WorksheetsDulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen
Total questions: 22
Worksheet time: 17mins
Who wrote Dulce et Decorum est?
Wilfred Owen
Frederick Owen
Owen Smith
Owen Fredricks
What language is the title of the poem written in?
French
Latin
German
Dutch
Who is Owen addressing in his poem with the word "you"?
fellow soldiers
the German army
the reader
those on the home front who glorify war
"Drunk with fatigue" is an example of
metaphor
personification
simile
alliteration
"And watch the white eyes writhing in his face" is an example of
alliteration
simile
hyperbole
personification
"His hanging face like a devil's sick of sin" is an example of
metaphor
personification
oxymoron
simile
Complete the quote "Gas! Gas! Quick _______!"
soldiers
boys
men
comrades
Why do the gas shells drop 'softly behind'?
Because the soldiers are acclimatised to the sounds of war.
Because the soldiers are too fatigued to notice them.
Because they are very quiet bombs.
Because the soldiers have literally gone deaf.
Why does the second stanza start like this? 'Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!'
To be different.
To carry on the plot of the poem.
To shock the reader.
To display to the reader how quickly things happen during war.
Who might Owen be angry with?
Jessie Pope.
His dad.
People who glorify war.
Other war poets.
Complete the quote 'Of vile, incurable sores on _____ tongues'
innocent
young
blessed
unfortunate
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 survival.
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.
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 their mental state is affected.
Part A: Based on stanza 1, which words best describe the soldiers?
Lonely and frightened
Weak and exhausted
Angry and resentful
Sad and regretful
Part B: Which three phrases from stanza 1 best supports the answer to Part A?
“Bent double”
“drunk with fatigue”
“haunting flares”
“turned our backs”
“marched asleep”
Choose one set of adjoining lines which show the speaker begins to focus on the present rather than the past.
In all my dreams before my helpless sight
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All sent lame, all blind
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime-
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.
How do stanzas 1, 2, and 4 work together to develop the theme of the poem?
By detailing everyday misery and 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.
In what three ways does this poem challenge or disagree with the idea that to die for your country is a noble thing to do?
It treats the outcome of a battle as less important than soldiers’ experiences.
It portrays soldiers as essentially powerless.
It implies that soldiers who are truly brave do not care about making sacrifices.
It denies the possibility of soldiers dying with dignity.
It suggests that men are forced to become soldiers against their will.
