Dulce et Decorum Est It is sweet and right. ironic, shocks the
BY WILFRED OWEN audience. Use of Latin reflects classical
education-audience are well educated British
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, people, not fighting in the war, gritty realism
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed Verbs are in past tense
through sludge, Unfit, coughing, showing effects of living in
Till on the haunting flares we turned our the conditions, saggy uniforms, sandbags
backs, Includes himself in the narrative, trench
And towards our distant rest began to trudge. warfare, eerie, ominous
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their Spotting potential enemies, safety is far off,
boots, very heavy walk, laboured
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all Not in top physical condition, exhausted,
blind; trench-foot, shoed in blood
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots So exhausted and tired that they are moving
Of gas-shells dropping softly behind. like they’re drunk, senseless, slow pace
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of Pace changes, frantic, emphasis, short words,
fumbling punctuation, dashes, additional information,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time, immediacy, Bulky, clumsy hands, only have
But someone still was yelling out and seconds before the gas hits
stumbling Contrast, remembering
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.— Fire-effects of gas, lime-chalky substance
Dim through the misty panes and thick green which burns live tissue
light, Breathing deeply, blurred vision, green gas
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. Effects of the gas, drowning on land, lungs
filling with fluid
In all my dreams before my helpless sight, Haunted, making it real, his experience
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, Lunging forward, sound effects, drowning is
drowning. final, repeated, choking on his own organs
If in some smothering dreams, you too could If- highlights anger, direct, accusational
pace communication challenging reader
Behind the wagon that we flung him in, Don't have time to place him in gently,
dehumanisation, detached
BY WILFRED OWEN audience. Use of Latin reflects classical
education-audience are well educated British
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, people, not fighting in the war, gritty realism
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed Verbs are in past tense
through sludge, Unfit, coughing, showing effects of living in
Till on the haunting flares we turned our the conditions, saggy uniforms, sandbags
backs, Includes himself in the narrative, trench
And towards our distant rest began to trudge. warfare, eerie, ominous
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their Spotting potential enemies, safety is far off,
boots, very heavy walk, laboured
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all Not in top physical condition, exhausted,
blind; trench-foot, shoed in blood
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots So exhausted and tired that they are moving
Of gas-shells dropping softly behind. like they’re drunk, senseless, slow pace
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of Pace changes, frantic, emphasis, short words,
fumbling punctuation, dashes, additional information,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time, immediacy, Bulky, clumsy hands, only have
But someone still was yelling out and seconds before the gas hits
stumbling Contrast, remembering
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.— Fire-effects of gas, lime-chalky substance
Dim through the misty panes and thick green which burns live tissue
light, Breathing deeply, blurred vision, green gas
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. Effects of the gas, drowning on land, lungs
filling with fluid
In all my dreams before my helpless sight, Haunted, making it real, his experience
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, Lunging forward, sound effects, drowning is
drowning. final, repeated, choking on his own organs
If in some smothering dreams, you too could If- highlights anger, direct, accusational
pace communication challenging reader
Behind the wagon that we flung him in, Don't have time to place him in gently,
dehumanisation, detached
