Dulce et Decorum Est

Dulce et Decorum est

What impressed me when I read the poem ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ meaning ‘it is sweet and right to die for your country, was that the title was put to so much infamy, in such a demeaning way. ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ written by Wilfred Owen during world war one is a prime example of early war poetry. Wilfred Owen is a pioneer in poetry as he wrote so unorthodoxly about war, making ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ a piece of innovative poetry.

What make this poem so effective are the poetic techniques the author utilises. The poem is based on a decasyllabic system. A wide range of punctuation is used effectively so the reader can read at the intended pace. The rhythm is quite regular and unlike most poems music can’t be played to it, which is very suitable as Owen isn’t trying to make it a pleasurable, lyrical poem but a precise, memorable poem. The rhyming scheme or pattern is not very intricate and a simple standard for most poems.

The author uses int...