An Analysis Of Wilfred Owen's Poem 'Before My Helpless Sight'

According to the author Margaret B. McDowell, Wilfred Edward Salter Owen was born on the 18th of March, 1893. He was the oldest of four other siblings, and both his mother and father had talent in the way of art and music. Although they had little in the way of money, his parents tried to make life enjoyable for Owen and his brothers and sisters. As he became older, he attended the Birkenhead Institute, a technical school that he attended for over a decade. After graduating, Owen began a pursuit of a more religious lifestyle, in which he served under Reverend Herbert Wigan and had little to no salary. With a small allowance and an open mind, he began to see the world in a different light, opening his eyes to the truth and gaining a deeper meaning from his studies. Although he had little religion himself, Owen did appreciate the passion of those who were connected to a God. In return for his apprenticeship, Owen would take care of the ill at Dunsden, where he would learn about life and the social issues at the time. During this period he also began to write and learn of his aptitude for creating

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