Explication of ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen ” Dulce Et Decorum Est” belongs to the genre of sonnets, which expresses a single theme or idea. The allusion or reference is to an historical event referred to as World War I. This particular poem’s theme or idea is the horror of war and how young men are led to believe that death and honor are same. The poem addresses the falsehood, that war is glorious, that it is noble, it describes the true horror and waste that is war, this poem exhibits the gruesome imagery of World War I, it also conveys Owens strongly anti-war sentiments to the reader. He makes use of a simple, regular rhyme scheme, which makes the poem sound almost like a child’s poem or nursery rhyme. Owens use of excellent diction, compelling , and extremely graphic imagery, shows that not only is war terrible and devastating but it is also horrific.
The poems use of excellent diction helps to define what the author is saying. Owens use of words like ‘guttering’, ‘choking’, and ‘drowning’s hows us that the troops are suffering and are in extreme pain and misery… Other words like writhing and froth-corrupted say precisely how the man is being tormented. Also, the word ‘blood-shod’ explains how the troops have been on their feet for days without rest. Also, the fact that the gassed man was ‘flung’ into the wagon reveals the urgency of the fighting, the only thing they can do is toss him into a wagon… The fact one word can add to so much the meaning of a poem shows how the diction of this poem adds greatly to its effectiveness For example, the simile “obscene as cancer” (23) is effective, because everybody fears cancer; it is a horrible way to die, much as war is in Owens opinion.
Another tool in developing the effectiveness of the poem is the use of compelling figurative language in the poem helps to reveal the reality of war. In the first line, the metaphor, “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,” (1) shows us that the troops are so tired that they can be compared to old beggars. Also, the simile ‘coughing like hags’ (2) helps to depict the soldiers’ poor health and depressed state of mind. Owen makes us picture the soldiers as ill, disturbed and utterly exhausted Another great use of simile, “His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin,” (20) suggests that his face is probably covered with blood which is the color symbolizing the devil.
A very powerful metaphor is the comparison of painful experiences of the troops to.” … vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues.” (24) This metaphor emphasizes that the troops will never forget these horrific experiences. As you can see, Owen has used figurative language so effectively that the reader gets drawn into the poem. The most important means of developing the effectiveness of the poem is the graphic imagery. The images in this poem are so graphic that it could make the reader feel sick.
The images in this poem can draw graphic pictures in the readers mind, such as in these lines: “If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood/ Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs/ Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud,” (21-23) shows us that so many men were brutally killed during this war, this can be disturbing to think about. Also, when the gas bomb was dropped, .” … someone still yelling out and stumbling/ and found ” ring like a man in fire or lime… / he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.” (11-12, 16) These compelling lines indicate that men drowned helplessly in the toxic gasses. The description of the gas masks as “clumsy helmets” (10) tells us that the equipment given to the soldiers is heavy and substandard. In the beginning of the poem the troops were portrayed as “drunk with fatigue” (7).
With this you can almost imagine large numbers of people dragging their boots through the mud, tripping over their own shadow. The graphic images displayed here are profoundly affecting and can never be forgotten. The poem ties it all together in the last few lines. In Latin, the phrase “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” means, “It is sweet and becoming to die for one’s country.” Owen calls this a lie.
By using excellent diction, compelling figurative language, and extremely graphic images to have the reader feel disgusted at what war is capable of. This poem is extremely effective as an anti-war poem, making war seem absolutely horrid and revolting, just as the author wanted it to. Owen allows the poem to be understood by the public at large so as to influence as many people as possible.