Locate the central main “thrust” or “claim” of one of the poems or stories from our course reader and then to proceed to analyze how this message is developed. This means underlining and emphasizing those key moments in the piece where it uses specific language to convey its point and convince its readership. Your own will similarly use its own language to convince us that you have paid close attention to those methods used in an act of linguistic persuasion
One poem from our course reader that presents a clear central message is “Dulce Et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen. The poem’s central thrust is an attack on the glorification of war and the idea that it is noble and heroic to die for one’s country.
The poem opens with vivid and disturbing imagery of exhausted soldiers trudging through mud, “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks.” The use of simile highlights the physical toll of war on the soldiers and evokes a sense of pity and empathy in the reader.
The poem then takes a dark turn as the soldiers are attacked with gas. Owen’s use of visceral language, “flound’ring like a man in fire or lime” and “guttering, choking, drowning,” creates a sense of horror and revulsion at the brutality of warfare.
The central message of the poem is summed up in the final lines: “The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.” The Latin phrase translates to “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country,” and Owen’s use of irony and sarcasm in referring to it as “The old Lie” highlights his opposition to the glorification of war and the idea that it is honorable to die for one’s country.
In conclusion, Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce Et Decorum Est” is a powerful condemnation of war and the idea that it is noble to die for one’s country. Owen uses vivid and disturbing imagery to create a sense of horror and revulsion at the brutality of warfare, and his use of irony and sarcasm in the final lines underlines his opposition to the glorification of war.