Comparison

The point of this essay is to compare two war poems but yet not forgetting that it was a terrible experience for the soldiers that fought. The two poems that I am going to be comparing are Dulce et Decorum est wrote by Wilfred Owen and Vitai Lampada wrote by Sir Henry Newbolt. Firstly, we are going to compare are the subjects. The subject in Dulce et Decorum est is about the soldiers fighting for their country. They are also describing how they are attempting to escape the terrorising experience of the war. This is shown by “In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning” This quote makes me feel that their as a young man dying and nobody could help him. This makes the reader feel that the soldier that wrote this perhaps watched a young man very close to him die. The subject of Vitai Lampada is almost that war was a game that will someday end and when it does those people who fought in the war will gain fame and get thanks for fighting. This is shown by “Ten to make and the match to win” and “Play up! Play up! And Play the game!” This quote makes the reader feel that war is just like a bed of roses when actually it was a disgusting time in the soldier’s lives. Secondly, we are going to discuss the theme of Dulce et decorum est. The moral message of this poem is not for the soldiers to gain fame but it shows how horrible it was for soldiers and their relatives losing their close ones, and that soldiers were forced into war by their commanders. This was shown by “behind the wagon that we flung him in, and watched the white eyes withering in his face”. This quote makes me as the reader feel that these soldiers were forced into war until they were injured or dead. However the moral message of Vitai Lampada is that war is a game and you will be praised to fight and die in war. Family of these men thought that it was an honour for their close ones dying whilst fighting in the war. This is yet again shown by “The river of death has brimmed his banks, And England’s far, and Honour a name.” This quote makes the reader feel that there were thousands of innocent men dying and England are just sending them off to fight. In addition, the third item we will be comparing will be the rhythm and rhyme. The rhythm in Dulce et Decorum est is slow almost like you can picture them walking through the mud but yet also has a little rhythm. The rhyming in this poem is alternating rhyming couplets e.g. sacks-backs, sludge-trudge. The rhythm in Vitai Lampada is bubbly almost happy and upbeat. The rhythming in this poem is alternating rhyming couplets e.g. Fame-game, win-in. Next, we are going to compare the imagery. In Dulce et Decorum est the imagery is very really because he has used very emotive words to see and almost picture this poem in your head. The writer has used metaphor, personification, simile to make the poem sound more realistic. The imagery in Vitai Lampada isn’t so clear and emotive due to the mixed vocabulary and messages that it is giving the reader when they read it. The writer has used metaphor and similes to make the poem sound more genuine. What is more we are going to compare the vocabulary in the two poems. The vocabulary in Dulce et Decorum est is very descriptive because they he has described how everything is happening and therefore have used alliteration he has also used very formal words e.g. Knock-Kneed. This makes the reader feel almost horrified with the amount of description Wilfred has used. On the other hand, the vocabulary in Vitai Lampada is much less formal than Dulce et Decorum est. The vocabulary is quite distinctive because the writer doesn’t have such a wide range of vocabulary. The writer has used alliteration e.g. falling-flung. This makes the reader feel that the poem was less overwhelming because the vocabulary was less powering. And finally, the last thing we are going to compare the expression also known as the tone. The expression in Dulce et Decorum est is very dull because it is almost like you can almost hear them scream and shout whilst the war is happening around them. You can almost hear them trudging through the mud. This makes the reader feel that the writer has purposely done this to show that war was horrible for the soldiers and the close ones that have lost their relatives. The tone of Vitai Lampada is not so dull because the writer has not used so emotive words and therefore the tone is much more lively, you can almost hear the match of football and the referee is dying when you hear this poem. Personally I like Dulce et decorum est the best due to the reality of war, although it was heartbreaking for the relatives it still shows how bad the war was.