(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Compare and Contrast


             Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est" and Richard Lovelace's "To Lucasta", the same subject matter is dealt with by both author's, but from an entirely different perspective. Owen chooses to portray war as a horror not to be experienced, even it may be portrayed that war is honorable and to fight for one's country is glorious. Lovelace on the other hand takes the viewpoint of a young man leaving his woman in the hopes of becoming a hero, ignorant to what awaits him. Both authors represent their arguments well. Their choice of diction, their particular setting pertaining to the method of warfare, and their poetic device usage allow them to create the desired effect.
             Owen's attitude is very sarcastic towards the idea of it being honourable to die for one's country. He reinforces this with a series of horrific images. It is quite possible that his poem has been written in response to the conscription drive, trying to crush the myth of valour. Owen believes it is torturous to be a soldier during the type of warfare and it is arduous the amount of cruelty that soldiers had to sustain. To Owen dying for one's country and going to war is by no means hourable, and a lie shoved down the throats of the youth. He chooses his words carefully to leave the reader with a gruesome, dreary, wearing and saddening sensation. He puts the reader in the mood to embrace the horrors the soldiers are going through. These include bent-double, coughing, cursed, haunting, trudge, fatigue, thick and drowning, smothering dreams, writhing in his face, and froth-corrupted lungs among others. The form is also an aide to Owen's effort. His poem is unorganized and mangle much like the soldiers in his story which embody chaos.
             Lovelace bring's an attitude of ignorance towards war to the table. The character believes he is doing a glorious thing by going off to war. To him, war is the ultimate sacrifice of which will bring him nobility.


Essays Related to Compare and Contrast


Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question