Wilfred Owen

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the poems of Wilfred Owen and their relationship to his experiences in World War I. The paper focuses on his poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" to demonstrate how World War I affected his writing. The author also explores how the "Great War" influenced young people to produce some remarkable war poetry. Owen is a member of the distinguished group that also includes Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves. The paper highlights how many young men, Owen included, chose to join the war because they believed it was a just war and their participation in the conflict was the right and patriotic thing to do. According to the author, their poetry reflects their disillusionment with the war.

From the Paper:

"The Great War is, of course, famous for its devastation and reputation as the war to end all wars. It has become renowned, too, for producing some remarkable war poetry. Owen is a member of the distinguished group that also includes Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves. The war poets all sought to reconcile the destruction of the time period with history, even perhaps the traditions of romance or mythology. The tone of "Dulce et Decorum Est" is clearly against the war, but Owen's poetry did not begin in this vein. Owen aspired to be a poet because he admired the romantic poets Wordsworth and Keats (Hibberd). His early education was in languages and literature, and his first jobs were in teaching. It is interesting to note that he was a pious Evangelical until he left home to take the position of assistant to the Vicar of Dunsden. While there, he "lost his faith" and suffered "a severe breakdown." Although Owen had the benefits of a strong upbringing and a solid education, he was also susceptible to the opinions of others. His experience with the Vicar of Dunsden affected him and challenged his views just as his later experience in the war altered the kind of poetry he chose to write."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anderson, Robert et al, editor. Elements of Literature: Literature of Britain. United States: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1993.
• Hibberd, Dominic. "Wilfred Owen." War Poets Association, August, 2004. Retrieved April 17, 2006 from http:/www.warpoets.org/conflicts/greatwar/owen/
• Owen, Wilfred. "Dulce et Decorum Pro Patria Mori." Reprinted in http://www.english.emory.edu/LostPoets/Dulce.html
• Perrine, Laurence. Sound and Sense, 11th Edition. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth, 2005.
• Roberts, David. "Wilfred Owen: greatest war poetry writing in the English language." Retrieved April 17, 2006, from http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owena.htm

More papers on Wilfred Owen:

• Research Paper # 91515 : "Wilfred Owen"
• Analytical Essay # 120494 : "Wilfred Owen and Ted Hughes"
• Analytical Essay # 41565 : "Wilfed Owen's "Anthem for Doomed Youth"

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