Paper 110A: History of English Literature – From 1900 to 2000
Assignment of Paper: 110A “Poetry of Trauma and the Reality of War: Revisiting Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est in the Context of Modern War and Soldier PTSD.”
Table of Content:
1. Abstract
2. Keywords
3. Research Questions
4. Hypothesis
5. Introduction
6. Literature Review
7. Historical Context: War and the Transformation of Poetry
7.1 The Reality of Trench Warfare
7.2 Shell Shock and Psychological Trauma
8. Wilfred Owen: The Poet of War’s Reality
9. Close Reading of Dulce et Decorum Est
9.1 Imagery of Exhaustion and Dehumanization
9.2 The Gas Attack: Violence and Chaos
9.3 Trauma and the Persistence of Memory
10. Critique of War Propaganda
11. Relevance to Modern War and Soldier PTSD
12. Conclusion
13. References
Academic Details
- Name: Sandhya Bhut
- Roll No.: 25
- Enrollment No.: 5108250004
- Sem.: 2
- Batch: 2025 - 2026
- E-mail: sandhyabhut06@gmail.com
Assignment Details
- Paper Name: History of English Literature – From 1900 to 2000
- Paper No.: 110A
- Paper Code: 22403
- Unit: 3 - War Poetry
- Topic: “Poetry of Trauma and the Reality of War: Revisiting Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est in the Context of Modern War and Soldier PTSD.”
- Submitted To: Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
- Submitted Date:
The following information—numbers are counted using Quill Bot.
- Images: 3
- Words: 2433
- Characters: 16596
- Characters without spaces: 14251
- Paragraphs: 91
- Sentences: 178
- Reading time: 9 m 44 s
Abstract
This study examines the representation of war trauma in Wilfred Owen’s poem Dulce et Decorum Est and explores its relevance to modern understandings of soldier psychology and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Written during the First World War, the poem challenges the traditional patriotic belief that dying for one’s country is honorable and glorious. Through vivid imagery, disturbing descriptions of a gas attack, and the depiction of recurring traumatic memories, Owen exposes the harsh realities faced by soldiers on the battlefield. The paper analyzes how the poem portrays both the physical suffering and psychological distress experienced by soldiers, highlighting the gap between patriotic propaganda and the lived experience of war. By incorporating insights from trauma studies and modern psychological perspectives, this research demonstrates that Owen’s poetry anticipates contemporary discussions about the emotional consequences of warfare. The study also explores how war literature functions as a medium for representing trauma and questioning ideological narratives that glorify conflict. Ultimately, the research argues that Dulce et Decorum Est remains a powerful literary text that reveals the psychological realities of war and continues to resonate in the context of modern conflicts and soldier PTSD.
Keywords
War Poetry, Wilfred Owen, Dulce et Decorum Est, War Trauma, Post, Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), First World War Literature, Psychological Effects of War, Anti-War Poetry
Research Questions
- How does Wilfred Owen represent the physical and psychological trauma of soldiers in Dulce et Decorum Est?
- In what ways does the poem challenge the traditional patriotic idea that dying for one’s country is honorable?
- How can the traumatic experiences depicted in the poem be connected to modern understandings of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
- What role does war poetry play in revealing the emotional and psychological consequences of warfare?
Hypothesis
This study hypothesizes that Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est functions as a powerful literary representation of war trauma by exposing the physical suffering and psychological distress experienced by soldiers during the First World War. Through vivid imagery and recurring memories of violence, the poem anticipates modern psychological concepts such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Furthermore, the poem challenges patriotic propaganda by revealing the stark contrast between the glorified image of war and the traumatic reality faced by soldiers on the battlefield.
1. Introduction
War has always been a powerful and recurring theme in literature because it exposes the most intense aspects of human experience—fear, suffering, sacrifice, and moral conflict. Writers often turn to literature as a means of exploring the psychological and emotional consequences of warfare. Among different literary forms, poetry has proven especially effective in expressing the emotional realities of war, as it combines vivid imagery, emotional intensity, and symbolic language.
