Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen and The Charge

In class we have been studying a number of different poems based on war. We looked closely at two in particular, they are "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen and "The Charge of the Light brigade" by Alfred Lord Tennyson. I am basing this essay on the differences and similarities between the two poems.

The both poems are based on war and try to paint a picture of what war is actually like. The historical background for "The Charge of the Light Brigade" was that is was a real battle. It was a Crimean war, which started in October 1854. This particular battle is known for being due to a mistake.An order for the battle to commence was given by mistake.

During this battle bombs or being fired at killed one third of the soldiers. Also horses were killed or injured alongside the soldiers riding on them. This battle was fought by a cavalry troop. The historical background of "Dulce et Decorum Est" is that it was also based on a real war.

It was written during 1914-1918, which was around the time period of World War One. The conditions during this war were terrible. Troops fought from trenches that were; muddy, smelt, full of smoke. There were constant loud noises and people dying everywhere tragically.Some words used in this poem to describe these conditions were "cursed through sludge", "hoots of gas shells" and "men marched asleep". These phrases were used to create a negative / horrific atmosphere.

Most of the soldiers in this war were voluntaries or conscripts. The reasons why most of these men went to war was to make their family proud, friends were going or because people pushed them into it with emotional blackmail. They were told by the propaganda that it was a grand and fitting experience. In "The Charge of the Light Brigade" there was no physical personal involvement of the poet as Tennyson was not actually there in the war.

He had found out information and facts about the war from newspapers and a reporter named William Russel. When the war occurring, Tennyson was not at all near. He was in London. At this time he had had many family problems. His family had mental problems, which society thought of as shameful and this resulted in him having to hide it. This helped Tennyson to write this poem because he could create a bad atmosphere from all the built up negative emotions in him and because he was so keen to show how we should celebrate bravery and courage and not to be ashamed of the soldier's failure.

In "Dulce et Decorum Est" the personal involvement of the poet is that Wilfred Owen was actually part of the war. He was a lieutenant, which meant many people looked up to him and respected him. Wilfred Owen felt for his men and sympathised with them because he knew what they went through. During the war he had a couple of close friends, and one of his best friends was called the poet Siegfried Sassoon. A week before the war ended and peace was declared, Owen died. In "The Charge of the Light Brigade" he writer creates the atmosphere by trying to put you into the soldiers body.

He used storm and light images to create a dramatic scene.He sues words such as "volley'd", "thunder'd", "stormer'd", "flash'd", "reel'd", "shatter'd", and "sunder'd". In "Dulce et Decorum Est" the atmosphere is created by describing the war grounds conditions in great detail. He describes the muddy conditions by saying " we cursed through sludge"- the air quality "coughing like hags", sounds the soldiers can hear "deaf even to the hoots". He tells us there are people running everywhere, screaming and yelling this causes us to feel frantic with fear for the soldiers. He also creates a sense of darkness, "dim through the misty panes and thick green light.

The description of the soldier's physical state in "The Charge of the Light Brigade" is not talked about in much detail. It implies their physical state by the description of the soldier's emotional state. It makes out the soldiers took the war very seriously because they were proud to be there and they as if they are the best, we know this from "boldly they rode and well" and "noble six hundred". The soldiers are bold and brave all the time and act as if nothing can get in their way and as though they are indestructible. They show no signs of fear because they want to make their country proud.

They are always very energetic and enthusiastic towards any and everything they do. The description of the soldier's physical state in "Dulce et Decorum Est" is given to the reader through graphic description. It describes the soldiers as "old beggars under sacks". This tells us the soldiers are scruffy, dirty and their clothes might be torn. They are very tired so they are bent over and can barely stand up.

Also they are starting to loose grip of their senses "helpless sight" also they cannot hear properly because all the noise "deaf even to the hoots" they get very frustrated from this.Also they are getting frustrated because the fact that they are so tired means they cannot do there best job. Even though they are trying their hardest to move they cannot and are not getting anywhere, their destination never seems to become closer, the thought of rest to the soldiers is unbelievable "distant rest we trudge". There is progression of the action and there are changes in mood and pace in "The Charge of the Light Brigade" the pace of the poem echo's this.

