This poem describes war and its effects on the poet himself. "Dulce et decorum est
             pro patria mori" actually means "How sweet and pure it is to die for one's country".
             Owen in this poem describes how this is not at all true and that it is in no way
             patriotic to die for your home land. In fact he describes this as
             "The old Lie". This is a very graphic, realistic and emotional account of the War.
             In the first verse there is a description of the soldiers' shell-shocked status and of how
             all their senses are numbed. Owen recalls the jagged, impassive state of the soldiers.
             The description of the fighters on the Western Front,
             "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks",
             contradicts the whole idea that the soldier is upright, dignified and heroic.
             "Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through the sludge",
             also describes the condition of the men. The phrase "Knock-kneed", is a good use of
             alliteration to illustrate the appearance of the soldiers. Words and phrases that depict
             that they are stunned are, "blood-shod" ,"lame", "blind", "Drunk with fatigue".
             "And towards our distant rest began to trudge.",
             Perhaps the poet was, in this quote, showing that the soldiers "distant rest" was in fact
             their final resting place, their death.
             All these quotations form a slow-moving verse, which is necessary to picture the
             slow-moving soldiers. The last line in this verse sets you up nicely for the dramatic,
             yet very effective impact of the unsuspected "gas-shells dropping softly behind"
             "Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!" This line is continued with "An ecstasy of fumbling",
             which describes the soldiers in a "happy panic". I think this is needed to show the
             adrenaline rush of the surprise, it also fits in well with the quick and exciting
             ...