The First World War (1914–1918) marked a crucial turning point in the representation of war in literature. Prior to this period, war was frequently depicted as a heroic and honorable endeavor, and patriotic poetry often celebrated sacrifice for the nation. However, the unprecedented scale of violence and destruction during the First World War dramatically changed this perspective. Many soldiers who experienced the war firsthand began to reject romanticized portrayals of battle and instead revealed the harsh realities of life on the battlefield.
One of the most influential voices of this literary transformation is Wilfred Owen, whose poetry presents a powerful critique of war and its glorification. Owen’s poem Dulce et Decorum Est is widely regarded as one of the most significant anti-war poems in English literature. Through its graphic imagery and emotional intensity, the poem exposes the physical exhaustion, fear, and trauma endured by soldiers during trench warfare.
Stephen Benz describes Owen’s poem as a rhetorical intervention that forces readers to confront the gap between patriotic rhetoric and the brutal reality of combat. According to Benz, Owen deliberately uses shocking imagery to reveal “the physical and moral consequences of warfare that patriotic narratives attempt to conceal” (Benz, 2018).
In modern scholarship, Owen’s poetry has increasingly been examined through the lens of trauma studies and psychological theory. Although the concept of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was formally recognized only in the late twentieth century, the emotional experiences described in Owen’s poetry closely resemble the symptoms associated with traumatic stress. Herbert Lomas notes that war poets such as Owen reveal the “moral and psychological disillusionment that arises when the ideals of heroism collapse in the face of brutal reality” (Lomas, 1985).
This paper examines Dulce et Decorum Est as a literary representation of war trauma. By analyzing the poem’s imagery, narrative voice, and critique of patriotic ideology, the study demonstrates how Owen’s work exposes the psychological reality of warfare and anticipates contemporary discussions of soldier PTSD.
2. Literature Review
Scholars have long recognized Wilfred Owen as one of the most important literary voices of the First World War. His poetry has been widely studied for its powerful critique of war and its representation of soldier suffering.
Stephen Benz (2018) argues that Dulce et Decorum Est operates as a rhetorical confrontation with patriotic ideology. According to Benz, Owen deliberately challenges readers who believe in the glory of war by forcing them to witness its brutal consequences. Through vivid imagery and emotional intensity, the poem dismantles the myth of heroic sacrifice.
Herbert Lomas (1985) places Owen within the broader tradition of war poetry and suggests that poets like Owen serve as cultural critics who expose the contradictions of national ideology. Lomas argues that war poets challenge the social narratives that glorify war while ignoring its devastating human cost.
Similarly, James D. Brophy (1971) emphasizes the contrast between Owen’s poetry and earlier patriotic war literature. Brophy observes that Owen’s poems replace the heroic soldier with a figure who is physically exhausted, vulnerable, and deeply traumatized by war.
Anne Borsay (2015) explores the representation of disability in First World War poetry and notes that such literature reveals the long-term physical and psychological damage caused by warfare. She argues that war poetry exposes “the hidden injuries of soldiers whose trauma continues long after the battlefield experience has ended” (Borsay, 2015).
More recent studies have also connected war literature with trauma theory. Dirk Van Rens (2023) explains that traumatic experiences are often represented in literature through recurring images and fragmented memories. Such narrative techniques reflect the psychological difficulty of processing violent events.
Together, these scholarly perspectives suggest that Owen’s poetry not only documents historical experience but also provides an early literary exploration of psychological trauma.
3. Historical Context: War and the Transformation of Poetry
3.1 The Reality of Trench Warfare
The First World War introduced new forms of warfare that dramatically increased the scale of human suffering. Soldiers were forced to live in trenches for long periods under extremely harsh conditions. Mud, disease, exhaustion, and constant artillery bombardment became a normal part of daily life on the Western Front.
These experiences fundamentally changed the way soldiers understood war. Instead of heroic adventure, war became associated with fear, physical suffering, and psychological distress.
