Dulce_Et_Decorum_Est

The poem “dulce et decorum est” by poet and war hero Wilfred Owen. Written during world war one, it is a poem used today to emphasise that war is not good and it is not sweet to die for your country. Verse one describes to us the terrible effects of war on a group of soldiers on the front line. In the second line Owen gives an effective description of the physical appearance of these soldiers “Knocked-kneed, coughing like hags” “Knocked-kneed” suggests that the young soldiers legs and knees are so badly bruised and week they can barely stand. “coughing like hags” suggests the soldiers are who are probably in there early twenties are so battle weary that they now have the fitness of old women. “limped on blood-shod” This shows that the young men are basically walking on their own blood, “blood-shod” is blood that comes to the surface of the skin then hardens. In this case the soldiers feet are badly blood-shod causing them to walk with a limp. Verse two describes to us an attack on the young soldiers. It shows a sence of urgency in the first line with the use of quick short sentences. “Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!” The gas the axis used in the war was called mustard gas. This gas was extremely deadly to a man, when inhaled the gas would destroy the tissue in the lungs, basically liquidating the lungs. Causing them to drown because the could no longer breath.