The soldier by Rupert Brooke and Dulce et decorum est by Wilfred Owen

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War Poetry - The soldier by Rupert Brooke and Dulce et decorum est by Wilfred Owen

The poems "The soldier" by Rupert Brooke and "Dulce et decorum est" by

Wilfred Owen are related to the events in WWI. These two poems

concentrate on a similar subject, going to war, but have totally

different points of view and contradict each other. Rupert Brooke has

a patriotic point of view meanwhile Wilfred Owen has a critical

opinion. Both of the authors use their own knowledge to show us how

soldiers confront war and what consequences do war brings to soldiers.

"The soldier" tells about soldiers dying for their own country. Rupert

Brooke describes that if you are a soldier and if you die in a

battlefield, you become part of the ground. He uses himself as an

example, to express his opinion. He tells that he was from England and

he represented this country, so if he died in battlefield and fell

onto the ground, he would become a part of the ground, so as he is

representing England, by forming a part to the ground, he leaves a

part of England into it. So by using this example he shows that all

the English soldiers that die in a battlefield, leave a part of

England in the place. He participated in the WWI and as a result of

his experiences he thought that war was a thing where men had to go

and that was an honor to participate in. he also represented most of

the soldiers opinions before they went to war.

Meanwhile the theme of "Dulce et Decorum Est" is quite different.

Wilfred Owen talks about soldiers that do not want to die for their

own country. He doesn't speak in a patriotic way as in "The soldier",

but he tells more about the soldiers suffering. He describes how

soldiers go to war thinking that it will be a fu...

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...one of darkness, fear, suffering and terror. Between the poetic

devices used there are two imagery (one example is: If you could hear,

at every jolt, the blood of froth-corrupted lung obscene as cancer

bitter as the cud.), there are some similes( one example is: Bent

double like old beggars under sacks.) and a Alliteration (But limped on,

blood shod).

While Rupert Brooke says that it is an honor to die for his country,

because you leave a part of the country in the battlefield, Wilfred

Owen says that soldiers do not want to go to war, because they know

that it is only suffering. Two soldiers and two different views appear

in these poems. While Rupert Brooke is patriotic, Wilfred Owen says

that to die for a country and gain honor, is a lie. Wilfred Owen uses

and excellent quote to express his feelings: The old Lie: "Dulce et

decorum est Pro patria mori."

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