Wilfred Owen’s Essay Example

to the effects of propaganda during World War I. Both Jessie Pope and Prime-Minister Herbert Asquith used their influence to convince many people to enlist. Pope's poem "Who's for the game?" compared war to a fun pastime and Asquith's "The Volunteer" portrayed joining the army as a romanticized adventure for young boys from dull city life.

Despite his death, he passed away with contentment and figuratively joined the ranks of the "Men of Agincourt". The poems are filled with euphemistic language about war and avoid using words like "pain" or "death". However, once poets who believed war to be a source of "glory and honor" stepped onto the battlefield, their perspective changed and they began writing anti-war poems. Wilfred Owen's "Dulce Et Decorum Est" is quite possibly his most well-known work.

The text makes use of vivid and symbolic language to depict the atrocities of a gas attack on a group of soldiers as they make their way towards their final resting place. It comprises three distinct sections, with the first segment detailing how the men march in their slumber towards their distant destination. The second part recounts the gas attack, with most of the soldiers quickly equipping their gas masks, but one unfortunate soldier fumbling and facing a tragic fate. In the third and final section, Owen paints a heart-wrenching picture of the soldier's slow and agonizing demise as he lies flung into a wagon and the others watch on helplessly.

In his poem "Dulce Et Decorum Est," Owen speaks directly to Jessie Pope, whom he calls "my friend." He asserts that if she had witnessed what he did, she would not advocate the "old

lie" with such enthusiasm. The poem's vivid language is filled with similes and metaphors, including the opening description of soldiers as "bent double like old beggars under sacks." This comparison is especially powerful because it emphasizes that the young men are not actually old, but rather aged prematurely by their war injuries.

Owen's reference to a "distant rest" towards which the soldiers march could signify their inevitable demise, which was presumably their perceived destination. In the second stanza, Owen employs clever punctuation to heighten the impact of the verse. The initial "Gas" renders an exclamation mark, and the latter "Gas" is present in uppercase letters to enhance the explosive effect. Finally, Owen culminates in an extended metaphor that likens the death of a gassed man to that of drowning beneath a "green sea". This metaphor serves its purpose, given that readers may not have encountered being gassed, but they may relate to struggling for air while submerged in water.

This passage highlights the importance of creating relatable poems that feature powerful metaphors that stick in the minds of readers. In verse three, Owen uses present tense verbs like "guttering, choking, drowning" to provide a vivid description of a young man metaphorically "drowning" before the narrator's "helpless sight." The use of onomatopoeic verbs makes it feel like the event is still taking place and emphasizes the reader's connection to the scene, enabling them to hear the death unfold before their very ear.

The final verse is considered the most effective, using skilled language and second person narration to enhance reader involvement and understanding of the gas attack tragedy. It's believed that Owen may have been addressing Jessie Pope,

a prominent Propaganda writer whom he strongly opposed. The use of verbs like "writhing" and "gargling" create vivid verbal imagery for the reader.

In his poem, Owen uses the verb "flung" to emphasize the severity and frequency of tragic events during war. This demonstrates his negative attitude towards how bodies were treated with disrespect. The concluding statement of the poem is directed towards Jessie Pope and war propaganda writers, and it also highlights that experiencing such tragedies would disprove their glorification of dying for one's country. The poem "Disabled" has a less figurative approach but still conveys an important message.

In disabled, the literal language is powerful enough to convey the story without resorting to figurative language. The poem tells the story of a young teenage boy who joins the war out of a sense of duty and returns with no limbs. This boy represents all young men who went to war and the poem explores why they lied about their age to join and how much they regretted it when they saw the truth behind the propaganda. Owen's goal in this poem is to prevent young men from repeating this mistake in the future and to shed light on the reality of what happened to them. Throughout the poem, Owen uses third person narrative to isolate the main character and evoke sympathy for him.

Starting with the pronoun "He", the poem immediately portrays the boy in his wheelchair, patiently anticipating darkness. This phrase carries significance as it signifies the boy's lack of activities, with "dark" potentially suggesting demise. The extended metaphor that Owen incorporates in this poem compares the vibrancy of life to shades

and hues.

Starting from line two, the boy characterizes his uniform as a "ghastly suit of grey" and recollects the time before the war when he lived in a vibrant and lively town. Within the boy's flashback, Owen portrays the town as a "gay" place, emphasizing its colorful nature by mentioning "light blue trees".

The extended colour metaphor is maintained, as it contrasts with the earlier "grey". Effective use of language is shown in Owen's reference to the boy's knees being thrown away, indicating voluntary sacrifice. The fourth verse describes the handsome boy and how shell explosion resulted in the loss of his limbs. Although simple in expression, Owen's use of the metaphor "Now he is old" highlights the premature aging caused by war and lack of prospects.

