The Soldier & Dulce et Decorum est Comparison
Comparing Poems.
The Soldier & Dulce st Decorum est
I will be comparing two poems in this essay, The Soldier, (1915) By Rupert Brooke, and Dilce et Decorum est (1917) By Wilfred Owen. I will be comparing the views of both writters and also the techniques/language they use to convey that view.
Both writters have distiinct views on war. The poems are similar in the simple fact they are about war itself, but the views and messages within the poems are at compleate opposite ends of the spectrum. Both writters potray their views in different ways, for example, Rupert Brooke has chosen to describe his dead body as a symbol for England. "If i should die, think only this of me:" the poem then goes on to describe England in a very patriotic way, "In hearts at peace, under an English heaven." The words "peace" and "heaven" create a peaceful, and heavenly feel within the poem, they are calming, soothing words, and they give the poem that edge or serenity. Then, on the other hand Wilfred Own has chosen too depict a war gorssome story that he himself had witnessed. He use's words suck as "Blood-shod" and phrases like "Obscene as cancer" to emphisise the the horror's of war, also taking the reader to a level of understanding with the butality in war, brutality that isnt usualy flaunted.
The language used in both poems is vastly different from each other, even though both poems were about war. Wilfred Owen uses language in Dulce Et Decorum Est to give the reader the impression that war is horrible and that dying for your country is not all the glory and honour that it seems, and that in reality, dying in a war, no matter for what cause, can be both painful and full of suffering. "He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning." This line depicts pain an suffering the reader cannot begin to imagine. There is also many ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
The language used in both poems is vastly different from each other, even though both poems were about war. Wilfred Owen uses language in Dulce Et Decorum Est to give the reader the impression that war is horrible and that dying for your country is not all the glory and honour that it seems, and that in reality, dying in a war, no matter for what cause, can be both painful and full of suffering. "He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning." This line depicts pain an suffering the reader cannot begin to imagine. There is also many metaphores an similes within this poem, :Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge". The simile within, "coughing like hags" has impact, as it creates imagry within the readers mind,
Rupert Brooke on the other hand, uses language in The Soldier, to give the reader the impression that dying in war for one's country, is very honourable, and glorious. "If i should die, think only this of me: That there's some corner of a foreign field, That is for ever England." This shows the reader how the writter feels about his country, that he lives, an would die for England. There are also powerful metaphores in this poem that further the writters view. "English heaven" is a very powerfull phrase as it insinuates that England an heaven are one an the same, that England is heaven. This carrys the patriotic rythm to the end of the poem, as patriotism is the key theme.
The structure of both poems is vasty different. One key factor both have in common is that they cintain very long, yet well-linked an fluent sentances.This the reader an intense, on-going story-line. For example, in The Sodier, there is only three sentences over fourteen lines, such as, "And think, this heart, all evil shed away, a pulse in the eternal mind, no less gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given; her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day; and laughter, learnt of friends; and gentelness, in hearts at peace, under an English heaven."
Wilfres Owen also uses this in his poem, but he also uses a short, 2 lined paragraph to show emphesis on a certain sentance, "In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning." By sperating this short line from the rest of the poem, wilfred put major impact into this sentance, making the imagry stand out an an vividly take place in the readers mind.
Both Poems provide imagry throughout, as imagry is a key factor.The Soldier creates more atmosphere, of peace an patriotisom. "Washed my the rivers, blest by suns of home" ,suns of home brings to light the feel of peace and at home, setting a mood in the readers mind. "And laughter, learnt of friends; and genteleness, in hearts at peace, under an English heaven." this sentance closes the poem, and brings together atributes of laughter, friends, gentleness, peace an heaven, this creates a soothing place in the readers mind, and embrases the message within the poem naturaly.
Dulce et Decorum est provides a more visual image in his writting, powerfull similes an metaphor's are used to illistrait his poem. "If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood come gargling from the froth-corruptes lungs",the words with impact, jolt, blood, gargling, froth-corrupted, all create a vivid image of exactly what is being describes here, as if it where happening in their mind. This is an example of how the writter depicts the unseen, traumatic sides of war, this in turn brings the reader to come to terms with how the war really is, as they witness it in their own minds-eye. They take on the readers point of view, with a feeling that they understand how war really is.
In Cinclusion, both poems bring to light their oppinions to draw the reader in, in very different ways. Wilfred Owen brings to life the grosseom tragedy of war through imagery, and Rupert Brooke Brings to light the patriotism, and honnor side of war, by creating a calm, balanced atmosphere throughout his poem. Both have impact, an convey their views to the readers.
Maddie Couzens