Wilfred Owen
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed
through sludge,
till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
and towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
but limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
of disappointed shells that dropped behind.
Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling,
fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
but someone still was yelling out and stumbling
and floundering like a man in fire or lime.-Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
as under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
behind the wagon that we flung him in,
and watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
his hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
if you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,-my friend, 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
By Austin and Shane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Lzo_EXXO
Q reading
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AWbgkRpY
wc In the End
Thoughts during WWI
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Many civilians were influenced by the
propaganda used during the time. People, such
as the author, were convinced to enlist. Citizens
often joined at the hate of Germany. The poem
doesn’t express the thoughts of the citizens in the
beginning but rather the thoughts of the soldiers
during combat. The poem contradicts the
popular belief that dying for ones country is
glorious.
Biography

Was born in Shropshire in 1893 and was
educated at Birkenhead Institute and
Shrewsbury Technical College. Wilfred knew he
wanted to be a poet from the age of 19 but he
didn’t write any poetry of importance until he
saw action in France in 1917. In 1913 to 1915
worked as a language tutor, but was pressured
by propaganda to become a soldier during
World War 1. He was soon transported to the
front line where he dodged bullets until he was
killed 7 days before the end of the war.
Connection

The poem and the song both have the same theme.

They contain misconceptions.

In lines 44-54 of the song, there is a comparison of success, in the end,
being worthless. This relates to Owen's poem because it explains the
horrors of fighting a war.

The author was a volunteer. He was not drafted. Line 55 of the song
says “I've put my trust in you,” which can be compared to the
propaganda during war time to convince citizens to join the fight. The
poem then goes on to explain in lines 26-28 “To children ardent for
some desperate glory, the old lie: Dulce et decorum est pro patria
mori.” which means that the trust, put in to propaganda to promote
the war effort, is not as it seems and has a misconception.
5 Poetic Devices

Oxymoron- “In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, he
plunges at me , guttering, choking, drowning.” the use of
“dreams” and “helpless sight” are opposites because a
helpless sight is not a dream.

Diction- “Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots of
tired, of outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.” The
poet deliberately uses the length of the war and show how
tired everyone is.

Simile- “but someone still was yelling out and stumbling
and flound’ring like a man on fire because he failed to get
his gas mask on time.
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Foreshadowing- “Distant rest”, in line 4, foreshadows the
death of the soldiers at the end of the poem.

Irony- “To children ardent for some desperate glory, The
old lie: Dulce et decorum est pro patri mori.” The last line of
the poem is ironic because what is often seen as
honorable to the children is actually horrible.
Theme

The poem takes the actions of WWI and portrays
them as horribly as possible to make a point that
the war , and dying for your country, is not good
as It’s made out to be. These are the feelings of
the soldiers during the war. Once they
experienced war their view of it changed.
Work cited
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http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owena.htm
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AWbgkRpY
wc
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulce_et_Decorum_e
st
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http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/englit/ow
en/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Lzo_EXXO
Q