Dulce et Decorum Est Group

Question:

baby4u
baby4u
Student
College - Sophomore

What is the formal structure of "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen?

Rate question:

Posted by baby4u on Wednesday May 21, 2008 at 7:51 PM and tagged with dulce et decorum est, structure.

Answers:


  1. kwoo1213 Teacher
    College - Junior

    eNotes Editor

    There is no formal structure for this poem.  It is a 28-line poem that does contain some rhyming; the rhyme scheme is one that follows the pattern of abab cdcd efef, etc.; however, they are not presented in quatrains. The lines are broken up. There is more useful information at these two links:

    http://www.enotes.com/dulce-et-decorum-est-salem/dulce-et-decorum-est-9650000186

    http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=210188

    Sources:
    http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=210188
    http://www.enotes.com/dulce-et-decorum-est-salem/dulce-et...

    Rate answer:

    Posted by kwoo1213 on Wednesday May 21, 2008 at 8:15 PM

  2. reidalot
    reidalot Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    This poem can also be viewed as two sonnets. The first two stanzas, one of eight lines, an octave, and one of six, a sestet,could be seen loosely as a Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet though not in classical form as Owen does not strictly adhere to that rhyme scheme. The second portion of the poem is similar to a Shakespearean (English) sonnet, which consists of three quatrains (four line stanzas) and one couplet (two line stanza),though the stanzas are not broken into visible quatrains, but instead two stanzas, one of two lines and one of twelve lines.This may be one interesting way to look at this poem's structure.

    Rate answer:

    Posted by reidalot on Thursday May 22, 2008 at 7:27 AM