Wilfred Owens, The Send off and Dulce et Decorum Est Essay Example

or distancing themselves from them. Following this, the phrase 'to the sliding shed' indicates that the men are being treated as though they are either animals or cargo, since this is the location where these objects are commonly loaded.

In the poem, we can see an oxymoron on line three with the phrase "grimly gay". This suggests that the soldiers and public are hiding their true emotions behind false smiles. Wilfred Owen also uses personification on line ten with the word "winked" which implies a conspiracy against the men. Despite the men being unable to move much, their surroundings are depicted as moving. Line eleven reveals the men being sent to their death secretly, portrayed as "wrongs hushed up".

It's ironic when men are given flowers as they're usually a symbol of love and respect but in this case, they could also be seen as a tribute to the men's deaths. The phrase "gave them flowers" takes on new meaning. In line seventeen, the poet poses a rhetorical question "Shall return in wild train loads?" to explain that it's unlikely all the men will return. Their return is presented as uncertain rather than certain with the phrase "a few, a few, too few for drums and yells". This repetition of "a few" slows down the pace and creates a somber funeral-like atmosphere.

In line 19, the peaceful image of village wells that are now still is contrasted with the violence of war. This contrast could also represent the impact of war on the village itself, as the loss of young soldiers has caused a decline. The last line cleverly uses "up" in opposition to the first word, potentially

symbolizing soldiers ascending into heaven. Ultimately, it describes how prolonged suffering and absence from home have made it difficult for soldiers to find their way back on "half known roads."

The subject of the poem 'Dulce and Decorum Est.' is a group of soldiers who are enduring intense bombardments of chlorine gas while struggling to continue marching. Despite their efforts, only one soldier fails to put on his mask and suffers a slow and painful death as the others are unable to assist. The opening lines of the poem reveal the men's physical exhaustion, making standing nearly impossible.

We discover that many of the soldiers are ill due to the damp and cold environment, causing them to cough harshly. Additionally, "But limp eon on blood shed" highlights the severe injuries sustained by the men. The ninth through sixteenth lines serve as a particularly intense section of the poem. Owen increases the cadence during this part to depict the frantic actions of the soldiers attempting to put on their gas masks upon realizing the threat of gas. He employs the term "drowning" which is particularly impactful as it evokes thoughts of a liquid, yet in this instance, it describes the overwhelming volume of gas encompassing the soldiers.

The victim is drowned by the chlorine gas that floods their lungs. The words 'guttering, choking, drowning' on line sixteen are particularly impactful as the use of 'ing' helps to convey the intensity of the words associated with disease and death. From line seventeen onwards, Owen conveys the message that only those who have witnessed the pain and suffering of war first-hand can truly comprehend its horrors. He writes, 'If you

could hear, at every jolt, the blood'.

In addition, he is attempting to dismantle the traditional notion that it is most noble for a man to fight for his country. This is expressed by the phrase "The old lie: Dulce et Decorum est pro patria mori". Owen is also weary of young men sacrificing their lives in pursuit of glory, as stated in "To children ardent of some desperate glory".

Even though they are both war-themed poems by the same author, 'The Send Off' and 'Dulce et Decorum' differ significantly. The former depicts events before and after the war while the latter portrays the terror of battle. Furthermore, 'Dulce et Decorum' concentrates solely on the experience of a soldier being exposed to gas, eliciting a greater empathy towards that specific occurrence. On the other hand, 'The Send Off' covers a wider scope, inducing a sense of being overwhelmed. Unlike 'Dulce', 'The Send Off' adopts a more restrained tone, with a slower pace.

While both poems address the theme of methods, Dulce' presents a particularly bitter perspective that effectively targets the purpose of those methods. In The Send Off, Owen attempts to evoke sympathy for soldiers being sent away, whereas Dulce' employs language to showcase the horrific reality of trench warfare and elicit emotional response. Ultimately, Dulce' aims to discredit the notion of war as patriotism.

Owen finds the idea of patriotism sickening because he believes that people at home are unaware of the realities of war. He intends to convey the truth through his art. My preference is for 'The Send Off' due to its slow pace which allows time for contemplation of Owen's efforts. The use of

rhetorical questions in the poem prompts reflection on his motives and opinions. In contrast, the harshness of Owen's opinions in 'Dulce' is inappropriate, whereas the subtle approach used in 'The Send Off' strikes a chord and is open to interpretation. Furthermore, 'The Send Off' portrays the emotions of the British community at home whose sons and men were being sent away.

The soldiers' intense pain was the sole focus of 'Dulce.'