The fourth stanza depicts the story of the boy who joined the war. The first two lines reveal his fondness for heroic imagery, where he enjoyed a bloodstain on his leg and being carried on shoulders after football matches. These tendencies are among the reasons that compelled him to go to war. Additionally, he wanted to impress his lover, Meg, and was praised for his appearance in kilts. Owen enhances the character's background in this verse by using words like "aye," "giddy jilts," and "drunk a peg."

While illustrating the Scottish background of the characters and evoking empathy for them, Owen also depicts the recruitment officers in a negative light. Specifically, in the 8th-9th lines of the fourth verse, Owen portrays them as deceitful and untrustworthy through the use of the words "smiling" and "lie". Furthermore, in the tenth line of the same verse, he conveys his lack of concern for

the Germans and their culpability.

The lack of awareness regarding the upcoming horrors is conveyed in the text. Despite being concise, the fifth verse depicts the protagonist's underwhelming return. While "some cheered him home," the following line notes that it was not to the same extent as a goal-scoring celebration. This suggests that he regrets joining the war effort. Additionally, the man who asks about his wellbeing appears to be condescending, indicating his lack of options.

The final verse discusses the loneliness and isolation experienced by the protagonist. In the second line, Owen highlights the boys' desire to emulate the rebel he was previously, but now must follow "wise" rules. The boy's loneliness is emphasized through the repetitive line "Why don't they come?" This analysis focuses on "Spring Offensive," which is potentially Owen's most poignant and symbolic piece. The poem follows a group of men as they take a brief respite in "the shade of a last hill" before being commanded to advance and confront the enemy on the other side of the hill.

The attack is described by Owen in a vivid manner, highlighting the presence of terror, fear and death. The poem is effectively divided into two sections which are represented by the oxymoronic title "Spring Offensive". The first half of the poem portrays a peaceful and nature-filled heaven on one side of the hill while on the other side is a man-made and destructive hell.

Within this text, there are two opposing words, "spring" and "offensive". Each word represents a different side of a hill; one embodies life and nature while the other embodies death and agony. In the first half of the poem, Owen expertly

utilizes caesura by employing punctuation marks such as commas and full stops. This technique slows the reader's pace and creates a more relaxed feel. Additionally, by using specific vowel sounds such as "e" in words like "eased" and "knees", Owen is able to further slow down the pace of the poem. As the second verse begins, Owen leaves significant gaps before introducing new lines to achieve a comparable effect.

In contrast to the previous half, the following section utilizes quickening sounds within words to create tension through shorter, punchier sentence structures. Additionally, Owen minimizes vowel sounds throughout this portion of the poem. Notably, figurative language is heavily featured throughout, as exemplified by Owen's description of the hill they are situated on as "a last hill" in the first line.

The use of the adjective "last" indicates that death is highly likely, and it is the final thing they will ever witness. The second verse features a striking metaphor where "their feet had come to the end of the world", conveying the end of their lives. Additionally, the word "marvelling" at the beginning of the fourth line in this verse underscores the newfound appreciation these men have for life, as they are now taking notice of things like the swirling flowers and grass which they would not normally pause to observe.

Owen delivers a significant message accompanied by vivid descriptions of spring. He skillfully selects words like "wasp and midge", "Warm field", and "buttercups" to provide lively images. The first half concludes with a powerful simile likening the clinging brambles to "sorrowing arms", serving as a nature's warning to not proceed.

Having witnessed death and catastrophic events,

Owen's faith in God has declined. Despite this, he finds comfort in the natural world, which he sees as a substitute for God. When a whistle sounds, signaling the start of man-made hell, soldiers' relief comes to an end - a simile that captures their overwhelming fear. Owen also emphasizes that there were no bugle alarms or high flags when they went over the top - highlighting that war does not bring honor or glory and that this misconception should be avoided.

The sixth verse highlights the vulnerability of the men, who were exposed without any protection and faced a high risk of death. Additionally, the last line of the seventh verse contains the word "some," which reinforces Owen's belief that attributing divine intervention to war is a mere excuse fabricated by propagandists, as he firmly believes that war is never justified under any circumstances.

In his poem, Wilfred Owen raises a poignant question as he concludes with an appeal to remember fallen soldiers: "Why not they speak of comrades that went under?" He argues that the deaths of these brave individuals should never be forgotten and questions why this topic remains taboo. Owen surmises that survivors found it too overwhelming to discuss such atrocities. Through his poetry, Owen exposes the true nature of World War I by dismantling propagandistic illusions. His most impactful lines include "You would not tell with such high zest to children ardent of some desperate glory, the old lie" and "Why not they speak of comrades that went under." These sentiments reflect his belief that war is unjustifiable and dying for one's country is not honorable. Therefore, it is crucial that we

continue to remember those who lost their lives and the hardships they endured during this time.