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Wilfred Owen
Dulce Et Decorum Est
Poem by Wilfred Owen
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned out 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.
Topic(s) of this poem: war
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Read poems about / on: green, sick, children, friend, fire, lost, sea, light, child, dream
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i hate war now its so shoking(Report)Reply
this is a poem I think(Report)Reply
this is the best thing I have ever seen
Its a great poem i enjoyed by poem thanks(Report)Reply
This poem made me a pacifist. We studied it as part of O-Level English Lit and I'd never been so shocked and moved by an account of wartime.(Report)Reply
Brilliant poem. Crap Latin. Wilfred Owen appears to be unaware of the double elision which Horace employs here I have not yet heard a reading where the reader is aware of this. This is a great shame.(Report)Reply
cool ob not
got em
epicstorybro(Report)Reply
In all my dreams before my helpless sight
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.(Report)Reply
Such an incredible poem(Report)Reply
The most stirring of poems.An inspiration to write a great work.Conjures up an everlasting image of the Great War.O God bless their souls.May their families thrive and memories of them survive.(Report)Reply
Chheese(Report)Reply
Excellent work of poetry
Just splendid.(Report)Reply
Brexiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit(Report)Reply
Great poem(Report)Reply
Well communicated and nicely written.(Report)Reply
This guy is my favorite poet(Report)Reply
no none of us thought you were even educated
Make America Great Again
didnt think you could read
egg
.(Report)Reply
Why the automated robot reads the numbers of the lines is insane, the poem has no NUMBERS PERIOD!(Report)Reply
Tragedy follows the poet even in War!(Report)Reply
........................... 8=/)(Report)Reply
I enjoyed reading poems by Wilfred Owen in one of my poetry classes and since I learned about his amazing style in writing war poetry, I find his poetry to be intriguing and thought provoking. Dulce Et Decorum Est is one of my favorite poems by Wilfred Owen.(Report)Reply