Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay Plan

Question -

Choose a poem which creates an atmosphere of despair about human existence and show how the author conveys this to the reader.

Introduction

• A poem which creates an atmosphere of despair is ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ by Wilfred Owen.
• Set in the trenches of World War One.
• Explain title: ‘It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country’
• The poet describes a terrible scene from war then builds up to this slogan at the end, showing that it is a lie.

From the start of the poem, Owen creates a bleak image for the reader:
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks

• Knock-kneed, coughing like hags we cursed through sludge
• -‘old beggars’ / ‘like hags’: similes show that the young men are now like the opposite of soldiers – sick, old, weak, emphasised by ‘bent double’ and the idea of ‘sacks’ instead of uniforms
• Instead of ‘marched’ or even ‘retreated’ the soldiers ‘cursed’, suggesting this is a depressing and somewhat pointless activity
• Sound effects: the alliteration of ‘coughing’ and ‘cursed’ suggest harshness, along with the onomatopoeia words ‘coughing’ and ‘sludge’ to describe the conditions they are marching through

The poet creates an effective contrast between the first and second stanzas in order to heighten the horror of the gas attack.

• The men’s slow progress is emphasized at the start
• The ‘haunting flares’ continues with the idea of ‘hags’ and ‘cursed’, suggesting that the soldiers have been afflicted by black magic
• ‘asleep’ suggests that this scene has a dream-like quality
• This prepares reader for ‘gas-shells dropping softly’ – as though they are harmless and part of this quiet scene

The poet shows the panic of the soldiers at the start of the second stanza by using reported speech.

• ‘Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling’
• Contrast with eerie quiet of first stanza
• Shows how death can strike when people least expect it
• Describes dying man in some detail – ‘in my dreams’
• Word choice of ‘fumbling’, ‘stumbling’, ‘floundering’ and ‘drowning’ show how the men suffer
• ‘misty panes’ and simile of drowning in a green sea – a dream-like image
• Even though the man’s death takes some time, the others are powerless to help him; shows horror of this scene

These ideas are continued in the final stanza as the poet prepares the reader for his statement about war at the end of the poem.

• Brings in reader – ‘If … you too’, ‘My friend’
• Supernatural overtones again – ‘white eyes writhing in his face’ – showing how the soldier has lost control over his own body
• ‘devil’s sick of sin’ – showing even demons must be horrified by the experience of war
• Sound effects:
• Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
• Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
• The repeated hard ‘c’ shows harshness
• Onomatopoeia of ‘gargling’ – makes vivid for reader
• Word choice of ‘cud’ – a gruesome image for the sores on the man’s tongue, as if it is something to chew on
• Idea of cattle – creatures which are slaughtered
• Continued with the idea of ‘innocent tongues

At the climax of the poem, Owen gives a chilling message to the reader.

• Describes soldier’s retreat and the gas attack
• They are ‘children’ desperate for ‘glory’ unprepared for the nightmarish horror of the trenches
• Brings the reader to the Latin quote at the end

Conclusion -

Wilfred Owen chooses a scene from war and brings it to life for the reader. He uses a variety of techniques in order to create a dream-like atmosphere, including sound effects and imagery. This shows us the horror that soldier’s experienced during the war and helps convince the reader that propaganda for the war was based on lies. I would therefore argue that ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ is a poem which creates an atmosphere of despair about human existence, within the context of war.