En08 poetry analysis example
I Intro
Thesis: These poems have similarities and differences.
i: “In Flanders Fields” John McCrea “Dulce Et Decorum Est” Wilfred Owens
ii: Lyric poem, Lyric poem
iii: “in Flanders Fields” about carrying on the fight “Dulce Et Decorum Est”
about why their recruitment is bad.
II Poetic devices
A: Topic= Each poem uses a variety of poetic devices to capture the reader’s
attention.
B. “In Flanders Fields” Rhyme, Rhythm, refrain, personification
i: Rhyme scheme= AABBA, AABC, AABBAC
ii: Rhythm, lines contain either 8 or 4 syllables
iii: Refrain= “in Flanders Fields” lines 9, 15
iv: personification= “we are the dead” line 6, dead cannot speak
C. “Dulce Et Decorum Est” Rhyme, Onomatopoeia, Simile
i: Rhyme Scheme= ABABCDCDEFEFGHGHIJIJKLKLMNMN
ii: Onomatopoeia “hoots” line 7, “guttering” line 16, “gargling” line 22
iii: Simile “like old beggars” line 1, “Like hags” line 2, “like a man in fire”
line 12, “Like a devil’s” line 20
III Interpret the poem
A: Topic= The poems use their poetic devices and structure to get a specific
meaning across to the reader.
B: Theme of “In Flanders Fields” carry on
Ex: lines 10-15
Theme of “Dulce Et Decorum Est” stop recruiting
Ex: lines 17, 25-28
C: Tone of “In Flanders Fields” calm, petitioning (asking for something)
Ex: lines 1-2, 8, 10-11, 14-15
Tone of “Dulce Et Decorum Est” Angry/ scared
Ex: lines 2, 7, 15, 17, 27-28
IV: Conclusion
Put thesis into different words= There are many similarities and differences
between these two poems.
i: Rhyme, Rhythm, refrain, personification/ Onomatopoeia, Simile
ii: Carry on/ stop recruiting
iii: calm petitioning/ angry scared
iv: Poems can show how even though people in the same position, in the
same event can have very different feelings about what is going on.
Several poets and poems suffered through World War I. Two poems in
particular can easily studied together.(Attention grabber) “In Flanders Fields,”
was written by army medic John McCrea, while “Dulce Et Decorum Est” was
written by infantry man Wilfred Owen. (i) Both of these examples are lyric
poems given their discussion of the poets’ feelings. (ii) The theme of each can
also be deciphered. “In Flanders Fields” expresses a desire for others to carry
on the fight, while “Dulce et Decorum Est” expresses distain for recruitment of
soldiers. (iii) These two poems have several similarities and differences.
(thesis)
One similarity of these poems is that they both use several poetic devices.
(A) “In Flanders Fields” utilizes: rhyme, rhythm, refrain, and
personification.(B) The poet uses a rhyme scheme throughout each stanza:
AABBA, AABC, AABBAC. Though it is not the same the similarity of each
stanza does help create a sense of rhythm.(i) That rhythm is echoed in the fact
that each line has either 8 or four syllables. That four beat rhythm gives the
poem a song-like quality.(ii) Another song-like feature of “In Flanders Fields”
is its refrain, the same words as the title, which repeats in lines nine and
fifteen.(iii) Also, this poem uses personification in that says the dead are
speaking in line six, “we are the dead.” .(iv) “Dulce et decorum est also makes
use of rhyme scheme where in alternating lines rhyme with one another
creating the rhyme scheme: ABABCDCDEFEFGHGHIJIJKLKLMNMN. (B.i)
Owen also uses onomatopoeia like “hoots” in line 7 to describe the sound of
the falling shells. The examples of “guttering” in line 16, and “gargling” in
line 22 are used to describe the sound from a dying soldier.(ii) Finally, Owen
uses several similes to help paint a specific image in the reader’s mind. For
instance, Owen compares the soldiers to “old beggars” and “hags” in the first
two lines to illustrate how pitiful they look. Also when he is describing the
man exposed during the gas attack he compares him to “a man in fire” and that
with dead eyes make it face, “like a devil’s.” (iii) While the use of rhyme may
be the only poetic devices these two share, they are both about the same event
in history.(transition)
These poems speak about the poets’ battles in world war one in different
ways, to try to deliver two very different messages to the reader.(A) “In
Flanders Fields” speaks directly to the reader. The dead ask those who live to
carry on the fight.(B)This can be seen in the lines ten through fifteen as the
dead ask the living to “take up our quarrel with the foe.”(ex) “Dulce Et
Decorum Est” on the other hand, has a much different feeling about the war.
(B) Owen states that the motto quoted in the title and end of the poem is an old
lie; meaning it is not sweet and right to die for your country. (ex) It is clear that
Owen does not want people to recruit young men, or as he says “child ardent
for glory,” to die in battle.(C) It is clear from the words he uses that he was
scared during these battles, watching his fellow soldiers die in pain from the
gas (lines 10-20). Also, his stern declaration that the famous quote is, “an old
lie,” shows anger and resentment about his recruitment.(ex) This is in stark
contrast to the peaceful images McCrea creates with his poppies blowing in the
breeze between the rows of crosses (lines 1-5). (C, ex) McCrea’s tone is much
more gentle and asks the reader to carry on, as if in loving memory (lines 1015). (ex)
There are a few similarities but more differences between these two
World War I poems.(A) While they both share rhyme, “In Flanders Fields,”
uses song-like devices with its rhythm and refrain, while “Dulce et Decorum
Est,” makes more use of sensory devices like onomatopoeia and descriptive
similes.(i) The first asks that other’s carry on the fallen soldier’s fight, while
the second declares that children should not be talked into war.(ii) McCrea’s
calmness contrasts sharply with Owen’s anger. (iii)Nevertheless, the contrast
shows that even though two poets can live through the same time, working the
same kind of job, they can have very different feelings about those events. (iv)