Poetry - Dulce et Decorum est

"We cursed through sludge"

Verb "cursed" - they're using violent language, not singing.

What is the form and structure of the poem?

Alternate rhyme - like the rhythm of marching, but broken and tired.

"Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!"

Exclamatories - a sense of panic. Noun "boys" - a reminder of their youth and inexperience.

Who wrote it?

Wilfred Owen.

"Vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues"

Noun "sores" - the blisters. Adjective "incurable" - all who experience war will forever be tainted with it's horrors. It will corrupt their innocence.

"Deaf even to the hoots of tired, outstripped five-nines that dropped behind"

Plosive "deaf" - they've been stripped of their senses. They're overwhelmed and desensitised. Adjecitve "tired" - even the shells seem tired and outstripped. They're weary of war.

What time period was it written in?

The Modern period (World War One).

"If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs"

The images suggest that war is unnatural and corrupting.

When was it written?

1917.

"All went lame; all blind; drunk with fatigue"

Choppiness of the lines - mimics the terse movements of the tired men. Repetition of pronoun "all" - no one can escape the horrors of war. All have been disabled by the traumas they've experienced. Plosives "blind" and "drunk" - they've been stripped of their senses. They're overwhelmed and desensitised.

What is the meaning of the poem?

The poem describes a gas attack on a trench. It reveals to the reader the terrible consequences of war and presents the unglamorous reality of trench life.

What is significant about the title?

'Dulce et decorum est' is Latin and means 'it is sweet and right'. The Latin used at the end of the poem means 'it is sweet and right to die for your country'. This is a concept that Owen is strongly denying as he calls it an "old lie".

"Many had lost their boots but limped on, blood-shod"

Phrase "blood-shod" - the graphic image shows that the soldiers are clothed in blood. The animal imagery dehumanises them.

What are the 18 quotes?

"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed, coughing like hags" "We cursed through sludge" "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 tired, outstripped five-nines 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 flound'ring 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 we flung him in" "Watch the white eyes writing 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" "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"

"An ecstasy of fumbling, fitting the clumsy helmets just in time"

Abstract noun "ecstasy" - has a jarring effect. The sudden rush of adrenaline is almost pleasurable in waking them from their zombie-like state. Verb "fumbling" and adjective "clumsy" - juxtapose with the idea of the efficient and alert unit of soldiers. They're all ill-equipped. Present participle - gives the action a sense of immediacy.

"On the haunting flares we turned our backs and towards our distant rest began to trudge."

Adjective "haunting" - war has psychological effects as well as physical ones. It's nightmarish. Adjective "distant" - evokes further pity as their rest is far away. Could symbolise death, which they head inevitably towards. Long sentence - reflects the interminable trek. Frequent punctuation and uneven rhythm - mirrors their jerky movements as they're staggering and stumbling through the mud. Rhyme of "sludge" and "trudge" - it's an arduous journey.

"Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, as under a green sea, I saw him drowning"

Adjectives "dim" and "misty" - almost dreamlike. The experience is surreal. Extended metaphor of drowning - "under a green sea, I saw him drowning" - it's a particularly painful and prolonged way to die.

"Watch the white eyes writing in his face, his hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin"

Alliteration of 'w' - reflects the twisted agony of his death throes. Repetition of "face" - makes it clear which element disturbs the speaker the most; the transformation in the face of the victim. Simile "like a devil's sick of sin" - the devil is the epitome of evil, and even he can no longer stomach war.

What is the full poem?

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 gas shells dropping softly 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 flound'ring 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 writing 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.

"But someone still was yelling out and stumbling, and flound'ring like a man in fire or lime"

Indefinite pronoun "someone" - it could be anyone. War is indiscriminate. Many of the dead remained unidentified. Verb "flound'ring" - animal imagery. He's like a fish out of water and suffocating. Many present participles, such as "stumbling" and "flound'ring" - gives the action a sense of immediacy. Simile "like a man in fire or lime" - a very visual image is used to try to convey the man's internal agony as his lungs were corroded.

"Men marched asleep."

Short sentence and caesura - draws attention to this simple yet powerful image of men like zombies. They're the walking dead. Juxtaposition of verb "marched" and adverb "asleep" - challenges the usual image of soldiers as an organised and alert unit.

"In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning"

This line is a separate stanza which turns to the psychological effects of war. He's haunted by the horrors he's seen. Pronoun "all" - he can't escape it. Adjective "helpless" - a sense of guilt. Verb "plunges" - violent and desperate. Asyndetic list of verbs "guttering, choking, drowning" - has a cumulative effect which highlights the extent of his suffering. Verb "guttering" - it's like the flickering of a candle that's about to be extinguished, or the sound of water as it drains. A possible blend of "gurgling" and "stuttering".

"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"

Verb "zest" and adjective "ardent" - the enthusiasm contrasts sharply with the reality of war. Noun "children" - innocent but also ignorant. Abstract noun "lie" - strong language. Could mean a deliberate deception or blind patriotism. Latin is a dead language.

"Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud"

Adjective "cud" - regurgitated grass that's been chewed by cows. A green, bubbly substance.

What is the context?

Owen died in battle one week before the end of world war one. He is one of the most famous war poets. World war one is remembered for trench warfare and the use of gas. His poetry is characterised by powerful descriptions of the conditions faced by the soldiers in the trenches. The poem is written from the point of view of a solider in a gas attack. Owen had first-hand experience of life on the front line.

What is the message of the poem?

Owen uses the poem to create a powerful argument against the complacency of those who believe war is a glorious patriotic duty.

"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed, coughing like hags"

Phrases "bent double" and "knock-kneed" - war has broken them. They are crippled both mentally and physically. Simile "like old beggars under sacks" - they're prematurely old and weakened. They're reduced to the most inglorious state. Noun "hags" - they're emasculated. Plosives - 'b' and 'd' sounds are dull and heavy. Have an explosive quality and could show disdain. 'c' and 'k' sounds - harsh.

"If in some smothering dreams you too could pace behind the wagon we flung him in"

Second person pronoun "you" - in the final stanza, Owen shifts his focus and directly addresses the reader at home which makes his appeal in the final lines particularly compelling. Noun "wagon" and verb "flung" - shows the lack of care with which the dying soldier is treated.