Dulce Et Decorum Est and Who’s for the Game

Dulce et Decorum Est and Who’s for the Game

Comparison

What is war? Is it a game? Or is it something more? According to Wilfred Owen in his poem “Dulce et decorum est” war is something more than a game. It is reality. Wilson Owen went to war, he experienced war and he survived to tell the truth on what war is and how the government is deceitful. On the other hand, in Jessie Pope’s mind war is nothing but a game; harmless and fun, which is seen in her poem “Who’s for the game?”. Both poems written during World War One, the “War to End all Wars”, a horrific conflict which killed over 38 million people. “Dulce” is written by a soldier who has experienced the horrors of war himself and wants to show the reality of war. The poem was written as a response to the author of “Who’s for the Game”, Jessie Pope. The real message of the poem is carried in the final line, “My friend, you would not tell with such high zest to children ardent for some desperate glory, Dulce et decorum est” Unfortunately “Dulce” was never received or seen by Jessie Pope as the media was very restricted and the only person to see “Dulce” was Owen’s mother. On the other hand, “WFTG” was published in many newspapers and magazines and is a propaganda poem aimed at young men to join the army, by depicting war as a game; fun and harmless. Owen’s purpose of writing this poem was to show people back home how inhumane and dreadful war is, and is nothing like a game.

Both poems use several similar language techniques, but for different purposes. Pope uses many language devices such as personification and metaphors to depict war as being   glorious and fun, which is a great way for citizens to show their pride and support for their country and do their duty for the king and country, “Your country is up to her neck in a fight,
And she’s looking and calling for you.” Owen, on the other hand, uses language devices such as metaphors and onomatopoeia to represent the harsh truth of war and its consequences, in what seems to be the “The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori”.

 One drastic difference in these poems are the tone and mood, “Dulce” is ironic and horrific, it depicts bleak hopelessness of life on the front. The hollowness of the soldiers trudging through the mud and filth, dead inside from shell shock.” Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots, But limped on, blood-shod. Everything went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots of gas-shells dropping softly behind.”  The sadness of seeing young boys eager for glory, and his disillusionment and anger at "the old lie". Sadness and anger are the most common tone of the poem. Owen’s voice in the poem is bitter as if he is mad that he could not stop the innocent men dying due to all the glory that is meant to be presented and given to the soldier once they return, which has been reinforced in several ways through the media of that time. This is where Owen addresses those people and shows them and blames them for the innocent men dying “My friend, you would not tell with such high zest to children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.”