Another example which shows the soldiers’ weakness and exhaustion from battle is the phrase “drunk with fatigue” Owen is in this phrase, showing the reader how the soldiers’ weakness and exhaustion is affecting their thinking processes, mentality and their physical sense of coordination. The word “drunk” is a very degrading word and is connoting to the reader that the soldiers have got no sense of dignity and honour left in them.
However, on the other hand, in “The Charge of The Light Brigade” Tennyson shows the soldiers fighting in World War One as the attackers, not the victims of attack as is the case in Owen’s poem. It also shows the soldiers as brave, noble, fearless and courageous. An example of Tennyson emphasising the soldiers’ bravery is:
“All in the valley of Death / Rode the six hundred”
In this extract of the poem the “valley of Death” is personified and made to look as if it is a monster; really terrifying but the soldiers are not ones to back down from a challenge, they are not going to retreat, they are going to go ahead and attack, even if it means losing their own lives in the process. The soldiers in the poem are also referred to as the “six hundred” this gives an impression to the reader that the soldiers were outnumbered but despite this fact they are not backing down and going ahead to attack the enemy which highlights their courageousness, nobility and bravery. The reader knows from the word “Death” that the soldiers will die and this builds up a sense of doom. Their heroism seems greater as Tennyson uses the word “army” to describe the enemy. Moreover, the phrase gives us the impression that all the soldiers were equally heroic.
Another aspect of this poem is that it is written in Dactylic Meter and so it follows a recognisable pattern, in this case echoing the sound of hoof beats. This makes the poem have a certain rhythm to it and creates a mood of tension and action whereas the rhythm in “Dulce et Decorum Est” is a very slow and steady one.
In the second stanza of “Dulce et Decorum Est” Owen shows the consequences of the soldiers’ exhaustion. They are now becoming more and clumsier as the battle rages on. Some one has noticed the presence of mustard gas and has shouted “Gas! GAS!” to alert the other soldiers and all of the soldiers are “fumbling” desperately for their gas masks, and from the following quotation; it looks like as if the soldiers are safe from danger as they have just about got the helmets on. “Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;” In this quotation the reader understands that these helmets must have been awkward and really hard to put on as they have been described as “clumsy” and from the phrase “just in time;” it give the reader a sense of relief, as if the soldiers will have nothing to worry about any more, but this is not the case. All is not as it seems. The next word “but” which comes straight after the quotation tells the reader that there is an exception. All is not safe. There is some on who didn’t get the helmet on in time and the reader also gets to know that as the poem goes on “someone was still yelling out and stumbling” This quotation restarts the reader’s feelings that the soldiers are in trouble once more and shows him/her that this person is the “someone” who didn’t get the gas mask on quickly on in time. The word “yelling” out and “stumbling” are present participle which gives the reader the sense that he/she is there, actually witnessing it from their own eyes and all the action is taking place in front of them. Also, from the word “stumbling” the reader gets the impression that the soldier is all over the place and is in terrible pain as he is faltering and struggling to stand up.
After this Owen describes hoe he witnesses the unfortunate soldier’s death and he explains in explicit, gruesome and sick detail targeting the reader’s emotional side. I think this is very effective in persuading the reader to see war the way he does.
Firstly, as Owen is witnessing the soldier “drowning” he writes:
“In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, / He plunges at me guttering, choking, drowning.”
In the above quotation, Owen is very emotional about how he witnesses the death of the soldier. From the phrase “In all my dreams” the reader gets the impression that Owen is constantly dreaming and having nightmares about this all the time. Also, from the above expression “before my helpless sight” Owen feels he can do nothing about the soldier dying in pain. He feels he is powerless and unable to help him as he watches the poor soldier “guttering, choking, drowning.” These three words are written in the present participle which gives an extra impact to the readers’ interpretation of the quotation. These three words give the reader a sense of presence in the text and make them feel involved, as if they are actually watching the soldier dying a most agonizing death.
