“Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen

The following question has two parts.

Answer Part A and then answer Part B.

Part A: What do the first four lines of stanza 1 suggest about the current situation of the soldiers?

• They have come to depend upon each other for their continued survivial

• They are depressed because they failed to achieve the day's objectives

• They have been at war so long that they can barely remember their former lives

• They are retreating to their camp to escape the fighting

Answer explanation

D

This is the correct response.

"Turned our backs" on "the haunting flares" indicates that the soldiers are retreating from the battle field

Part B: What does stanza 3 show about the soldiers’ situation?

• The soldiers are not really able to leave the battle behind.

• The soldiers learn to fend for themselves during a crisis.

• The soldiers are capable of doing what they have to do.

• The soldiers are so weary that their mental state is affected.

Answer explanation

A.

This is the correct response.

In stanza 3, the events show that even though the soldiers think they are headed for rest and have left the battle behind, they are unable to escape the fighting after all, as the memories haunt their dreams.

The following question has two parts.

Answer Part A and then answer Part B.

Part A: Based on Stanza 1, which words best describe the soldiers?​ ​

• Lonely and frightened

• Weak and exhausted

• Angry and resentful

• Sad and regretful

Answer explanation

B.

This is the correct response.

The soldiers are described as bent in half, coughing, and exhausted.

Part B: Which phrase from Stanza 1 does not support the answer to Part A?

(****)

• “Bent double”

• “marched asleep”

• “turned our backs”

• “drunk with fatigue”

Answer explanation

C. Although “turned our backs” describes the soldiers, this phrase focuses on their actions, rather than their emotions.

A This is a correct response. The soldiers are so weak that they are unable to stand up straight.

B “Marched asleep” describes the soldiers’ level of exhaustion.

D. “Drunk with fatigue” describes the soldiers’ exhaustion and weakness.

1.     Read lines 15-16. What do these two lines best reveal about the speaker?

• He wishes he had tried harder to help the man who was gassed.

• He has developed new and intense fears because of the war

• He will likely never fully recover from what he endured in the war.

• He sometimes cannot tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

Answer explanation

C.

This is the correct response.

“In all my dreams” indicates that the speaker has been, and will continue to be, haunted by his war experience.

What shift occurs in stanza 4?

• The timeline advances to after the war to show the effects the experience had on the speaker

• The speaker introduces a conflicting point of view and then presents an argument to counter it.

• The point of view changes so that the speaker is addressing the reader directly.

• The scene changes from events that actually occurred to events the speaker imagines.

Answer explanation

C.

This is the correct response.

The beginning of Stanza 4,“…you too could pace,” begins the speakers’ use of second person point of view.

How do stanzas 1, 2, and 4 work together to develop the theme of the poem?

• By detailing both everyday misery and an agonizing death, the poem suggests that enduring the horrors of war is not wonderful or patriotic.

• By considering how war affects both individuals and groups of men, the poem suggests that not everyone is fit to fight in battle.

• By focusing on an unexpected and sudden event, the poem suggests that there is no good way to prepare for one’s own death.

• By describing negative things about being a soldier, the poem suggests that war is ineffective in resolving conflicts between nations.

Answer explanation

A.

This is the correct response.

The details of the soldiers’ daily conditions and the man’s death support the theme that “dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” is a lie.

Which statement best summarizes the central idea of this poem?

• It is one’s patriotic duty to fight for one’s country, regardless of how unpleasant the consequences.

• Those who praise war and promote the involvement of young people are promoting a false image of glory.

• Engaging in war involves tremendous sacrifice and bravery for the public good.

• All possible methods of resolving conflict should be pursued before young people are asked to fight for their country.

Answer explanation

B.

This is the correct response.

The last line of the poem says that “dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” is a lie.

In what way does this poem agree with the idea that to die for your country is a noble thing to do?

• It shows the pain soldiers feel when society does not appreciate their sacrifices.

• It denies the possibility of soldiers dying with dignity.

• It treats the outcome of a battle as less important than soldiers’ experiences.

• It portrays soldiers as essentially powerless.

Answer explanation

A.

This is the correct response

Although the poem focuses on soldiers’ pain, the pain is caused by warfare, not society’s reaction to the solders.

B. The dying soldier is presented as grotesque and helpless, rather than dignified.

C. The majority of the poem focuses on the death of a soldier and the aftermath of war for the speaker, rather than the outcome of the battle.

D. The soldiers are described as physically broken and unable to control even their dreams.