"Mametz Wood" (Owen Sheers) - vs - "Dulce et Decorum Est" (Wilfred Owen)

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  • Created by: maddy_may
  • Created on: 01-09-17 12:18

"Mametz Wood" (Owen Sheers) - vs - "Dulce et Decorum Est" (Wilfred Owen)

Similarities

  • Both of the poems incorporate graphic visual imagery to help to portray the horrors of war. "Mametz Wood" focuses on the aftermath of the Battle of the Somme, where 4000 welsh soldier died. Whereas, "Dulce et Decorum Est" uses the visual imagery to show a realistic account of a gas attack in WW1. Sheers compares the body parts to fragile objects like a "broken birds egg" and a "china plate" to clearly show how decomposed and fragile they are. Owen incorporates a semantic field of suffocation, through the use of verbs such as "guttering" and "gargling", to create a clear visual image of the suffering the the soldiers endured.
  • The poems both criticise war and the suffering it causes. "Dulce et Decorum Est" takes a bitter, angry tone that opposes the suffering caused by the gas attacks."Mametz Wood" describes the huge quantity of lives lost during the Battle of the Sommes. However although Sheers shows an anti- war view, the start of the poem takes a much gentler approach than "Dulce et Decorum Est".

Differences

  • In the poem "Mametz Wood", Sheers doesn't use a rhyme scheme, this may be to suggest that the placing of the bodies had no regularity or pattern. It could also be inferring that the bodies were found at different times; some were found immediately after and some were discovered "years afterwards". The poem is written in three line stanzas, with varying line lengths to break up the neat of the poem.
  • Owens uses a regular rhyme scheme to reflect how often the gas attacks would occur during the war. The regular rhyme scheme may also suggest that the soldiers had a regimented life that was strictly monitored and controlled. Although the poem doesn't have a clear defined structure, which may be implying that even though the gas attack happened regularly, they were still unpredictable and didn't follow a set pattern.

Overall comparison

Comments

ytghjuytf

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WHATA THE

ytghjuytf

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WHOAH NICE

wisejump

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do you think this might help with the theme of death?

Melis123u

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this is useful. 

thirzacademic

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so helpfulll