Owen's “Dulce Et Decorum Est”

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the fact that the gassed man was
"flung" into the wagon reveals the urgency and occupation with fighting.
The only thing they can do is toss him into a wagon. The fact one word can
add to the meaning so much shows how the diction of this poem adds greatly
to its effectiveness. Likewise, the use of figurative language in this poem
also helps to emphasize the points that are being made. As Perrine says,
people use metaphors because they say "...what we want to say more vividly
and forcefully..." Owen capitalizes greatly on this by using strong
metaphors and similes. Right off in the first line, he describes the troops
as being "like old beggars under sacks." This not only says that they are
tired, but that they are so tired they have been brought down to the level
of beggars who have not slept in a bed for weeks on end. Owen also compares
the victim's face to the devil, seeming corrupted and baneful. A metaphor
even more effective is one that compares "...vile, incurable sores..." ...

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in a war would become
nervous at the image of himself running out into a blood bath. The graphic
images displayed here are profoundly affecting and can never be forgotten.
The poem ties it all together in the last few lines. In Latin, the phrase
"Dulce et decorum est pro partria mori" means: "It is sweet and becoming to
die for one's country." Owen calls this a lie by using good diction, vivid
comparisons, and graphic images to have the reader feel disgusted at what
war is capable of. This poem is extremely effective as an anti-war poem,
making war seem absolutely horrid and revolting, just as the author wanted
it to.

In the poem, “Dulce et Decorum Est” written by Wilfred Owen, ...

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