`Dulce et Decorum Est` by Wilfred Owen

1 .DIFFICULTY OF EXPLORATION

I found this poem difficult to understand because of several reasons which include poetic diction , syntax , unconventional rhythm and innovative style of presentation and imagistic approach . The theme is introduced in utmost indirect manner so much so that after four five readings the reader only gets a faint hint that it is anti -war poem

The title DULCE ET DECORUM EST itself is a foreign phrase derived from Ode written by Horace which means in Latin 'it is sweet and right to die for one 's own country

'Had the title not been a foreign phrase the theme would have become explicit at the outset but the poet has tactfully shielded the theme by using a foreign phrase as a title

Look at the fist stanza of the poem

Bent double , like old beggars

under sacks

Knock-kneed , coughing like hags , we cursed through sludge

Till on the haunting flares2 we turned our backs

And towards our distant rest3 began to trudge

Men marched asleep . Many had lost their boots

But limped on , blood-shod . All went lame all blind

Drunk with fatigue deaf even to the hoots4

Of tired , outstripped5 Five-Nines6 that dropped behind

The stanza is neither brisk nor fast moving .War jargons distant rest and hoots are lost on the readers . It is also difficult to read because the poet has used all odd sounding tongue twisters . This poetic device is called desonance .The poet Lewis Carroll has used the same device in his poem Jobberwocky . compare the first stanza of Lewis Caroll 's Jobberwocky with this poem

`Twas brillig , and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe

All mimsy were the borogoves

And the mome raths outgrabe

It is evident that in both these poems intentionally the pace is retarded by placing roadblocks of words awkward to pronounce

The war jargon in the poem with which a common reader is not familiar creates a major problem in comprehension of the poem . For instance I found it difficult to comprehend the text of the poem because of war jargon used abundantly like , distant rest , hoots five nine

Besides using defense terminology the poet uses fatigue related images to vividly portray the enuii and boredom arising form tough and painful life of soldiers . These images are so highly personalized that it reasonably precluded my understanding of the poem for instance the following stanza

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace

Behind the wagon that we flung him in

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face

His hanging face , like a devil 's sick of sin

Though later , after the revelation of the theme it was clear that the stanza refers to war casualties

2 HOW I APPROACHED THIS POEM

With a view to unraveling the mystery of its theme I at the outset decoded the meaning of the foreign phrase Dulce et decorum est ,After finding the meaning of this foreign phrase I got faint hint that the...