04/03/2015

ALiteraryAnalysisofDulceetDecorumEst:Val'sArticles,MusingsandStuff!

Anastropheistheinversionthelogicalsequenceofevents.Owensuseofthistechnique
effectivelysecuresrhymeandgivesaddedemphasistothefatigueandwearinessofthesoldiers.If
thesentenceread:Wecursedthroughthesludge,bentdoublelikeoldbeggarsandcoughinglike
hagstillweturnedourbacksonthehauntingflaresandbegantotrudgetowardourdistantrestthe
emphasiswouldhavebeenonthedifficultmarchtothedistantrest.Rather,byinvertingthe
opening,descriptivephrase,Owendramaticallyreinforces,instead,thepatheticphysicalcondition
oftheexhaustedsoldiers.
ByopeningthepoemwithaSpondee,Owenpaintsavividimageofbonewearysoldiers
marchingoutofcadence.Theplightofthebentdouble,knockkneed,coughingsoldiersasthey
curse(notmarch)throughsludgeistherebydramaticallyemphasized.
BytheuseofElisiontheauthorsecuresthedesiredrhyme.Theuseoftheaptlydescriptiveterm
(floundring)conformstothemetricalfootbyreducingthewordbyonesyllable.Thistechniquehas
theaddedeffectofgivingasenseofimmediacytotheactionsofthemen.
Anacoluthonisdeliberatelyusedthroughouttheentiresecondstanzaforemotionaleffect.The
incompletesentencescreatetheimageofhasteandpanicafeelingofbreathlessnessboth
literally(thegasischoking)andfiguratively(humanbeingsexperienceshortnessofbreathintimes
ofpanicandhaste.)
Metaphordescribesthephysicalconditionofthesoldiers.Theyaremenmarchingasleep,lame,
blind,deafanddrunk.
SimilieandAllusionareemphaticdevicesusedtoportraythedesperateconditionoftheweary
soldiers.Theyarebeggarsandhags.Theirlowlyandpitifulstateisdespicable,notadmirable.The
implicationisthatsoldiersarenotthegreatnoblewarriorsalludedtointhetitleofthepoem
rather,theyarecomparabletothelowestelementsofsocietyandtherebydeservingofpityand
scorn.
Personificationfurtherenhancestheimageofweariness.Eventhegunsareweary.Outstripped,
tiredFiveNines,obscenecancer,desperategloryandsmotheringdreamsemphasizethetrue
conditionofthebattlewearysoldiers.
TheuseofArchetypeandIronyfurtherenhancestheimageofsuffering.Thepictureofadevil,
accordingtothearchetypeinclassicalorbiblicalliteratureportraysacreaturewhothrivesonsin,
indecencyandimmorality.Thesimile:Adevilsickofsinpresentsatrulyunimaginablereality.
Thesoldierssufferingissohorrificthateventhebeingthatthrivesallthatisevilishimself,
repulsed.
Pathosarousesourpity,sorrowandindignation.Thesoldierishelplessandsuffering.Sotoo,is
thenarrator.AndsotoowillbethechildreniftheybelievetheLie.

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