Language and style
Here we address the language and style of the poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen…
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Playing with the language
The poem does not play with language too much. Most of the words are used with their literal meaning. This is because the poem is meant to be a very realistic description of the atrocities that happen on a battlefield. However, there are some interesting words associatio…
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The sentence structure
Most of the sentences in the poem are constructed using inverted syntax. In other words, they do not respect the standard word order we use in every day speech. …
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Repetition
The only striking repetition in the poem is that of the word “gas” (l. 9). The repetition helps both to suggest the panic of the soldiers and to bring the focus on the main topic of the poem, t…
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Irony
Irony is mainly employed in the last four lines of the poem. Until then, we do not know that the speaker actually wants to criticise those who assume war is honourable and worth fighting. It is only by the ironical use of the appellative “my f…
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The effect of the language and style
Overall, the language and style of the poem make i…
