Brainstorming thoughts for poetry comparison

The poetry paper that I plan to write will compare Wilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” and Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Man He Killed.” Based on the dates these were written, it would appear that Owen’s poem relates to World War I, which was a war that used poison gas very heavily; and Hardy’s poem most likely relates to the Boer War, although it never mentions that war. The speaker’s of both pieces have a very negative attitude regarding war, and they both feel that they are the victims, even though they are still alive. The horrors of war are made real with graphic imagery and figurative language in “Dulce et Decorum Est,” while “The Man He Killed” is presented using simple language in a conversational style. Both poems use irony to get their point across in the last stanza. Hardy’s speaker calls war “quaint and curious” (line 17), while Owen’s speaker brings the message of “The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est” (line 27). The tone of both pieces is somewhat cynical, although there is also a sadness that runs through both. At this point, these thoughts are a little random, as I am brainstorming on exactly what I will be writing.