The Power of Poetry: A Personal Encounter

Poetry is more than just a correlation of words; poetry contains power. Poetry works by sculpting the English language in such a way that it produces sound, while endeavoring to recreate experiences. I really grasped this concept when we read Dulcem Et Decorum Est, by Wilfred Owen. Among other things, this poem contains haunting imagery, and a rhythm that produces the sound of being in the trenches. While reading this poem, Wilfred Owen’s words made me fearful and paranoid. The slightest sound could hold my attention. I also noticed how silent the room felt after we finished the poem. We were all struck and disturbed by the old phrase Dulcem Et Decorum Est. This poem surprisingly changed my mind on life; I started to realize life is about

With further experiences, new insights may lead to furthering our thoughts on a specific poem we are writing. A poem comes out when the world is ready for it. Dulce ET Decorum Est is a great example of this thought. This poem was directed at a specific individual to expose the horror of war, and prove that it is not sweet and fitting to die for one’s country. The poet spends a lot of his time reflecting on the haunting image of a soldier dying from poisonous gas. In fact, it seems the poet can’t forget the image of this soldier gasping for breath. The speaker of this poem states this in line 15 through 16 “In all my dreams before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.” The poet must’ve felt it necessary to release his thoughts on this dying man to the world in order to expose the world to the horror of war. This was around the time when television footage of wars did not occur. The kids signing up or being drafted to be soldiers had no idea that war would be this ugly. In fact, everyone seemed to be telling them Dulcem Et Decorum Est. As a result, I realized that the world was ready and needed this