Technique

Example
Bent double like old
beggars under sacks

Simile

Repetition pluralised
Onomatopoeia
Truncated sentences,
exclamation marks and
capitalisation begin the
second stanza.
Rhyme and Assonance

Similes

Modal verbs
(dissonance)

Modal verb

Alliteration

Imagery - Simile

All men
knock-kneed,
coughing, hoots

Gas! GAS! Quick

boys!

Fumbling,
stumbling, clumsy
And floundering like a
man in fire or lime

As under a green sea

I saw him drowning

- The comparison reinforces the true horror of the gas attack

which, like water, fills and destroys the lungs and thus his life.

His hanging face, like

a devils sick of sin
He plunges at me,
guttering, chocking,
drowning

- The reference to the devil, who is even sick of this scene,

heightens the evil nature of the gas attack and war itself.
The audience can be under no illusion as to the suffering of the
soldier. The words are dissonant modal verbs that are also
onomatopoeic to the audience who watch on as Owen describes
the young mans suffering.
Denotes the lack of care taken with the young man who is not
even given kindness as he writhes around in pain. War has
dehumanised him and his fellow comrades. They have become
like cattle to the slaughter.
The sound and rhythm of the image quickly focuses the readers
attention on the eyes and face of the soldier whose agonising
suffering is depicted as a vignette (character sketch) on the
battlefront.
The sensory imagery depicted by Owen is both graphic and
visceral, effecting what we see, hear, feel and even taste, as the
young soldier is wounded by the gas.

Behind the wagon

that we flung him in,

And watch the white

eyes writhing in his
face
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
To children ardent for
some desperate glory

Symbolism

Capitalisation

Explain
The comparison between young soldiers and old beggars creates
a shocking image of the effect that war has had on the physical
and emotional state of the men. It has not only aged these young
vibrant men to the point of physical degradation but reduced
them to the status of the grovelling poor; weary from lack of
sleep and food, unable to even stand upright.
Emphasises the extent of the mens suffering.
Owen wants to evoke, not only the sights but sounds of the
battlefield. The dissonance of these words is appropriately jarring
to discomfort his audience, reinforcing his message of the Old
lie.
These devices, alone and together, create an overwhelming
sense of alarm. With the use of the word boys, Owen
emphasises their fear, inexperience and innocence. The reader
too becomes alarmed at what may happen to the young men.
The sound of these words undercuts the romantic image as war
as glorious.
- The comparison allows the audience to visualise something they
may comprehend and thereby understand the shocking pain
inflicted by the attack.

The old Lie; Dulce est

pro patria mori

- Evokes and emphasises the innocence of those who enlisted

presuming war would be some grand adventure which would
enable them to become heroes. It juxtaposes for contrast, the
imagery of the preceding stanza where a young man has met a
shocking rather then glorious end.
Meaning in a graphophonic way and juxtaposes the following
statement; Dulce et decorum est.

We/ my friend/ our

Personal pronouns
Dulce et decorum
est
Irony

- Has the effect of including the reader in an attempt to gain their

sympathy for those on the battlefield and encourages them to
challenge government rhetoric.
The title was a well-known Latin reference from Horaces Odes,
thus the expectation for the reader was that the poem would
outline something honourable and brave. Once read, the titles
meaning is bitterly ironic, denouncing the government rhetoric
which encouraged young men to enlist. Initially Owen intended
this poem for Jessie Pope who was a fervent propagandist, but
on later drafts broadened his audience to the wider public who
were often oblivious to the realities of war.

The overarching theme in Wilfred Owens poetry is the pity of war (sorrow for anothers suffering) and it is
evident that this sorrow is combined with a powerful message to his contemporary audience in Dulce et decorum
est.
Discuss how Owen achieves this (5+TEE)
Note
-

you must discuss the horror of what is described as well as his message.

Horror/Suffering
Opening simile
Gas! GAS! (exclaimation marks, capitals)
Imagery (gas attack)
o Similes
o Images of the gas attack
o Modal verbs
Message (Lie)
Ironic title
Address to the public
o personal pronouns
Capital Lie