Lorna Hardwick describes First World War poetry as a “poetry of unease,” reflecting the deep moral conflict and emotional trauma experienced by soldiers (Hardwick, 2025). Rather than celebrating victory, many war poets focused on the vulnerability and suffering of the human body.
3.2 Shell Shock and Psychological Trauma
One of the most important psychological consequences of trench warfare was the emergence of shell shock, a condition that affected thousands of soldiers. Symptoms included anxiety, trembling, nightmares, and emotional breakdown.
Although the term PTSD was not yet known, modern historians recognize shell shock as an early form of trauma-related psychological disorder. According to Anne Borsay, First World War poetry often reflects the emotional and psychological consequences of these experiences (Borsay, 2015).
Wilfred Owen’s poetry vividly captures these psychological effects, making it a powerful literary record of war trauma.
4. Wilfred Owen: The Poet of War’s Reality
Wilfred Owen served as a British officer during the First World War and directly experienced the horrors of trench warfare. His personal experiences deeply shaped his poetic vision.
After suffering from shell shock, Owen was sent to Craiglockhart War Hospital, where he met the poet Siegfried Sassoon. Sassoon encouraged him to write honestly about his war experiences rather than adopting the patriotic tone common in earlier war poetry.
Owen famously wrote that the subject of his poetry was “the pity of war.” His aim was not to glorify war but to reveal its human cost.
According to Fuad Abdul Muttaleb and Tarik Hamadne, Owen’s poetry represents a powerful testimony against the brutality of war because it transforms personal experience into universal expression (Abdul Muttaleb et al., 2019). Through his poetry, Owen gives voice to the suffering of soldiers who were often ignored by official narratives of war.
5. Close Reading of Dulce et Decorum Est
5.1 Imagery of Exhaustion and Dehumanization
The poem begins with a striking description of exhausted soldiers:
“Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge.”
These lines immediately disrupt the heroic image of soldiers traditionally associated with war poetry. Instead of strong warriors, Owen portrays soldiers as physically broken and exhausted.
The comparison of soldiers to “beggars” and “hags” emphasizes their vulnerability and loss of dignity. According to critical commentary from the British Library, Owen deliberately uses these comparisons to highlight the physical degradation experienced by soldiers in trench warfare.
Through this imagery, Owen challenges the romantic ideal of war as a noble adventure.
5.2 The Gas Attack: Violence and Chaos
The central moment of the poem occurs when the soldiers are suddenly attacked with poison gas:
“Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! — An ecstasy of fumbling.”
The sudden exclamation creates a sense of panic and chaos. Soldiers desperately attempt to put on their gas masks, but one soldier fails to do so in time.
Owen describes the soldier’s suffering in graphic detail:
“He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.”
The violent verbs emphasize the agony of the dying soldier. The imagery is so vivid that readers can almost visualize the scene.
Leo Van Bergen and his colleagues suggest that representations of suffering in war literature force readers to confront the ethical consequences of violence (Van Bergen et al., 2010). Owen’s depiction of the gas attack serves exactly this purpose.
5.3 Trauma and the Persistence of Memory
The most psychologically significant moment of the poem occurs when the speaker describes how the memory of the dying soldier continues to haunt him:
“In all my dreams before my helpless sight
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.”
This repetition shows that the traumatic event has become embedded in the speaker’s memory. The speaker cannot escape the image even in his dreams.
Dirk Van Rens explains that trauma is often represented in literature through recurring images that resist closure or resolution (Van Rens, 2023). Owen’s poem illustrates this phenomenon with remarkable clarity.
6. Critique of War Propaganda
The poem concludes with a direct challenge to the patriotic slogan that glorifies dying for one’s country:
“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.”
By calling the phrase “the old Lie,” Owen directly attacks the ideology that encourages young men to seek glory in war.
Stephen Benz argues that this final statement transforms the poem into a moral accusation against those who promote war without understanding its consequences (Benz, 2018).
