Above all I am not concerned with poetry. My subject is war, and the pity of war, The poetry is in the pity."-Wilfred Owen .
"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks." Is the melancholy air in which the famous poem- "Dulce et Decorum Est", begins. The content of this poem is based upon war and tragedy. Wilfred Owen tries to show the harsh reality of war, to people who were still content in believing it was noble and glorious. His message is that if only they could experience his "smothering dreams" which are but an echo of what his comrade suffered, then maybe they would change their beliefs. His reference to children in the line- "My friend you would not tell with such high zest to children ardent for some desperate glory" was written probably because many of the young men who Owen was suffering with signed up because of the belief that war was glorious and noble. Owen is saying that if only the parents knew what would happen to their children if they fought in a war like this one they would never tell them what others had been told before. .
The language used in this poem is not overly complex. Owen uses similes and metaphors, particularly in stanza one to express himself. To fully understand his poem you need to look beyond literal meanings. The poem is comprised of four different stanzas of unequal length. The first two are in sonnet form, however the next two stanzas are similar to sonnet form, but are looser in structure. Another point is that in significant lines, Owen changes the rhythm. This is very effective, as it highlights that line and allows the reader time to reflect. .
Another factor, which I particularly admire in this poem, is how well the poet conveys the tone and feeling of the piece. In the first stanza, the poet does not express any of his own emotions, only stating their appearance and motions. However, we do feel pity and even anger at the plight of these poor men.
