furthermore, the confronting visual metaphor, “Vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues”, evokes an image of tainted innocence, contrasting the traditional and contemporary poets that boldly create tales of romanticised glory. Finally, the poet's use of intertextuality in the lines “The old Lie: Dulce et Decorum est pro patria mori” expresses that Horace’s assertion is a “lie”, subverting the central message of romanticisation in war poetry, and criticising this portrayal, while consequently conveying an unvarnished tale of war told from the perspective of a decorated soldier. Thus, the brutality of modern war is revealed through the disillusioned state of the soldiers, whereby Wilfred Own is condemning poets who fail to tell the truth of war within their