On the other hand, ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ shows war in a totally different light. It was written during World War I as a response to the pro-war propaganda which was issued by the British government. They were keen to glamorise war so they could rally support for their troops and perhaps encourage more people to join the army. However, Owen’s poem tries to convey the harsh reality of war, and show that it is completely abhorrent. This is also the opposite of ‘The Battle of Bannockburn’, where the poet’s motives were to remember the bravery and efforts of the people who fought for Scotland and to show war as heroic.
Owen starts the poem with vivid descriptions of life in the trenches. He uses a lot of imagery relating to the discomfort that is being endured: “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks”, implying that they are overworked, crippled, and have few possessions; and “coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge”, showing that they are perhaps diseased and that the setting is extremely dirty. These both show what a horrible place the trenches were to be in. He also relates to the tiredness experienced by the soldiers: “Men marched asleep”, which shows that the soldiers are almost subconsciously partaking in this war; “drunk with fatigue”, showing that they are unable to think or concentrate properly.
The rest of the poem uses horrific description to show the terrors of war. He describes a scene where his group are attacked by gas. He shows that they have no choice but to act extremely quickly: “An ecstasy of fumbling”, where the word “ecstasy” is referring to the speed with which they must react. This also contrasts with the fatigue felt just moments earlier, showing that in war one must always be alert when required even if not physically capable. He also says that they were “fitting the clumsy helmets just in time”, showing that they must act quickly, otherwise their lives could be at risk.
He then describes the agony which is being suffered by one man, and how it is an awful sight: “under a green sea, I saw him drowning.” This gives some idea of the horrific nature of the gas attack. Using the “sea” and “drowning” as a metaphor for dying in the gas creates an image of unbearable suffering. “He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning” adds to the description of the suffering of the man. He goes on to make the descriptions more and more explicit, such as “the white eyes writhing in his face” and “the blood come gargling from the froth corrupted lungs”. This multitude of quotes puts extreme emphasis on the point the writer is trying to make.
Another point which is made is that the writer can do nothing about this man’s pain. He refers to “his helpless sight”, showing that this man’s pain cannot be eased whatsoever.
He says that the scene is “obscene as cancer.” In the 1910’s, cancer was considered a taboo subject, and was not mentioned as it was viewed as a horrible subject. Owen’s comparison to it is a brave one, used to break the taboo of describing the suffering of soldiers in war.
All of these images and vivid descriptions are intended to shock the reader with the atrocities of war, especially in the social context of the early 20th century where people believed that war was honourable and just.
In my opinion, this poem has an excellent ending. He quotes the Latin phrase “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori”, which means “it is sweet and righteous to die for one’s country”. This is extremely ironic and ultimately makes the reader reconsider their viewpoint on the justification of war.
However, although “Dulce et Decorum est” describes war and what happens during battle, it doesn’t do as “The Battle of Bannockburn” does in describing how war is necessary for the greater good its longer-term consequences.
Burns uses lots of imagery relating to the contrast between slavery and freedom to show what will happen depending on the outcome of the battle. In the speech, Bruce says: “Freedom’s sword will strongly draw!” This is telling the soldiers that they are fighting for their freedom and they must fight strongly to avoid being captured and taken as slaves by the English. “Liberty’s in every blow!” also associates fighting with freedom, and “every blow” implies that everybody must fight and do their best to defeat Edward’s army.
However, he tells his men that they shall become slaves if defeated: “… proud Edward’s power--// Chains and slaverie!” which shows that the English will make them their property if the Scots don’t win. Also, he justifies the fighting “By your sons in servile chains!”, showing that not even their families will be safe if the battle is lost.
The poems have very different structures. “The Battle of Bannockburn” has a strict structure, with 8 stanzas, each of 4 lines, with 8 syllables per line in most cases. This makes its rhythmic structure much like a piece of music, giving a strong pulse, especially with 4 or 8 beats per line giving the strongest rhythm in a composition. It is much like the beat of a drummer’s drum in an army, and the heroic march being taken towards victory. This is comparable to the theme of the rest of the poem.
The rhythm of “Dulce et Decorum est” is also an analogy to its subject. The poem contains 4 stanzas, of which one is very short and the others are roughly similar. There is rhyming, but the poem isn’t very rhythmic in this way. In short, it is very unstructured. This is just like its subject, showing that anything can happen at any time and there is no fixed rhythm to war.
The poems were written in different historical and social contexts. “The Battle of Bannockburn” was written 450 years after the battle had happened. Thus, there were no direct emotional attachments to the people involved in this battle, and they are remembered as faceless heroes. This allows the poet to glorify war without causing any grief to the reader. However, “Dulce et Decorum est” was written during the war by someone who experienced it. This means it is different because the vast majority of people in Britain during World War I had family or friends serving in the trenches, and so most readers would feel emotionally attached to the person described in the poem as this could happen to any of their loved ones fighting in the war. Therefore, it was important for Owen to deliver the truth about the war in his poem as it directly affected people’s lives; however Burns’ poem didn’t need to do so.
The fact that “Dulce et Decorum est” is written from first hand experience is also important. It shows that Owen understands what is actually happening in the war and is more able to give a description of what life is like in the trenches. However, Burns could have no way of knowing what happened in the Battle of Bannockburn, so he was able to write whatever he wanted. I think that Burns wrote “The Battle of Bannockburn” because he had a strong allegiance to his country and his ancestors, and wanted to describe their heroics without revealing the suffering they may have endured during the fight.
To conclude, I think that both the poems convey extremely strong messages. However, I think that the description of war is presented more realistically in the poem ‘Dulce et Decorum est’. This is because it is describing the vivid recollection of terrifying experiences endured during time in the trenches, whereas ‘The Battle of Bannockburn’ is more impersonal, and doesn’t describe what occurs during battle, instead concentrating on describing what could happen if the battle was abandoned or lost.
