Dulce et Decorum Est
Encyclopedia
Dulce et Decorum est is a poem written by poet
Wilfred Owen
in 1917, during World War I
, and published posthumously in 1920. Owen's poem is known for its horrific imagery
and condemnation of war. It was drafted at Craiglockhart
in the first half of October 1917 and later revised, probably at Scarborough but possibly Ripon
, between January and March 1918. The earliest surviving manuscript is dated 8 October 1917 and addressed to his mother, Susan Owen, with the message "Here is a gas poem done yesterday, (which is not private, but not final)".
. In the rush to equip themselves against the gas, one soldier is unable to get his mask on in time. The speaker of the poem describes the gruesome effects of the gas on the man and concludes, despite Horace's pronouncement, that were one to see firsthand the reality of war, she might not repeat mendacious platitudes about the nature of war.
, a civilian propagandist of World War I, who encouraged—"with such high zest"—young men to join the battle, through her poetry, e.g. "Who's for the game?".
The first draft of the poem, indeed, was dedicated to Pope. A later revision amended this to "a certain Poetess", though this did not make it into the final publication, either, as Owen apparently decided to address his poem to the larger audience of war supporters in general. In the last stanza, however, the original intention can still be seen in Owen's bitter, horrific address.
The words dulce et decorum est were quoted in Robert Penn Warren's "A Place to Come To" in connection with the main character's interaction with a German officer prisoner of war in World War II.
exhortation of the final two lines are drawn from the phrase "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
" written by the Roman
poet Horace
in (Ode III.2.13):
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori:
mors et fugacem persequitur virum
nec parcit inbellis iuventae
poplitibus timidove tergo.
"How sweet and fitting it is to die for one's country:
Death pursues the man who flees,
spares not the hamstrings or cowardly backs
Of battle-shy youths."
These words were well known and often quoted by supporters of the war near its inception and were, therefore, of particular relevance to soldiers of the era.
In 1913, the first line, Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, was inscribed on the wall of the chapel of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
. In the final stanza of his poem, Owen refers to this as "The old Lie".
This is balderdash. It's either a sonnet or not it's not.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Wilfred Owen
Wilfred Owen
Wilfred Edward Salter Owen MC was an English poet and soldier, one of the leading poets of the First World War...
in 1917, during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and published posthumously in 1920. Owen's poem is known for its horrific imagery
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
and condemnation of war. It was drafted at Craiglockhart
Craiglockhart
Craiglockhart is a suburb in the south west of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying between Colinton to the south, Morningside to the east Merchiston to the north east and Kingsknowe to the west...
in the first half of October 1917 and later revised, probably at Scarborough but possibly Ripon
Ripon
Ripon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
, between January and March 1918. The earliest surviving manuscript is dated 8 October 1917 and addressed to his mother, Susan Owen, with the message "Here is a gas poem done yesterday, (which is not private, but not final)".
Summary
Formally, the poem can be understood as the combination of two sonnets, though the spacing of the stanzas is irregular. The text presents a vignette from the front lines of World War I; specifically, of British soldiers attacked with chemical weaponsPoison gas in World War I
The use of chemical weapons in World War I ranged from disabling chemicals, such as tear gas and the severe mustard gas, to lethal agents like phosgene and chlorine. This chemical warfare was a major component of the first global war and first total war of the 20th century. The killing capacity of...
. In the rush to equip themselves against the gas, one soldier is unable to get his mask on in time. The speaker of the poem describes the gruesome effects of the gas on the man and concludes, despite Horace's pronouncement, that were one to see firsthand the reality of war, she might not repeat mendacious platitudes about the nature of war.
Dedication
Through the poem, and particularly strong in the last stanza, there is a running commentary, a letter to Jessie PopeJessie Pope
Jessie Pope was an English poet, writer and journalist, who remains best known for her patriotic motivational poems published during World War I...
, a civilian propagandist of World War I, who encouraged—"with such high zest"—young men to join the battle, through her poetry, e.g. "Who's for the game?".
The first draft of the poem, indeed, was dedicated to Pope. A later revision amended this to "a certain Poetess", though this did not make it into the final publication, either, as Owen apparently decided to address his poem to the larger audience of war supporters in general. In the last stanza, however, the original intention can still be seen in Owen's bitter, horrific address.
The words dulce et decorum est were quoted in Robert Penn Warren's "A Place to Come To" in connection with the main character's interaction with a German officer prisoner of war in World War II.
Title
The title and the LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
exhortation of the final two lines are drawn from the phrase "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori is a line from the Roman lyrical poet Horace's Odes . The line can be roughly translated into English as: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country."-Context:...
" written by the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
poet Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
in (Ode III.2.13):
mors et fugacem persequitur virum
nec parcit inbellis iuventae
poplitibus timidove tergo.
Death pursues the man who flees,
spares not the hamstrings or cowardly backs
Of battle-shy youths."
These words were well known and often quoted by supporters of the war near its inception and were, therefore, of particular relevance to soldiers of the era.
In 1913, the first line, Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, was inscribed on the wall of the chapel of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. In the final stanza of his poem, Owen refers to this as "The old Lie".
Structure
In 'Dulce et Decorum est' Wilfred Owen employs a Sonnet structure, only he adapts the structure. Owen has the Octave (proportional, with 16 then 12 lines)then the sestet however the first part still tells the story (broken into 3 stanza's) and the second still draws a lesson from the first. The rhyme scheme fits a sonnet as well until you get to the final couplet which is broken up by the change of stanza: (/indicates a new set, -indicates a nex stanza) ABAB/ABABA-CDCD/X1X2-X1X2-ABAB/ABAB/CDCD. This breaking up of the final couplet in the octave (which is at the start but consisting of 16 not 8 lines) is making the point that war divides. The mucking around of the Sonnet structure is to show the point that there cannot be love in war, as a sonnet is traditionally a love poem. Thus Owen shows to his audience that war is the main tool for human destruction.This is balderdash. It's either a sonnet or not it's not.