In the second stanza of “The Charge of The Light Brigade” all of the action is about to take place taking place. To make it sound all the more heroic, Tennyson uses the imperative “Forward”. This makes it sound as if the commander is commanding his soldiers to go out and attack and from this. Dramatic irony is created here, as the reader knows that this will result in the soldiers’ doom because of the mood of heroism created by Tennyson earlier on in the poem.
A rhetorical question is also used to show that the soldiers were totally obedient to their commander and didn’t let their country down. After the command “Forward the Light Brigade!” the soldiers didn’t stop and thin or disobey their leader. This is shown from the rhetorical question “Was there a man dismayed?” This emphasises the soldiers feeling of loyalty towards their country and makes the reader or whoever is reading the poem feel proud of the soldiers and makes them have a sense of admiration towards the soldiers and their sense of duty. To further emphasise this, Tennyson uses techniques like repetition and rhyming couplets. An example of this is in the quotation:
“Their’s not to make reply, / Their’s not to reason why”
In the above quotation, the words “Their’s not” are repeated, this could have two interpretations; firstly it could mean that the soldiers were dutiful towards the order of their commander and didn’t go against his commands, on the other hand this could also mean that the soldiers weren’t allowed to oppose the commander’s orders, in other words, the soldiers didn’t just choose to follow the commander’s orders, they had to, or this maybe could have resulted in the soldiers being punished. Also in the above quotation rhyming couplets have been used (i.e. the words “reply” and “why”) to highlight the obedience of the soldiers to the commands set and their sense of devotion and commitment towards their country. This creates a feeling in the audience’s mind that the soldiers had respect towards their leaders and did not question or disobey them in any way. Another example which shows how devoted the soldiers were to their leader and country is:
“Their’s but to do and die”
Again in this quotation the word “their’s” is repeated that the ideas and themes shown above are being continued. Alliteration is used in the word “do” and “die” and this gives the reader the impression that the soldiers were determined to fulfil their duty, even if it meant losing their own lives in the process.
Another technique used by Tennyson in this poem is the use of onomatopoeia. This is an effective poetic device because it makes the audience feel as if they are part of the action. Words for example “volleyed” and “thundered” are onomatopoeic words and add to the effect of the battle raging on and the soldiers fighting for their lives. These words give the reader a sense of presence in the ongoing battle.
A euphemism is also used by Tennyson to make the downfall of the soldiers sound less dramatic. The words used to describe the death of the soldiers aren’t very harsh and explicit as in Owen’s poem. Instead, the phrase “While horse and hero fell” is used to describe the demise of the soldiers. This adds to the reader’s impression of heroism, bravery and courage towards the soldiers and makes the reader feel as if the whole country is proud of them and the job they did for their country. I think that this technique is very effective in making the reader see Tennyson’s side and point of view of war. The main thing to him about war is that the soldiers, despite losing their lives on the battlefield and being defeated, they turned out to be winners in the sense of courage and loyalty towards their country. Tennyson also writes:
(Relating to the soldiers) “Came through the jaws of Death/ Back from the mouth of Hell”
Here Tennyson is referring to the fact that the soldiers were so brave and heroic, it is as if they overcame death. They fought with death and won. The words “Death” and “Hell” are written in capital letters which make them sound personified and therefore develops the reader’s impression of the hardships and difficulties the soldiers faced to overcome death.
In the last stanza of “The Charge of the Light Brigade” Tennyson heaps praise on the soldiers who took part in the war for their country. Tennyson uses devices such as rhetorical questions to emphasise this further. “When can their glory fade?” From this quotation the reader gets the notion that the soldiers who fought in this war will never be forgotten. They will continue to be remembered for their “glory” even though they were defeated.
Next, Tennyson urges the people to remember what the Light Brigade did for their country and respect that. Tennyson uses imperatives to do this in the quotation:
“Honour the Light Brigade, / Noble six hundred!”
