Week 2 Homework Assignment

Dulce Et Decorum Est

Wilfred Owens

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, 

Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, 

Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, 

And towards our distant rest began to trudge. 

Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots, 

But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; 

Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots 

Of gas-shells dropping softly behind. 

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling 

Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time, 

But someone still was yelling out and stumbling 

And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.—

Dim through the misty panes and thick green light, 

As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. 

In all my dreams before my helpless sight, 

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. 

If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace 

Behind the wagon that we flung him in, 

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, 

His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin; 

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood 

Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, 

Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud 

Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,— 

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.

Source:Poems(Viking Press, 1921)

Assignment:

Your assignment this week is to write a paragraph response to ONE of the following prompts:

1.  The Latin quotation from the Roman poet Horace, means “It is sweet and becoming to die for one’s country.” What is the poem’s comment on this statement?

2.  List the elements of the poem that seem not beautiful and therefore “unpoetic.” Are there any elements of beauty in the poem?

3.  How do the comparisons in lines 1, 14, 20, and 23-24 contribute to the effectiveness of the poem?

4.  What does the poem gain by moving from plural pronouns and the past tense to singular pronouns and present tense?

Remember to follow the academic paragraph guidelines. The response should be between 125 and 150 words, or half a page (double-spaced).  

1.   Begin with an introduction to the poet, name of poem, and a claim that responds to the prompt you are addressing. For example, you might say something like, “Wilfred Owen’s war poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est” defies the standard beautiful poem by using elements that leave the reader disturbed. 

2.   Next, you’ll define or back up your claim with a definition, explanation, or concession. For example, “Owens’ use of language conjures imagery of horror and loss.”

3.   Get into the text and demonstrate what you mean.  “His heroes are tormented by the enemy “guttering, choking, and drowning.” You can give a couple of examples here to make your argument stronger. “Blood comes “gargling from froth-corrupted lungs” and the reader is left with anything but a serene scene.

4.   Conclude your paragraph by tying your argument together. “Wilfred Owen’s nostalgic Latin phrase teases out the irony in the poem by working together with the horrific imagery and shocking word choice to remind the reader that war, like some poetry, is not beautiful.”

This assignment is due at the beginning of class next Tuesday.  You will be given some time to work on this in class with your peers. The final draft will be due August 28th. Remember, Mr. Preston Atkinson will teach for me next week, since my husband is having surgery. I am available by text or email if you need any other help! We will pick up with short stories when I return, the 28th. 

Your house point challenge this week is to find a modern song (this can be pop, Christian, country, rock, rap, or whatever you enjoy) and do a literary analysis. Find a similie, or a metaphor, or symbolism. The more literary devices you can correctly find, the more points you earn for your team! You must send me your annotated lyrics or a copy of the lyrics of the song and your evaluation of which devices are seen and where. Have fun with this one!