Comparing Poetry ~ Brook M. Wilken

I have decided to analyze the similarities and discrepancies between the two poems, The Man He Killed and Dulce et Decorum Est. These poems accurately represent the underlying ethical dilemma associated with war as well as convey the emotional connection to war time experiences. The use of sentence structure, form, irony, similes, rhyme/rhythm, and overall tone of these pieces greatly enhances the underlying meaning. Each poem poetically seeks to resolve the underlying personal motivation of engaging in war, however, each poem speaks about a specific situation and the emotions that were associated their distinct experience. I have chosen to focus on the similarities of structure/form, tone, and theme and contrast the unique experiences that lead to the internal questioning about the reason they engage in war. In the Man He Killed, Hardy uses a conversational, reflective approach to expresses the emotions of the speaker, where as in Dulce et Decorum Est, Owen recounts his traumatic experience while at war and his symbolic interpretation of the death of a fellow soldier and how that represents the evil, infectious traits of war itself. Although the themes are quite similar, their distinct approach and use of irony and symbolism is vastly different.