7. Relevance to Modern War and Soldier PTSD
Although Owen wrote Dulce et Decorum Est during the First World War, the themes of the poem remain highly relevant today. Soldiers in modern conflicts often experience psychological trauma similar to that described in Owen’s poem.
Modern research on PTSD has shown that many veterans suffer from recurring memories, nightmares, and emotional distress long after leaving the battlefield. These symptoms closely resemble the traumatic memories described by Owen.
Leo Van Bergen and his colleagues argue that representations of suffering in war literature continue to shape public understanding of the human cost of conflict (Van Bergen et al., 2010).
Owen’s poetry therefore remains a powerful reminder that the psychological consequences of war extend far beyond the battlefield.
8. Conclusion
Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est stands as one of the most powerful literary responses to the reality of modern warfare. Through vivid imagery, emotional intensity, and sharp irony, the poem exposes the brutal conditions of trench warfare and the psychological trauma experienced by soldiers.
The poem challenges the romanticized view of war and reveals the human suffering hidden behind patriotic slogans. By presenting the death of a soldier in such graphic detail, Owen forces readers to confront the moral consequences of war.
More than a century after its publication, Dulce et Decorum Est continues to resonate with readers because it captures the enduring psychological impact of warfare. In doing so, Owen’s poetry serves as both a historical document and a timeless warning against the glorification of war.
9. References:
“A Close Reading of ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’: The British Library.” British Library, www.britishlibrary.cn/en/articles/a-close-reading-of-dulce-et-decorum-est/. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Abdul Muttaleb, Fuad, and Tarik Hamadne. “War Poetry: Wilfred Owen as a Soldier and Poet.” Literary Endeavour, 2019. www.literaryendeavour.org/files/w69ip9sraoglyjfthjcx/2019-07%2001.War%20Poetry%20Wilfred%20Owen%20as%20a%20Soldier%20and%20Poet%20-Fuad%20Abdul%20Muttaleb%20and%20Tarik%20Hamadne.pdf. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Borsay, Anne. “Disability in British poetry of the First World War.” Disability & Society, vol. 30, no. 4, 21 Apr. 2015, pp. 499–512, https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2014.902364.
Brophy, James D. “The War Poetry of Wilfred Owen and Osbert Sitwell: An Instructive Contrast.” Modern Language Studies, vol. 1, no. 2, 1971, pp. 22–29. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3194256. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Hardwick, Lorna. “The poetry of unease in the First World War: Heroes, conflicts, bodies, values.” Journal of War & Culture Studies, vol. 19, no. 1, 6 Oct. 2025, pp. 88–104, https://doi.org/10.1080/17526272.2025.2553264.
Herbert Lomas. “The Critic as Anti-Hero: War Poetry.” The Hudson Review, vol. 38, no. 3, 1985, pp. 376–89. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3851364. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Kerby, Martin, and Margaret Baguley. “Visualising emptiness: The landscape of the Western Front and Australian and English children’s Picture books.” Landscape History, vol. 44, no. 1, 2 Jan. 2023, pp. 103–120, https://doi.org/10.1080/01433768.2023.2196125.
Owen, Wilfred, et al. Dulce et Decorum Est. Strauss House Productions, 2018.
Van Bergen, Leo, et al. “From Goya to Afghanistan – an essay on the ratio and ethics of medical war pictures.” Medicine, Conflict and Survival, vol. 26, no. 2, Apr. 2010, pp. 124–144, https://doi.org/10.1080/13623699.2010.491386.
Van Rens, Dirk. “‘this ain’t the way it’s s’posed to be’: Negotiating trauma through Postmemory and implication in Yaa Gyasi’s homegoing.” English Studies, vol. 104, no. 5, 4 July 2023, pp. 766–788, https://doi.org/10.1080/0013838x.2023.2234218.
Stephen Benz. “The Poet as Rhetor: A Reading of Wilfred Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum Est.’” Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 41, no. 3, 2018, pp. 1–17. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2979/jmodelite.41.3.01. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
