Wilfred Owen

             Wilfred Owen's poems, "Anthem for Doomed Youth" and "Dulce et Decorum Est" vividly depict the degrading struggles one faces during times of war. The horrific dealings one experiences not only during, but after war, in memories, are truly nothing short of "incurable sores" ("Dulce" 24). "Anthem for Doomed Youth," and "Dulce et Decorum Est," can be compared and contrasted in different ways such as descriptive words and phrases, structure, literary devices, expressive themes and finally imagery.
             Many words and phrases often spoken or repeated bring about great anguish in one's life, often with many painful memories as well. In the poems"Anthem" and "Dulce," many words and phrases stick out in one's mind as nothing short of being "Bitter as the cud Of
             vile" ("Dulce" 23-24). Words such as, "drowning," "writhing," " bitter," jolt,""helpless," "good-byes," and "mourning," all help add to the expressiveness of the two poems and the distaste one feels for war. Many of the words and phrases used in both "Anthem," and "Dulce," are similar. One prime example is the use of suffering of death-filled imagery in words and phrases which emphasizes the author's hate towards war.
             The structure of "Anthem" has much symmetry while also, being written in a very strict arrangement. In the beginning of each stanza, Owen posses a question, which is later answered in the same stanza. In opposition to "Dulce," which contains different themes in each of its stanzas. For example, in the first stanza, Owen presents a group of weary soldiers to the reader. The second stanza deals mainly with the gas attack, and the one soldier's "drowning," because of his failure to get his mask on quick enough. The third stanza refers to Owen watching the "helpless" soldier unsuccessfully struggling for his life. Finally, in the last stanza, Owen literally depicts his own memories of the dying soldier. "Anthem," has only two stanzas, while
             "D...

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Wilfred Owen. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 11:27, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/99304.html