By Wilfred Owen Dulce Et Decorum Est

To understand the context of the poem Learning Intention To understand the context of the poem

Wilfred Owen fought in the First World War It was inspired by his experience in the war The title is Latin for It is sweet and glorious It was a famous saying at the time: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori It is sweet and glorious to die for one’s country What do you think this actually means?

World War I was a horrific war that devastated much of Europe When it started, thousands of young men rushed to join the army There was a strong feeling of patriotism Patriotism: devotion and vigorous support of your country This lessened as people began to realise how brutal and pointless much of the fighting was http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/poetryowen/1owen_dulcesubjectact.shtml

Context

The poet

His regiment

His grave

The poem Do the 5Ws From which point of view is it told? What is happening in the poem? Write a short summary of the narrative Break it down into three distinct sections What do you think the poet is saying about war?

Who- the narrator is recalling the story Where- the trenches When- WW1 Why- to show that war is horrific and destroying a generation of young men

What? The poet describes life in the trenches and sets the scene. He is describing how his platoon are retreating from the front line and going back to base to rest. They are exhausted and it is difficult to travel across the muddy ground. There is a gas attack which causes panic and one soldier fails to fit his gas mask in time and dies a horrific death. The narrator (Owen) recalls this incident in his nightmares. The soldier is thrown into a cart. There is a graphic description of the inhumane death the youth suffered. He criticises the politicians who use patriotic feeling to encourage young men to join up.

Analysis Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Simile comparing the young men to old worthless beggars carrying heavy weights. This is appropriate as it shows how ruined these young soldiers are by the physical effects of war.

Understanding techniques Look at the hand out and make sure you understand the words that have been highlighted Look at the list of techniques on the other side and try to find and highlight some of these in the poem

Key terms Rhyme scheme- pattern of rhyme in a poem Rhythm- the pattern of the poem. Often regular (same amount of syllables in each line) or irregular

Structure: rhythm and rhyme Read through the poem again and try to identify the rhyme scheme Pay particular attention to the sound of the words at the end of each line. Is there a rhyme? Do the lines have the same amount of syllables? Is it regular?

Rhythm Many of the lines are in iambic pentameter but this is broken quite often Iambic pentameter : ten syllables per line Evocative of the rhythm of the heart

DULCE ET DECORUM EST1 Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,  Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,  Till on the haunting flares2 we turned our backs  And towards our distant rest3 began to trudge.  Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots  But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;  Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots4  Of tired, outstripped5 Five-Nines6 that dropped behind.

Gas!7 Gas! Quick, boys! –  An ecstasy of fumbling,  Fitting the clumsy helmets8 just in time;  But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,  And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime9 . . .  Dim, through the misty panes10 and thick green light,  As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,  He plunges at me, guttering,11 choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace  Behind the wagon that we flung him in,  And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,  His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;  If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood  Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,  Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud12  Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,  My friend, you would not tell with such high zest13  To children ardent14 for some desperate glory,  The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est  Pro patria mori.15