Dulce Est Decorum Est

In what ways does the poet draw you into the world of poetry?
  -Abigail Buenaventura
Wilfred Owen’s poems uncover the truth about the violent and cruel nature of war and how it led the young soldiers to their untimely death, whilst allowing readers to also experience the sufferings that the soldiers went through in the battlefield.   Owen passionately expresses his anger towards the deceptive government by clearly describing the horrors of war and the agony the soldiers had to endure during the time of war. Owen reinforces these themes by graphically allowing the readers to see the loss and waste of life in the war.   The poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est” illustrates how it is not honourable and noble to die in a war and by making the society believe these lies, the Government encouraged these young boys to join the war. Owen wants to emphasize to the readers that the reality of war is far from what the Authority made individuals believe. This also relates to the sonnet “Anthem for Doomed Youth”, which discusses the pity of war and demonstrates how those who died in war did not receive the traditional ceremonies that are used to honour the dead. This emotive poem also underlines the inadequacies of religion and the power of love and grief. These poems challenge the readers view points, beliefs and values and allow them to also reflect on the message that the poems are trying to communicate. Wilfred Owen maintains textual integrity throughout his poems by using confronting graphics to guide the readers in to the world of the text.
Firstly, the poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est, reveals the sacrifice of the soldiers, leaving them to feel exhausted not only physically but also emotionally. The poem communicates the ultimate sacrifice the soldiers had to make- offering up their lives. In the line “like old beggars under sacks”, the use of the simile illustrates the stumbling and disjointed movement of the soldiers, who are experiencing extreme exhaustion but are still...