Understanding Owen's War Poetry

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Wilfred Owen

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author of "Dulce et Decorum Est", WWI soldier

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Main theme

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The futility of war

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"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori"

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Means for "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country"

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Tone of the poem

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angry, ironic

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Imagery used

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graphic, sensory (sight, sound, touch)

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Gas attack scene

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event, soldiers scramble for gas masks

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"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks"

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showing soldiers' exhaustion

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Structure

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stanzas, irregular rhyme and rhythm

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Use of alliteration

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"watch the white eyes writhing"

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Sensory language

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choking, drowning" (auditory and visual)