Dulce Et Decorum Est Commentary
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Dulce Et Decorum Est written by Wilfred Owen is a narrative poem. This poem is first-person narrative, and is describing a situation of a scene at the trenches during the World War One. It is probably the poet himself talking from his own experience. Dulce Et Decorum Est, meaning “It is sweet and right”, is formed with many figurative languages and structural devices. Its structured out with four stanzas. The layout of this poem takes a huge part building up the mood and the tone. The first stanza describes the condition of the soldiers: exhausted, sick, and in danger of having shells thrown at them. The second stanza, it sounds dreamy because of the poets choice of the words used. It is also because the scene was brought out into a present time so it seems its happening right now – but because its not, it feels dreamy. The third stanza describes the poet being haunted by the horribleness of the war, advising his friend that going to war is not worth it.
This poem contains an ABAB CDCD rhyme scheme which makes the poem more memorable and more effective. Parts such as “sacksbacks” and “lungs…tongues” will not be easily forgotten because of the words used in the sentences with the rhymes. The rhymes at certain places such as “blind” and “behind” slows down the poem. Iambic pentameter was used to add rhythm to the poem. From the first to third verse in the first stanza, you can see the iambic pentameter making a heavy rhythmic tone to describe the tired soldiers at the trenches.
The poet described the terrible situation at the trenches mainly by using words that create images. He used four senses to achieve this: visual, aural, tactile and gustatory. The verse that reads, Til on the haunting flares we turned out backs” really brings out the aural imagery it gives. Words such as “Sludge” from the second verse, first stanza, make it almost possible to feel the sludgy touch and phrases such as “yelling out” and “coughing like hags” give the audience aural images of someone desperately shouting to save others lives from gas, and people coughing severely. The imagery of gustatory can be found from “coughing like hags” in the first stanza and “GAS! Gas!” in the second stanza. Though gas can not be smelled, the fumes from the flames can be predicted to be smelled. We know this because it the soldiers are coughing because of the burning of the shells and fumes coming out from it. Personification was used at the part when its said “disappointed shells” in the first stanza, last verse. It is more of an effective way of describing how the soldiers were close of being blown up by the thrown shells. Simile plays a good part in the first and the second verse of the opening stanza where it is used as “like old beggars” and “couching like hangs”. It is another effective way of using metonymy. By comparing the young soldiers to old hags and poor beggars, the horrible situation at the trenches was well described and exaggerated. Metaphor is something