The poems pace starts off really quickly "half a league, half a league" then gradually speeds up and gets more exciting.It suddenly stops for a reflective moment in verse 2 to make the reader think about everything that's happened. There is also a progression of action and changes in the mood and pace of "Dulce et Decorum Est" which starts off in slow motion. The poem tells us the soldiers are almost sleeping, so they are non-energetic and are very quiet. Then suddenly there is a dramatic use of direct speech that wakes everyone up including the reader and informs the reader and the soldiers of a frantic gas attack, it is as if it is a news bulletin.

The shocking, nasty and aggressive wording continues until the end of the poem.In "The Charge of the Light Brigade" stylistic features e. g. similes, metaphors, repetition, imperatives and direct speech are occasionally used through the poem. Nearly straight away at the start of the poem there is a metaphor used " Into the valley of death".

This is trying to suggest that the soldiers are riding into trouble where there is a good chance of getting killed. In the rest of the poem there are similar metaphors used like "jaws of death" and "mouth of hell". Also rhetorical questions are fired at the reader to get them to think carefully and consider what exactly happened during that war.Repetition is also used "Rode the six hundred," "Half a league. " Towards the end of the poem the author tells us what we must do and how exactly we should feel about the soldiers. By doing this, he involves the reader.

Direct speech is used again to re-create the exciting and busy atmosphere. In "Dulce et Decorum Est" there is use of stylistic features e. g. similes, metaphors, repetition, imperatives, direct speech and questioning. In the first verse of "Dulce et Decorum Est" there are similes used like "like old beggars under sacks. "Also there are metaphors used "blood-shod" and "men marched asleep.

It says in the poem they went lame and blind but they didn't literally mean it, he was just trying to tell us their senses were shutting down so they weren't able to function properly because they are injured or tired. Throughout the poem there are graphic descriptions of the soldiers' physical state to draw mental pictures in the reader's head. There is also questioning to involve the reader and he tries to make us feel guilty for saying, "Dulce et Decorum Est pro patria mori," which means it is sweet and fitting to die for your country.The structural features in "The Charge of the Light Brigade" shows there is no end rhyme throughout the poem but there is a very strong rhythm. Horses' hooves echo to create a constant beat. It says "boldly they rode and well," this shows the soldiers rode boldly on their horses.

The writer makes the poem sound dramatic by using these techniques. The structural features in "Dulce et Decorum Est" shows that it rhymes, it has an A,B,A,B pattern throughout. It has a regular rhythm by it having five double beats in each line. This is a traditional rhythm pattern.The authoritative tone of the poet's voice in "The Charge of the Light Brigade" is expressed by its forceful and powerful wording.

It repeats things to give a sense of power. He tells you what to think; no one disagrees with him and neither should the reader. He uses imperatives to tell you what to do. The authoritative tone of Wilfred Owen's voice, however, starts by being sympathetic and then it changes into graphic and harsh wording and the description to make the reader feel physically sick and frightened for the soldiers who took part in the war.It then changes again to annoyance and he challenges us by asking questions. He lets us know he's in charge and tries to make us think that everything he is right.

Throwing the reader straight into the action creates the organisation of persuasive argument in "The Charge of the Light Brigade. " He then makes us think by reflecting back on the war and what happened to the soldiers and how they must have felt. The poem ends clearly by giving us direction as to what the reader must think. He praises the soldiers because he wants you to think positively about them and respect them for what they did for their country.

The organisation of persuasive argument in "Dulce et Decorum Est" is created differently by moving gently into the action. In stanza two he suddenly picks up speed by introducing direct speech. He makes you feel shocked and disgusted because of the graphic description of the soldiers' physical state. He does this by using strong and ugly words.

The poem ends by blaming the reader for what the soldiers went through. This poem also ends telling us what to do and think about the war. He makes out that if you do not listen to him and agree with him, you are part of the problem concerning that particular war.