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Dulce et Decorum est by Wilfred Owen


            The poem 'Dulce et Decorum est' by Wilfred Owen entails the experiences of soldiers in World War I. Owen's use of surreal graphics portrays an image of trench warfare that is gruesome and grotesque, offering a powerful message to the reader. Owen's poetry is used as a vehicle for the expression of horror and futility associated with war. Ultimately, the poem was written to dispel the notion that it is 'sweet and fitting' to die for one's country. .
             In the first lines of the poem, horrifying imagery begins to introduce the poor physical condition that war has brought to the soldiers. Owen depicts the men as "bent double, like old beggars under sacks." This simile demonstrates how dirty and unhealthy the soldiers appear. Furthermore, the comparison of the soldiers and the "old beggars" is important because the adjective 'old' helps depict how the men have aged prematurely by their experiences. .
             Not only does war have physical effects, but a completely different set of mental effects as well. The soldiers must convince themselves to keep fighting and avoid "haunting flares" even though "distant rest" may take awhile to come. Owen uses this language to highlight the concept that the soldiers hardly get any rest at all, and are mentally worn out from the constant battle with death haunting them at their backs seen in the flare simile. To create an even more intense image, Owen uses the descriptive terms "distant" and "trudge" to emphasize both how far the rest is away, and how the men will be miserable the entire time it takes to achieve that rest.
             Owen further depicts these mental effects in the men as being "drunk with fatigue." This metaphor represents the soldiers as being exhausted to the point of delusional drowsiness. This is important in demonstrating how the soldiers are struggling in a constant battle between their willpower to keep fighting and the constant desire to get some rest.


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