"Dulce et decorum est" is a phrase from a Latin poem by the Roman poet Horace. It translates to "it is sweet and fitting," and is often used to describe actions or behaviors that are considered noble or honorable. The phrase has been famously used as the title of a poem by Wilfred Owen, a British soldier and poet who fought in World War I. In Owen's poem, the phrase is used ironically to convey the horror and brutality of war.
The poem "Dulce et decorum est" was written by Owen in 1917, during the height of World War I. It is a poignant and powerful depiction of the reality of war, and the toll it takes on the soldiers who fight in it. The poem opens with a description of the soldiers trudging through the mud and rain, exhausted and worn down by the physical and emotional demands of war.
As the poem progresses, Owen describes a gas attack that takes place on the battlefield. The soldiers struggle to put on their gas masks in time, and one of them is left behind. The image of this soldier, "guttering, choking, drowning" as he gasps for air, is a particularly poignant and powerful one. It serves to underscore the terrible reality of war, and the suffering and death that it brings.
The final lines of the poem are perhaps the most famous, and are often quoted as a statement about the true nature of war. In these lines, Owen writes:
"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."
These lines are a powerful and poignant critique of the idea that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. Owen argues that the reality of war is not noble or honorable, but rather grotesque and obscene. He suggests that those who glorify war and encourage young people to fight for their country are perpetuating a lie.
In conclusion, "Dulce et decorum est" is a phrase that has taken on a new meaning in the context of Wilfred Owen's poem. While it was originally used to describe actions or behaviors that were considered noble or honorable, Owen uses it ironically to convey the horror and brutality of war. Through his powerful and poignant writing, he challenges the idea that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country, and suggests that the true nature of war is grotesque and obscene.
