ENGLISH – LEVEL 2
90378 Analyse short written texts
Question
Analyse how the writer develops ideas or themes for a particular purpose in at least TWO short
texts you have studied.
Text Type:
Poetry/song lyric
Title:
DULCE ET DECORUM EST / THE SOLDIER
Author
WILFRED OWEN / RUPERT BROOKE
The history of humanity is littered with various wars between people groups. In 1914 the ‘war to
end all wars’ began in Europe. Two poets of this time were Rupert Brooke and Wilfred Owen,
however both had very differing views on war, as they present in their poems. The Soldier, by
Rupert Brooke uses alliteration, structure and metaphors to develop the idea that war is
positive, with the purpose of justifying man’s sacrifice in war and convincing the reader that this
is a noble and holy act. In contrast, Wilfred Owen’s Dulce Et Decorum Est uses metaphors,
repetition and similes to develop the idea that war is negative. Owen does this with the purpose
of critiquing society’s view on war at that time, presenting the truth of the harsh realities of war
and to warn those who consider war noble.
Brooke was a young Englishman sent to fight in WWI and in his highly patriotic sonnet, The
Soldier he develop the idea that war is positive. A way in which Brooke achieves this is through
the use of alliteration. Brooke is leaving England, his home, to fight for it in war and in this poem
he uses alliteration to lovingly describe this country he is leaving. Brooke tells us of her ‘sights
and sounds’ and ‘laughter learnt of friends’. The use of alliteration here slows the pace at which
the reader is reading, causing them to appreciate those words used. These words used here to
describe England are very positive and uplifting words and as Brooke is using them to describe
the reason he is going to war, we are presented with the idea that war is positive. By going to
war Brooke is defending the beauty of England, all her ‘sights and sounds’ and is protecting the
cherished ideal of ‘laughter learnt of friends’. Thus Brooke justifies his possible death at war as
a worthwhile sacrifice. The choice to use alliteration in this poem’s idea that war is positive and
Brooke has done this by establishing England as a worthy reason to die. This is done to
convince the reader that dying at war, defending one’s country is a noble act. The naïve notion
of Brooke’s is one that was highly common among society during the time of war. Everyone
believed in war as a righteous sacrifice and positive, and another way that Brooke develops this
idea is in his use of structure. The Soldier is a Petrarchan sonnet. This is a very traditional
structure and the use of it here reinforces Brooke’s very traditional idea that war is positive.
Sonnets such as this type were usually used for love poems. Brooke has used it in this poem to
declare his eternal love for England, a love he would sacrifice his life for. All this is based
around Brooke’s romantic perception that England is flawless. He describes ‘hearts at peace,
under an English heaven’, showing us how Brooke’s willingness to sacrifice his life for England
stems from his perception that England is perfect. Such romantic ideas as this sit comfortably in
the structure of a Petrarchan sonnet and reinforce the idea he is dying for a worthy cause, thus
war of positive. The purpose behind this is to convince the reader of England’s innocence that
must be preserved, through war, thus justifying the act of war. Further comparisons to heavenly
ideas are made by Brooke in this poem through the use of metaphors. In the metaphor ‘this
heart, all evil shed away’ we are introduced to the idea that war is redemptive. Brooke uses this
metaphor to reassure the reader that in dying at war for a holy cause, such as defending
flawless England, he is forgiven of all sins, thus will spend eternity in an ‘English heaven’. This
over optimistic and utterly naïve concept of Brooke’s is again a reflection of the views of society
at the time. The pure ideals presented to us through the metaphor ‘this heart, all evil shed away’
are further reinforced in the following line ‘a pulse in the eternal mind no less’. This second
D:\533573677.doc
1
metaphor further extends the idea of dying at war as redemptive and encourages us to believe
that in this death Brooke will be remembered forever as noble. The combination of both these
metaphors have the effect of convincing the reader that war is positive. The use of all these
techniques to develop the idea that war is positive is for the purpose of justifying a man’s
sacrifice in war and convincing the reader that dying at war is a holy and noble act.
Wilfred Owen was a man who also wrote poetry of war but as can be seen in his poem Dulce Et
Decorum Est, Owen did not believe the idea that war is positive. One way that Owen develops
his conflicting idea that war is negative is through the use of metaphors. Owen describes the
soldiers as ‘drunk with fatigue’. This description of a soldier as so exhausted he is no longer
coherent is very different to the traditional view of an ideal soldier, a young fit man who is
honourable and admirable. This metaphor shows us that these men are so tired they appear
‘drunk’ presents us with the harsh reality of war. Owen had been to war himself upon writing this
poem and had experienced firsthand how horrific war is and through the imagery in this
metaphor Owen develop the idea that war is negative. Clearly this is done to show the reader
the truth behind war and to crush any naïve perception of what a soldier is like. The idea that
war is negative is further developed by Owen through the use of repetition. The word ‘drowning’
is repeated in Owen’s description of a fellow soldier dying from chlorine gas. Repetition is used
to emphasis an important word and in this example the word emphasised is being used to
describe a death. The repetition of ‘drowning’ shows the reader how this image is one Owen
cannot escape from. This again presents the harsh realities of war by establishing how
physically and mentally scaring it is, thus the experience of war is negative. Also, a man
‘drowning’ is not an inspiring death, there is no sacrifice or nobility involved. This technique then
is used to contradict all of society’s beliefs that death at war is noble. Owen has clearly used
these techniques to criticise and contradict society’s views on war. Owen also uses similes to
develop the idea that war is negative. In describing this fellow soldier who has died Owen uses
the simile ‘his hanging face like a devil’s sick of sin’. The image created by comparing this
man’s face to the devil’s is a truly horrific one to say the least. This simile again strongly
presents the true realities of war and dismisses any romantic notions of the ideal soldier thus
demonstrating that war is negative. However, Owen’s particular choice in the comparison to ‘a
devil’ directly contradicts Brooke’s idea as in The Soldier that war is redemptive. This man who
has died is now so corrupt that his face resembles the devil’s, this man has not died a noble
death where his heart has been redeemed as Brooke claims. This all combines to develop
Owen’s idea that war is negative and evil. Owen has done this to reject any naïve or romantic
ideals of war that society holds. Ultimately it can be seen that in Owen’s socially defiant poem
his main purpose is to warn those who consider war noble. This is demonstrated clearly where
Owen writes addressing the reader stating that if they experienced what he did ‘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’. This translated means ‘it is sweet and honourable to die for one’s
country’.
Clearly it can be seen that the idea that war is positive is shown to us by Brooke through
alliteration, structure use and metaphors, with the purpose of glorifying war and justifying his
patriotism. In contrast the idea that war is negative is convincingly developed by Owen by his
use of metaphors, repetition and similes with the main purpose of contradicting society’s views
and presenting the truth of war to warn. WWI ended in 1918 and it seemed people finally began
to accept ideas such as those Owen has shown, however there are many wars still being fought
today. It would seem that although Owen’s views being justified with experience are no match
for Brooke’s sweet and romantic ideals that war is positive
Overall Level of Performance: Achievement with Excellence
D:\533573677.doc
2