Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen

https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/dulce-et-decorum-est

Questions:

1.Explain what has happened in the poem.

2. a) Using a red pen, underline any similes in the poem.

b) Choose one you think is especially effective. Explain why you think it works well.

3. a) Using a blue pen, underline any onomatopoeic words in the poem.

b) How do these words make the poem effective?

4. In addition to similes and onomatopoeia, how else has Owen involve the audience in the
poem’s events to make the accident seem real and immediate.

Choose TWO from the list below to explain.

● Narrative person (first then changes to second)
● Use of participles (‘ing’ words)
● Rhyming scheme
● Emotive terms

5. How has the soldier’s injury with the gas affected the persona (the narrator of the poem)?
Use at least one quote to support your answer.

6. Explain what Owen is saying in the final lines of the poem. What is he saying is a lie and
why does he reject it?

7. How does Owen use poetic techniques to show the pity of war and the lack of honour in
war. Provide three examples.