The imperative verb used here is the word “Honour” which is telling the people to realise, think about and spare a thought for those who courageously fought for their country and won in the sense that they overcame their fears and despite knowing that their charge would lead to their doom, carried on and fought to the best of their abilities. In the last line of the poem Tennyson refers to the soldiers as “Noble six hundred!” This gives the reader the impression that the soldiers were very wise and heroic in following the commander’s orders and for their loyalty to their country.
The overall picture created by Tennyson about war is that soldiers who take part in war and representing their country are brave, noble, courageous and heroic. This, in my opinion, would encourage more people to join the army. So, because of its language and poetic devices, I think this poem is very effecting in getting the point over to the reader that taking part in a war will make you a more respected and honoured person.
However, in the last stanza of “Dulce et Decorum Est” the message Owen is trying to get across to the reader is totally different. Firstly, he describes, in sick, gruesome and explicit detail the death of one of his fellow soldiers. He does this by using a number of poetic techniques:
In the first line of the last stanza, Owen personally addresses the reader to emphasise his point to the reader that war is not as exciting and as glamorous as it looks and sounds as poets like Tennyson made them look like. An example of where Owen uses the second person to address the reader and get his point across is in the first line of the last stanza:
“If in some smothering dreams you too could pace”
In this quotation Owen is trying to get across to the reader that if only they could see what state the soldier was in at the time of his death they would realise how bad war is and what consequences it can bring. If the reader saw the soldier’s death they would not romanticise and glorify war as poets like Tennyson and Jessie Pope did.
Another difference the reader notices about the last stanza of this poem is that in Tennyson’s poem, he talks generally about the soldiers as a whole getting killed, and in Owen’s poem, he writes about the death of one of the soldiers, however this is in explicit detail. He writes about how in his “smothering” dreams he always sees the soldier dying in a repulsive state after being attacked with mustard gas. Owen firstly describes his eyes as “writhing in his face”. The word “writhing” is very explicit and powerful which is connoting to the reader that there is no dignity in dying like this. The pain, horror and suffering are too much to bear and there is nothing heroic and noble about war. Next, Owen compares the soldier’s face to a “devil’s sick of sin” Here, the language is used is very disturbing and it makes the soldier’s face sound grotesque. The quotation also makes the reader think that the soldier has done nothing wrong, he is totally innocent; war is evil and this is what it has done to him. This further amplifies the point that Owen has been trying to get across throughout the whole of the poem: war is wrong, and there is no dignity in dying for your country.
To finish off the poem and leave a strong message, Owen personally addresses the readers and the people who praise, glorify and romanticise war using emotive language. Owen writes:
“My friend, you would not tell with such high zest / To children ardent for some desperate glory, / The old Lie: Dulce et Decorum Est / Pro patria mori.”
Again Owen has used the second person to address the reader and he is warning poets like Tennyson and Pope not to go around telling innocent “children” (This makes them sound very young and innocent) with tremendous enthusiasm “The old Lie”. The word “Lie” has a capital letter in front of it which emphasises just how big a lie it is. The “Lie” is “Dulce et Decorum Est Pro patria mori” which translates as “it is a sweet and befitting thing to die for your country” Every word in his poem has been to prove this. War is not as heroic and as dignified as it sounds or as people of that time made it sound. There is no sweetness or pride in war.
Overall, this poem gets its point across to the reader by using emotive and explicit language. I think this is one of the reasons of why it is so successful. It targets the emotional side of readers and makes them sympathise for the soldiers fighting in the war. This, along with some other poetic devices is what makes this poem so effective in getting its message across to its readers.
In conclusion, I think both poems are very different to each other. In fact, they are completely the opposite but both are very useful and effective in getting their points across. However, in my opinion, “Dulce et Decorum Est” delivers the stronger message because of the way of how it effects the reader’s emotions by using the poetic techniques explained. It has a very powerful, moral message and supports it very strongly. The poem shows how it opposes poets like Tennyson and Jessie Pope who romanticise war and, shows the consequences of being misled by these poets.
