Explore the way that death is portrayed in Wilfred Owens “Dulcet et Decorum est” and Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-term break”
Both Seamus Heaney and Wilfred Owen portray death in “Dulce et Decorum est” and “Mid-term break” using complex literary techniques and vivid imagery in order to touch and appeal to the readers emotions. Though death is presented very differently in each and both poets have very different intentions Wilfred Owen gives a very realistic and detailed account of the suffering of a single man while presenting it as a very normal sight whereas Heaney comments on the suffering that is caused to a family after they have lost a loved ones. The intentions and purpose of the poems also greatly differ Wilfred Owen uses the poem to inform the reader an end the “old lie” in contrast Heaney wrote this poem in order to entertain the reader with an emotional true story, this is also used tell real life events.
Both poets heavily rely on use of literary devices in order to create a vivid portrayal of their situation and in Owen’s case persuade the reader. Owen constantly uses tricolons to make the piece dramatic “guttering, choking, drowning” Seamus Heaney uses a similar technique to portray emotion to the reader, he uses 3 line stanzas this emphasizes certain each line individually. Owen also relies on metaphors and simile’s in order to give the reader something they can relate to “ like old beggars under sacks/ like a devil’s sick of sin.” Heaney does not use this techniques but he uses a very rigid structure until the very end for emphasis, each stanza has 3 lines and no rhyming scheme except the last line of the last second last stanza rhymes with the very last line, this makes the line even more emotional and chilling. In contrast “Dulce et Deorum est” does not have a rigid structure it contains 3 stanzas each of different lengths but it does have an ABAB rhyme scheme, this makes the poem flow far more effectively. “Dulce et Decorum est” is written in...