Commentary- Dulce Et Decorum Est

... Commentary- Dulce Et Decorum Est The poem 'Dulce Et Decorum Est' was written by Wilfred Owen in response to the patriotic poem, 'Who's for the Game' by Jessie Pope, to convey the reality of trench warfare in World War One. The title is certainly sarcastic, as it is Latin for 'It is sweet and right to die for your country', which is reinforced by the sombre tone of the poem is there throughout, but it also becomes aggressive and even bitter in places. The first stanza begins with two similes, which immediately bring the readers attention to the horrors of war, "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,/Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through the sludge" This begins with 'Bent double', which suggests that they are in great pain, and the line continues with the simile of 'like old beggars under sacks'. This is ironic because the men are not 'old', and

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