“Dulce et decorum est” – Wilfred Owen

Who was Wilfred Owen?
He was a soldier in the first world war. He also wrote some of the best poetry of world war 1. He died one week before armistice in November 1918. He died in action at age 25. He was born on 18 March 1893. Mentor siegfried sassoom. He became a teaching assistant so his writing was top notch.

Why Did he Write the Poem?
He wrote the poem to shock civilians at home who believed the war was noble and glorious. He wrote the poem for his mother, telling them not to tell anyone that war is glorious. Written to emphasize how the war was carrying on beyond reason.

When and Where Was the Poem Written?
“The earliest surviving draft is dated 8th October 1917” Don’t know where. Wrote it a day after seeing his friends being killed by the gas. Wrote most of the poetry in hospital suffering from shell shock.

What does this poem mean to readers today?
Shows the horrors war entailed.

How is this poem interpreted?
It was a form of catharsis for him, for post traumatic stress of war.
“Normal isnt a word that has any meaning for soldiers anymore.” – Soldiers can’t forget what they have been through, there lives will never be the same.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/wilfred-owen
http://www.wilfredowen.org.uk/poetry/dulce-et-decorum-est

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