Themes: The Realities of War
The poem’s speaker makes a desperate attempt to end the abhorrence of war by telling the truth about it. Many anti-war poets during World War I hoped that if people knew what modern warfare was really like, they would turn away from war and stop supporting it. They thus countered the heroic myths of contemporary poets such as Rupert Brooke, whose poem “The Soldier” sentimentalizes death in war by stating that after he dies in battle, the patriotic soldier-speaker will be “at peace,” resting serenely “under an English heaven.”
In contrast, poets like Owen and his mentor, the English writer Siegfried Sassoon, made it their poetic mission to tell the truth about the particular inhumanity of modern warfare, in which technologies such as nerve gas could be used to brutally kill and wound many men at once. As Owen notes in another poem, called “Anthem for Doomed Youth,” there is no real glory for men “who die as cattle”: as collateral sacrificed on the altar of the nation. The only “passing-bells” these soldiers can expect to mark their deaths are the guns, shells, and bugles of war.
Owen was killed in battle in 1918, very shortly before the war ended. He was just twenty-five at his death. The bulk of his poems did not appear until after his death and the end of World War I, but nevertheless, they convey a stark, powerful message about war’s futility and horror.
Expert Q&A
In Wilfred Owen's "Dulce Et Decorum Est," what does the line "As under the green sea, I saw him drowning" represent?
The line "As under the green sea, I saw him drowning" in Wilfred Owen's "Dulce Et Decorum Est" represents the horrific death of a soldier exposed to chlorine gas in World War I. The green sea imagery evokes the gas cloud and the view through the narrator's gas mask. The dying soldier's struggle, as he chokes on his own blood, leads the narrator to reject the romanticized notion of dying for one's country as "sweet and fitting."
What does "Man marched asleep" mean in "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen?
When Wilfrid Owen said, "Men marched asleep," he was using an oxymoron to denote the extreme fatigue that the soldiers were suffering. He was also suggesting that these soldiers have become numb to the horrors of war.
Why is the term "flound'ring" used to describe the gassed man in "Dulce et Decorum Est"?
The term "flound'ring" in "Dulce et Decorum Est" is used to describe the gassed man to convey the agony and helplessness he experiences, akin to burning or drowning. Owen uses this term to emphasize the irrationality of war and the powerlessness of soldiers, comparing the man's struggle to being in fire or lime, highlighting the horrific effects of poison gas.
In Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum est," who is described as "[a]ll went lame" and is this description fitting?
The phrase "all went lame" in Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est" describes the soldiers marching back from the front lines, emphasizing their exhaustion and injuries. This description is fitting as the soldiers, weary and some barefoot, are likely limping due to injuries sustained during battle. The imagery effectively conveys the crippling fatigue and physical toll of war, though "all blind" is hyperbolic, highlighting their exhaustion and oblivion to their surroundings.
Why does the world turn "thick green light" and a man seems to be "drowning" when five-nines hit in 'Dulce Et Decorum Est'?
The world turns "thick green light" and a man seems to be "drowning" in "Dulce Et Decorum Est" due to the effects of poison gas from German artillery shells. The gas, likely chlorine, envelops the scene in green and chokes the lungs, causing suffocation akin to drowning. Owen uses this imagery to highlight the horrific reality of war, countering the notion that it is noble and patriotic.
Explain the lines "If you could hear, at every jolt...innocent tongues [...]" in Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est."
In these lines, Wilfred Owen describes the horrific effects of chlorine gas on a soldier in World War I. The soldier, unable to put on his gas mask in time, suffers as his lungs fill with blood, described as "froth-corrupted." The "vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues" symbolize the physical and symbolic bitterness of this death. The use of "innocent" underscores the youth and naivety of soldiers who were misled by ideals of glory.
Why are the soldiers in "Dulce et Decorum Est" knock-kneed and coughing like hags?
The soldiers are "knock-kneed and coughing like hags" because the war has broken down their bodies. Despite the fact that they are likely quite young, nearly "children" themselves, their bodies have been completely degraded by their experiences in war. Now, instead of being youthful, they are more like very old people who are weak and sick.
In Dulce Et Decorum Est, what is the narrator's attitude toward war and Latin phrases?
The narrator in "Dulce et Decorum Est" expresses a scathing critique of war, highlighting its brutal and horrific nature through vivid imagery of soldiers' suffering. The Latin phrase "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori," meaning "it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country," is used ironically to underscore the stark contrast between romanticized notions of war and its grim reality. Owen condemns this phrase as a cruel lie, especially harmful when told to impressionable youth.
What does Wilfred Owen mean by "horror" in his poem "Dulce Et Decorum Est"?
In "Dulce Et Decorum Est," Wilfred Owen conveys the horror of war through vivid, disturbing imagery. He describes the physical and emotional exhaustion of soldiers, the terror of a gas attack, and the gruesome death of a comrade from gas poisoning. This horror is both the immediate suffering and the lasting psychological trauma, challenging the notion that it is "sweet and fitting" to die for one's country by exposing the brutal realities of war.
What does the phrase "pity of war" mean in Wilfred Owen's poem "Dulce et Decorum Est"?
The phrase "pity of war" in Wilfred Owen's writing refers to the senseless and horrific loss of life in war, which should evoke pity, not glory. Although not used in "Dulce et Decorum Est," Owen's unfinished preface mentions it to emphasize the emotional response he seeks from readers, highlighting the tragic and enduring nature of human conflict.
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