War is a transformative event because it alters people's perspectives of war, and leaves them suffering, mentally and physically. When the soldiers experienced the true realities of the war, they were left haunted, as depicted in the poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen. This poem explains the true realities of the war and how he was left with a damaged mental state. Owen says:
Currently as we speak, Britain is fighting in a war. The British navy sent a number of ships to blockade the French from obtaining supplies in the United States, but some crewmembers of these ships deserted and sought protection with American authorities. The US navy decided to enlist these men, and so they associated themselves with the crew of the USS Chesapeake. On June 22, 1807, the British HMS Leopard prowled after the USS Chesapeake off the coast of Virginia. The captain of the Leopard then dispatched a letter insisting to explore the Chesapeake for British naval deserters, however the Chesapeake’s Commodore James Barron prohibited it.
Recently in class we discussed 2 poems about war; “The Death of a Ball Turret Gunner” and “Dulce Et Decorum Est”. These 2 poems revolve around a central theme, or rather the irony of the theme: It is sweet and honorable to die for one’s country. We also discussed the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal that took place in Iraq in 2003. This event does share some similar properties when it comes to the topic of war, however, it does not support the theme of the other two poems. It is important to examine writings that share a common theme because it allows the class to view and discuss the same theme from different perspectives.
While serving in the war, it may make someone feel like it is impossible. People fail to realize war can affect soldiers and destroy their mind. War has a way of leaving traumatic imprint on one’s mind. Authors tend to protest war whom served in the war. Writers protest war by using irony, imagery, and structure.
Literary Analysis The War Prayer was written by Mark Twain in the nineteenth century Imperialism. Twain uses satire to exploit the stupidity of war. In his prose, Twain explains the ghastliness of war and how people are praying to God for safety of their troops but they do not care if the opposing sides troops die. Twain uses satire in The War Prayer to make fun of the people praying for their side to win the war and the glorification of war. “It was a time of great and exalting excitement (Twain).”
In the crucial times of World War I there were two extremely diverse views on the war; one being that it was a beautiful and romantic sacrifice and the other that it was a horrible and inhumane duty. No one really understood the true and harsh reality of war unless they witnessed the brutality first hand. In Wilfred Owen 's poem, "Dulce et Decorum Est", he conveys the dark side of the war. Through the intense diction, imagery, and figurative language that Owen incorporates he portrays the evil truth behind the war and derives a hopeless and dreary tone. Owen acquires the dark tone with his vivid and vile diction.
This essay will compare and contrast the way the poets Jessie Pope and Wilfred Owen present war in their poems. Who’s for the game? Was written by Jessie Pope in 1916 during the heart of the First World War. The poem is pro war and is a piece of propaganda that was used to recruit men into the British army. In contrast Dulce et decorum est is an anti war poem and shows the true aspects of war.
In the poem Dulce et Decorum Est, Wilfred Owen, a World War 1 officer and famous poet, portrays the terrors of World War 1 with the horrific imagery and alarming use of words. He goes in depth of his experience of a deadly gas attack where he lost a member of his fleet and how it affected him. The title is in Latin meaning, “It is sweet and beautiful.” The utilization of diction, imagery, and figurative language gives the poem a strong meaning while giving the audience an insight into the effect war had on the soldiers.
Wilfred Owens’ personal experiences greatly influenced his writing in the poem. Of fighting in World War 1, his anti-war sprit would have been provoked, and would have greatly influenced his voice and language in “Dulce Et Decorum Est”. In this essay, I will talk about how did Wilfred Owens’ personal experiences with conflict influence his writing in the poem. Wilfred Owens’ experiences with war greatly influenced the mood of the poem. As I have mentioned earlier, he was a solider in World War I, and while he was fighting at the front, he would have seen the horrific scenes of the battlefields himself.
Wilfred Owen who was born in 1893 is still named as one of the leading British poets of war poetry about World War I in the English literature. Throughout his poetries, he vividly captures the reality of war and chaos inside of the soldiers. Before the war, Owen was a language tutor in France, but he served in an army because he felt pressured because government’s propaganda pressured him. Nevertheless, when he actually got into the army, he disillusioned and realized both pity and horror of war. From his dreadful experience, the anti-war feeling strongly created in his mind.
The poem smoothly cruises through the monstrosities that are commonly associated with war; then—almost mockingly— he ends each reference with a simple “war is kind”. Additionally, multiple phrases are said that seem to lighten what war means, and at the same time plead for the reader to remember that war is rather a friend than foe. “A field where a thousand corpses lie. Do not weep, babe, for war is kind”. This line speaks of a field littered with dead and wounded soldiers and instead of discussing the natural responses to such a sight—grief or sorrow—the narrator steamrolls the reader asks for one to wipe their tears and remember that war is simply kind.
At that point the reader begins to see different light, understanding how Owen felt as he witnessed death first hand. Once the title of the poem has been read in its entirety, the meaning of the poem is enhanced. Now “Dulce et Decorum Est” implies a false cover, implying that war is sweet and brings one glory to serve the country. When in reality the reader learns that war is not kind, and takes without mercy no matter what side a soldier is fighting for.. “Sweetness” begins to mean “Sadness”, and from the title one would assume that war shows kindness to those willing to fight, but instead Owen explains how the honor of fighting in battle doesn’t mean anything when one becomes a forgotten corpse, left to rot amongst
However, some people are often blinded by the reality and truths of war because of poets and authors that paint a picture of war as an exciting adventure. Literature is proven to capture the writer’s experiences and emotions, especially at such a marginal event of war. I believe that War is not something that should be celebrated, through this belief I believe that anti-war poetry opposes those who think it should be. The anti-war war poems oppose the marginalised view that soldiers turn from innocence to heartless killers, whereas majority of the soldiers were genuine, soft soldiers made to do their jobs. The first poem in which I have brought to this ceremony foreground’s this ideology.
In the poem ‘Who’s for the Game?’, written by Jesse Pope during World War I, a number of effective techniques are used to convey the important messages. The techniques used in this poem include metaphors and personification. These techniques help readers understand an important message by conveying the main idea of joining the war. This was shown by especially telling young, naive men that it would be an enjoyable experience and that they would be considered cowardly if they did not go. These techniques also provide a false depiction of war as written by Jesse Pope, a pro-war enthusiast journalist with no experience of war who published her jingoistic and propagandistic works to the public.
In his poem, Crane states, “Do not weep. War is kind” (Crane). This is ironic because war takes people away from their families, and from the lives they might have led if they had not died in battle. It contrasts with the theme of the poem, which garners the attention of the reader. This beckons readers to ask, ‘War leads to death; what is kind in that?’
