The War Poems of Wilfred Owen - Contradicting the...

Contradicting the Classical Ideas of Heroism and Romanticism in Dulce et Decorum est, The Send Off, But I Was Looking At The Permanent Stars, The Deadbeat soldier, Counter Attack, Metal Cases and other War Poems by Wilfred Owen Owen displays the reality of war, atypically shown in 20th century literature. By divulging the secrecies and terrors of brutal warfare, he exposes the superficiality of valor and false heroism; through his vivid writing, he opens the eyelids of his readers and discloses, â€Å"the old lie (Owen, Dulce et Decorum est, 25). Owen breaks idealism, replacing it with illness, physical injuries, exhaustion, fatigue and personal hells. Contrasting the Hemingway code hero, Owen displays the reality of war, which†¦show more content†¦Reality equals death. Pain is in existence and the pangs of murder rip up the throats of the prayer-less men, like toxic acid from Satan’s belly. Life is but a savage beast and its harpoon is sleep. In consciousness they have to deal with the bitter realities of war; pain and memories, the latter being the strongest. In this eternal dream all is at peace and harsh memories are discarded. A soldier becomes godlike granting life or death, â€Å" a creature of benevolence bestowing rest on the exhausted soldier, a blessed relief after the stresses of war( Musil, 256).† â€Å"First sleep took him by the brow then the second took him by the heart(257).† The death is a momentary disturbance to the forgiving REM cycle and then life â€Å"ebbs away and stillness ensues (256).† â€Å"Asleep†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.sleep†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦sleeping†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦sleepy(256),† the repetition magnifies a sense of peace. â€Å"Men marched asleep (Dulce et Decorum est, 7),† the idea of sleep and fatigue are very prevalent in Owen’s works. Owen talks of â€Å"in all my dreams†/†smothering dreams (15).† The men are clumsy and fumbling. They â€Å"turned their backs (3)† against the sheets of shelled rain. They become blink, dead, in helpless sight. Consciousness equals pain and reality equals realization; the realization of lost lives, unfaithful wives and fleeting youths. Owen questions the sizing up of men through courage and bravery. In Dulce et Decorum est Owen questions, â€Å"pro propane mori, dulce et decorum est