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Analysis Of Dulce Et Decorum Est

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Horrors of the Trenches Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est” is a poem made of four stanzas in an a, b, a, b rhyme scheme. There is hardly any rhythm to the entire poem, although Owen makes it sound like it is in iambic pentameter in some lines. Every stanza has a different amount of lines, ranging from two to twelve. To convey the poem’s purpose, Owen uses an unconventional poem style and horrid, graphic images of the frontlines to convey the unbearable circumstances that many young soldiers went through in World War I. Not only did these men have to partake in such painful duties, but these duties contrasted with the view of the war made by the populace of the mainland country. Many of these people are pro-war and would never see the battlefield themselves. Owen’s use of word choice, imagery, metaphors, exaggeration, and the contrast between the young, war-deteriorated soldiers and populace’s favorable view of war creates Owen’s own unfavorable view of the war to readers. The title and final lines of the poem is Latin for “It is sweet and honorable.” At first glance, the title may seem to be supportive of the war, however it is the ultimate irony of the story. The title uses the words sweet and honor to open the reader to ideas of these feelings. The first stanza portrays the bleakness of the battlefield for these young soldiers. The first two lines describe the soldiers as old beggars and hags because of the horrendous situation they were put in. Many of the soldiers

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