Dolce et decorum est and who’s for the game essay

Wilfred Owen and Jessie Pope were very popular poets during the WW1. In Jesse Popes poem “ who’s for the game”, her aim was to recruit men and boys to the war whereas Wilfred Owens poem about how he suffered a gas attack and was injured, he also writes about how the men suffered.

In popes poem “ who’s for the game “, she uses an extended metaphor. The metaphor she uses suggests that the war is a game. She describes the war as many types of sports such as football, boxing, racing and also hunting. I think that she uses this because most men are into sports and so they will think that the war is like a sport and go to war, so she uses it to grab their attention.

The mood of her poem is very upbeat and lively, this is because she is using propaganda to convince the men to go to the war unlike Wilfred Owens poem who states out about what she said about the war was wrong and a lie. I sense that she used personification less but rather strongly. I get this idea from “ your country is up to her neck in a fight”. This tells me that she is calling England a female. I think she uses this because it sounds as if our country is drowning and she needs our help therefore you would want to support your country. In this poem it doesn’t create such a strong image in your mind unlike Owens poem which creates a very powerful image in your head.

The quote that creates a strong imagery in your mind was at the end when she quotes” She’s looking and calling for you!” It makes your mind think that my country is calling for me specially. I also get this because she applies the word “ you” very firmly, this also ends the poem off nicely because it is making you think. The structure of her poem is the same in every paragraph; this is because she is using a rhyming word at the end of every sentence. I say she uses this to go with the rhythm she is using or else it will sound odd. I suppose that Wilfred Owens is more effective because it is a primary source of the war so it, again, will make you think.

Even though it was meaningful it also was also strong as it created a much better image in your head unlike popes poem. I get this inspiration from the quote “ he plunges at me, guttering, choking drowning.” This happened during the stanza about when a soldier suffers a gas attack! Wilfred Owen describes what happens to the unlucky soldier by using strong similes. He uses similes more then metaphors unlike Popes poem because he isn’t describing the war as a game or an activity because he isn’t trying to achieve anything but say what the war was really like. In “ dolce et decorum est.

” Wilfred Owen uses a simile at the end of every paragraph. A good example of an excellent simile is in the first stanza,” bent double, like beggars.” He is describing that he was so crouched that you would make out that he is a beggar. I think that Owen’s poem formed a better effect with the similes then the metaphors.

Wilfred Owen did not use personification, but he did use repition in the line “ Gas! Gas! Quick boys!” not only did he use repition he also changed the rhythm by adding speech to his poem. In “ dolce et decorum est.” it did not have a clear structure for the reason that some lines were longer then others and some paragraphs were much shorter then other. An example of one is in a certain stanza which is only 2 lines long, it also didn’t go with beat of the poem which didn’t matter because it did not really have a beat. However this also didn’t affect about you felt about the poem because it was significant and even thoughtful. He also made his poem more exciting by adding sarcasm about Jessie pope by stating her as his “ friend”. To conclude I think that although Wilfred Owens poem was much better in my perspective, Jessie popes poem achieved her aim of sending 1000’s of men to the war on the other hand Wilfred Owens poem did get published and his poem was much more complex and the language he uses is further more intellectual.