Written byWilfred Owen

On October 2, 1915, he enlisted in the Artist’s Rifles

He was drafted in 1917 His military experience only lasted

five weeks In only that time he was thoroughly

shocked by the horrors of war He was killed in the war that he

spoke against

This poem demonstrates the absence of heroism.

It also demonstrates the false tale of a "sweet" death.

This passage emphasizes the realism and de-romanticization of the war

The formation or use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.

In the play Owen says: hoots, gas, and gargling

He uses these to create a sense of being there

The use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning

The last line of the poem is, “Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori”

Its Latin for “It’s sweet and honorable to die for one’s country”

The whole poem explains how war is awful and not an honorable way to die

1. How would you characterize the speaker's attitude towards war?

2. Does the meaning of the poem change if we know that Owen died a few months after writing it?

3.How does this poem relate to modern day wars? Does the war in Afghanistan and Iraq change your outlook on this poem?

Laermans , Eric. "Wilfred Owen (1893 - 1918)." Wilfred Owen (1893 - 1918). 01 Feb 2001. 15 May 2009 <http://users.fulladsl.be/spb1667/cultural/owen.html>.