CHEAT SHEET – Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen POET -History -Style CONTEXT AURAL DEVICES -Cacophony Cacophony is used effectively throughout the poem to expose the harsh truths of war. In this way the aural sounds of the poem mimic the themes and issues expressed by the poem. Lines like, “Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,” (2) and “guttering, choking, drowning” (16) reiterate this. SYMBOLISM LANGUAGE -Style -Devices Figurative language is used in the poem in the first line, “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,” which shows us that the troops are so tired that they can be compared to old beggars.
A great use of a simile, “His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin,” (20) suggests that his face is probably covered with blood a recognizable symbol of the devil. IMAGERY The images in the poem are so graphic that their intent is to make the reader physically sick. A few lines that exemplify this are “he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.” and “the blood/Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs/ Bitter as the cud/Of vile.” These compelling lines indicate that men drowned helplessly in the toxic gasses. These graphic images are immensely disturbing but play an effective role in the development of the poem as they convey Wilfred Owen’s prime message and reiterate the cruel horrors of war.
OTHER POETIC TECHNIQUES -Oxymoron The oxymoron, “an ecstasy of fumbling” is used to effectively portray the truth about war. In fact, Wilfred Owen is saying that a glorious war is in itself an oxymoron. PERSONA/POINT OF VIEW CHARACTERS SETTING THEMES/ISSUES.
The Essay on Practical Criticism of the Poem Futility by Wilfred Owen
The poem begins with an order “move him into the sun”. The persona seems to be desperate to move someone under the sun. The second line talks about the beginning of life when the rays of the sun must have touched the delicate body of the person as a baby. The following words “field unsown” refers to immaturity, incomplete life or a half grown state. It acts as a metaphor on the cycle of life. The ...
