“Dulce et Decorum Est” Wilfred Owen: Study Questions

Notes for Introduction

1. Summarise what the poem is about in no more than 4 sentences.

Notes for Paragraph One

2. Explain the meaning of the title of the poem. What, at first, does it suggest about the
mood and subject of the poem?
3. How does the poet make an impact on the reader in the first two lines of the text? Identify
the 2 similes used and explain what they tell us about the soldiers.
4. Having read these lines what does the reader now understand the real tone of the title of
the poem to be?

Notes for Paragraph Two

5. How does the poet develop the description of the soldiers in lines 3 to 7? Refer to at least
one example of metaphor, and the use of either repetition or word choice in your answer.
6. What does the poet describe in the closing lines of Stanza One?

Notes for Paragraph Three

7. Explain how the pace of the poem changes at the start of Stanza Two. How and why does
the poet change the pace? (Consider the use of sentence structure and what he is trying to
imitate)
8. What adjective does the poet use in Line 10? Why is it effective?

Notes for Paragraph Four

9. Explain what is being described in lines 10 to 14. How does the poet use language in lines
11 and 12 to convey the way in which soldier is moving? Find a quote to back up your answer.
10. Look at lines 13 to 14. How does Owen help us imagine his view of the event he is
describing?
11. Why is the metaphor, ”I saw him drowning” an effective description?

Notes on Stanza 3
12. What is the poet describing in Stanza Three?
13. What does this tell us about Owen’s feelings about the event he witnessed, and the
effect of war on people’s lives?
14. Identify the language technique used in Line 16. How does it make the description of the
dying man more realistic?

Notes on Stanza 4
15. Who is the poet addressing in Stanza Four? Why does he do this?
16. Comment on the use of the word, “flung” in Line 18. What does it suggest about the
soldiers and the way the dying man is treated?
17. Choose a phrase from lines 17 to 23 that describes the dying soldier in a particularly
shocking or realistic way.
Quote the phrase and explain why you feel it is effective.
18. What is the poet’s message in the poem and how is it emphasised in the closing lines (25
to 29) of the poem?

Notes for the Conclusion

19. Consider the poem as a whole. Explain how well you feel Owen has described the reality
of war.
20. Choose a phrase you think is particularly shocking or effective in describing the
experience of war. Quote the phrase you have chosen and explain why you feel it is so
powerful.
 “Dulce et Decorum Est” Wilfred Owen: Essay Plan
Task: Explain how the author creates a shocking and realistic account of the
experience of war.

Introduction
 State the name of the text and the author
 Summarize what the text is about
 Explain what you will discuss in your essay

Paragraph One
 Explain the meaning of the title of the poem and what, at first, it suggests about the
subject of the poem
 Explain how the first two lines of the poem makes an impact on the reader in. Quote
the 2 similes used and explain what they tell us about the soldiers.
 Discuss what the reader now understands the real tone of the title of the poem to be.

Paragraph Two
 Discuss how the poet develops the description of the soldiers in lines 3 to 7. Provide a
quote to back up your answer. Identify and comment on the techniques used.
 Explain what the poet describes in the closing lines of Stanza One and how this
emphasises our understanding of the soldier’s condition.

Paragraph Three
 Explain how the pace of the poem changes at the start of Stanza Two. Use a quote to
back up your point. Explain how and why does the poet change the pace (Consider the use
of sentence structure and what it is imitating)
 Identify the adjective used in Line 10 and explain why it is effective.

Paragraph Four
 Explain what is being described in lines 10 to 14. Provide a quote to back up your
answer. Identify and comment on the techniques used.
 Look at lines 13 to 14. How does Owen help us imagine his view of the event that is
described here.
 Discuss how is the metaphor, ”I saw him drowning” an effective description.

Paragraph Five
 Explain what the poet is describing in Stanza Three.
 Discuss what this tell us about Owen’s feelings about the event he witnessed, and
the effect of war on people’s lives?
 Quote the language technique used in Line 16. Explain how it makes the description
of the dying man more realistic.

Paragraph Six
 Explain who is the poet addressing in Stanza Four and why he does this?
 Comment on the use of the word, “flung” in Line 18 and what it suggests about the
soldiers and the way the dying man is treated.
 Quote a phrase from lines 17 to 23 that describes the dying soldier in a particularly
shocking or realistic way and explain why you feel it is effective.
 Explain the poet’s message in the poem and how it is emphasised in the closing lines
(25 to 29) of the poem.

Conclusion
 Explain how well you feel Owen has described the reality of war. Choose a phrase you
think is particularly realistic or shocking in describing the experience of war. Explain why you
feel it is so powerful.