By: Alicia Norton
Intended Majors: Psychology and
Political Science
Hometown: Columbia, Maryland
Professor: Paul Crenshaw
The Project College Writing Objective The Process
Successes and Challenges Lesson Learned
The Poem
For the second assignment of the semester,
students were asked to analyze the content of
a chosen piece of writing, focusing on the
author’s argument and the rhetorical
strategies utilized to effectively convey the
argument and influence the audience. I chose to
utilize Wilfred Owen’s war poem, Dulce et Decorum
Est, depicting battle of WWI for the analysis.
The project identifies Owen’s criticism of WWI
and of those who support the war. The analysis
discusses Owen’s use of imagery, allusion,
and point of view to effectively protest the
war, and the nationalism and citizens who
fostered its continuation.
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Key Points
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The Owen analysis identifies imagery, allusion,
and point of view as literary devices utilized to
protest WWI, and the nationalism and citizens
who supported it.
Through the devices Owen plays to the
emotional and rational appeal of the audience
(specifically those supporting the war). He
relies on assumptions that the audience can
relate to specific events or feelings felt by
soldiers and portrayed through the devices.
These assumptions contribute to Owen’s
appeals.
Owen also utilized first person within his
poem to provide his criticism with credit.
Upon analyzing the audience, it was clear
Owen specifically catered his poem towards
citizens supporting the war and thus refutes
some of their opposition by utilizing firsthand
experience.
Evidence and examples are provided for each
component, as well as evidence supporting the
reasoning behind Owen’s use of specific
devices.
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A more
sophisticated
writing
process
Of the assignments completed within
the college writing course, the
analysis assignment depended
most heavily upon the successful
completion of steps and
components of the writing process
to create a fluent and viable piece. The
writer needed to identify various
components which the author utilized
to convey his point within the piece.
The writer must then present to the
audience a claim regarding the written
work, which then is supported
fluently and logically with evidence.
The extensive amount of components
to produce an effective analysis makes
invention difficult, and thus success
depended on strict peer responding,
revising, and editing to ensure the
invention produced an effective
result.
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Invention
Analyze
Work
Look For:
•Organization
•Voice
•Word Choice
•Fluidity
Peer
Response
•Appeals
•Audience
•Evident Assumptions,
Contradictions, or
Hidden Arguments
•Other Strategies used
to support author’s
purpose
Pay
Attention
To:
Attention
Make a
claim
regarding
the work
Find
examples
and
supporting
evidence
Compose
Work
Does the
point come
across
effectively to
others?
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Revising
and
Editing
Successes
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Effective Evidence
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The effective use of evidence successfully
supports the presented claim and
improves the credibility of the writer.
Each literary device mentioned received
an example from the work, and Owen’s
reasons for utilizing these devices as well
as the reason for his condemnation of
war, nationalism, and citizens remained
supported through his experience of war.
Other literary works as well as letters
from Owen support these claims.
Challenges

Organization
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Strong Voice
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A strong voice presents a more effective
piece, and appears more mature to the
audience thus giving more credibility to
the work.
I strove to avoid passive voice, and
present effective word choice and
sentence fluency
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It remained pertinent that the multiple
components and evidence presented
flowed in a fashion that tied all ideas
together and made sense to produce an
effective final product.
I decided to devote each device with its
own section of discussion and then
discussed at the end of each section how
the device related to Owen’s appeals and
condemnation o f war, citizens and
nationalism.
The final paragraph attempted to tie all
pieces together to drive home the point
successfully.
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Writing
I learned a great deal about
the multiple components
that contribute to an
analysis. I had never
considered hidden
arguments, contradictions,
or assumptions when
analyzing a work prior to
this project. Similarly, I
had never emphasized
appeals in writing as much
as I did in this instance.
Lesson Learned Continued
History
Upon completing this project I learned a
great deal about Wilfred Owen’s history
and apparent reasons for composing
Dulce et Decorum Est. Owen found
himself an officer in the front lines in
France during the first World War.
Letters to family members actually show
that upon entering the war Owen was
excited to fight for his country. However,
after witnessing the effects of war and
the brutality involved came to detest the
entire thing. He loathed the nationalism
of citizens which claimed that dying for
one’s country was becoming of an
individual. He ultimately believed
citizens were tricking young boys to go to
their death. In protest he produced
numerous works detesting the war. The
most unfortunate piece of information
remains the fact that Owen died in battle
within a week of the end of the war.
“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.” – Wilfred Owen
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Wilfred Owen Dulce Et Decorum Est
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.
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