How Does The Poet Convey His/Her attitude to war using structure, imagery and
language ?
Overall Message
(What is the poem saying? Who was it
directed to? What is the purpose of the
poem?)
Context and History
Use the internet to help you. When was the
poem written? How would this have
influenced the poet? Can you find any
interesting details about the poet that are
reflected in the poem?
Language
What language choices are made by the
poet? What effect to they have upon the
reader? What are the most powerful words
and what connotations do they have? Does
the poet use a particular semantic field? Do
they use any particular linguistic techniques?
The purpose of the poem is to give a little
insight to the readers to what war was like,
giving them a brief insight. This poem was
written by a young courageous man known as
Owen, through the hardships and trauma
that can never be forgotten, where it still
resonates today with it’s brutal language and
imagery.
Purpose: That everything everyone thought
about war is a lie, and basically shows the
reality of war. Things that he saw during war,
the people, atmosphere and emotions are
the things that inspired him, so much so that
he will never forget about these memories.
The author really helps bring the atmosphere
of warfare to come alive to us readers.
In his eyes, war is not a good thing - the
devastation and trauma.
Is a poem written by Owen when fighting in
the trenches in northern France during the
war, as the war sure did influence his writing
in terms of the context and the level of
writing. He was really motivated to write
poems that are influential and moving, due to
the many trauma he witnessed during his
time in war.
Words Used:
Rules of three:
Tone:
Alliteration: “Bent like beggars” - from the
line we can see the imagery, but not only
that, but the use of alliteration which
captivates the audiences in terms of reading
it.
Stanza 3 : “In all my dreams before my helpless
sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
“ the pacing is very slow. Uses words like
“guttering, choking, drowning” which
represents the process of his fellow soldiers
dying. The repeated ‘ing’ sound makes it
more memorable to the ear as it has a
repetition in rhythm. ‘Plunges’ is a slow word,
which when used in this context makes the
poem more effective as plunge is a very slow

Shows the rank of most of the soldiers from

words like : “old beggars and hags” with
Owen being amongst with this sick group -
contrasts to reality

Usage of words such as: “Drunk, deaf and

blind” not only makes the soldiers feel
vulnerable, but the trauma that has greatly
scared their bodies (physically) and soul
(mentally).

“GAS! Gas ! quick boys-An ecstasy of

fumbling” - Shows the changes in pace in war,
and shows that war is not only boring, but
also as well can be very sudden, shows the
other side of war.

Inclusive pronouns such as “you” - to state

that you can be in this situation, brings the
attention back to the audiences.

Behind the wagon that we flung him in, - They

are desensitised because it’s normal

Towards the end - uses inclusive pronouns like

‘you’ to directly state you, giving a closing
ending that says you would not be at a such
high zest to your children and grandkids about
war.

“He is, in effect, saying that it is anything but


Imagery
What imagery can you find within the poem?
What pictures are created? How are they
created - through similes, metaphors,
adjectives?
sweet and proper to die for one's country in a
hideous war that took the lives of over 17
million people.”
“Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud”
Brings it to conclusion
Starts with a good image of warfare: ‘towards
our distant rest’ - as bombs and lethal gases
are being released, making many think
straight to warfare.
Simile: “Knock-Kneed,coughing like hags, we
cursed through sludge,...” - This sentence has
great usage of imagery as we can really
depict a clear image of what war was like
from their movements being
“Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed
through sludge,” “Sludge” when read aloud is a
very slow word to represent the mud as they
step across the trenches. Has a slow
connotation to it.
“Men marched asleep” - shows the exhaustion
that the men had to go through.
Words:
Metaphor:
Second stanza example/ Third stanza
example - A lot of imagery is used here.
- “As under a green sea, I saw him
drowning.” - a good example of
imagery presented here. Becomes
more metaphorical, as Owen sees the
man as ‘drowning’ as if he were
underwater.
- ‘Misty panes’ add an unreal element
like the reader is looking through a
window.
Structure
What is the overall structure of the poem?
Why do you think the poet chose this
structure? Do they use
enjambment/caesura/end stops? To what
effect? Is there a rhyme scheme?
Conclusion
Caesura: Used effectively in stanza 1 - this is
done to create effect in terms of the pacing
as stanza 1 is a very slow scene
E.g. All went lame; all blind; - short, simple
and effective as it is a very straightforward
action showing just that. This is done to not
only put emphasis on words when reading
the poem, but it also mirrors the heartbeat of
the soldiers as the poem develops. Puts us
into Owen’s shoes as because of the
structuring affecting, we can see how the
atmosphere was really like through the
pacing - we can imagine the atmosphere. War
is something not slow or fast, like the wind as
war is unexpected when you least expect
something.
Enjambment: stanza 2 after ‘An ecstasy of
fumbling’/opposite to caesura, for the use of
enjambment used to control the pace and in
this context it makes the poem feels faster as
the poem develops into this theme in stanza
2.
Word Lengthening:
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDCDEFEFGG... - This is
used to captivate the author and capture the
attention of many, making the poem feel
more exciting to read, being enticing to the
readers.
Talk about the last stanza, how it goes into
reality again, and bring the pea back to a
close. Say how everything is a lie.
Dulce et Decorum Est
Launch Audio in a New Window
BY WILFRED OWEN

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,

Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,

Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,

And towards our distant rest began to trudge.

Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,

But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;

Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots

Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling

Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,

But someone still was yelling out and stumbling

And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.—

Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,

As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams before my helpless sight,

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace

Behind the wagon that we flung him in,

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,

His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood

Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,

Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud

Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest

To children ardent for some desperate glory,

The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est

Pro patria mori.