Wilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” describes the horrors experienced during World War I from soldiers’ eyes. Owen uses brutal imagery to show how soldiers came to be unaware of the horrors. This was done in protest at England’s glorifying of war. All imagery used by Owen is negatively connotated and, as such, it has impacted both the soldier and the reader. Wilfred Ow’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est,” makes it clear war was not what England wanted it to be. Instead it was a terrible reality that nobody should have to confront.
Although war is often associated with negative emotions, some societies view it positively. In many cultures, fighting in wars for one’s nation is seen as an act of pride and honor. Owen’s poem’s title, “Dulce et Decorum Est”, refers back to the Latin phrase “Dulce et decorum était pro patriamori”. This means, “It would be sweet and appropriate to die for my country.” The poem is sarcastic, and Owen is actually arguing against it. He calls it “the Old Lie” He uses imagery that supports his argument. Owen uses graphic imagery throughout “Dulce et Decorum Est” to show the audience the surroundings of the soldiers. Owen’s intention was for the readers to be shocked and dismayed. Owen describes the gas-sprayed soldier as “hanging from the frothy lungs,” using harsh imagery to describe the war and the activities of the soldiers. He makes sure the reader is aware of this, as well as his bitterness. Owen encourages readers to be angry at the injustices being done to these young, innocent men.
Owen uses similes in order to bring out the realness of war. English society was clearly divided by classes at that time, with the upper classes being seen as more superior than the lower classes. Soldiers were considered heroes of the country and were therefore grouped with the top classes. They were “like old people living in sacks,” and they were not treated well (1). He also compares them with “hags”, (2) which is a reference to both lower-class and evil. Owen shows soldiers in this context instead of glorifying them as society views them. He removes war’s appeal and replaces with a disdain for the lower classes.
Owen’s poem contains some of the most absurd descriptions one can imagine for any situation. The poem is almost absurd in that some of the images seem impossible to understand. However, Owen seems to have intended this effect. The way Owen describes soldiers’ lives is so awful that the average reader will not be able to understand the descriptions. Owen paints the unsightly image of rotting flesh and dying with phrases like “obscene, incurable sores, innocent tongues” and others. This image is difficult to grasp for most people, as society is accustomed to filtering out images that are so harsh. Owen uses this horrific imagery to make the point that Owen’s description of the horrors faced by soldiers is absurd. His powerful imagery only makes Owen’s message stronger.
Owen also uses imagery to communicate his message by removing the senses from the soldiers in his poem. The soldiers are described throughout the text with words like “lame” (6, “blind”, (6) and “deaf” (7). These words signify that a sense isn’t working properly. Owen’s use of words like these throughout the poem further degrades the image Owen has created of a young, patriotic, and honorable man fighting for his country. This is how you convey that these boys are helpless, and their sense of belonging is being eroded with the war.
Owen shows young men disappearing in the first half. This is to demonstrate the psychological effects that war has on the second half. The second section is an officer’s explanation of how he feels every night haunted by the ghost of one of his fallen men. This section shows that even the ones who were not injured in combat have lost their senses. The gas was not fatal to this officer, but he has to live the horrors every night “before he lost his sight.” Their senses are no longer in control and they lose their ability to escape the battlefield.
This poem will not be forgotten, as Owen’s imagery is very unpleasant. When it is easy to understand and reads, the human mind can be at ease. The mind becomes disturbed by the imagery in Owen’s poem. Although Owen’s argument may be difficult to digest, it is a strong one that he uses to fight against the idea of war being sweet. People will think of Owen’s poem when they think about the Latin phrase “Dulceet decorum ist pro patriamori”. They will then think of Owen’s imagery instead and be terrified of the thought.
