summary of the poem dulce et decorum est
Dulce et Decorum est Formally, the poem combines two sonnets, as it is formed by 28 lines, though the spacing of the stanzas is irregular.[citation needed] The text presents a vignette from the front lines of World War I; specifically, of British soldiers attacked with chlorine gas. In the rush when the shells with poison gas explode, one soldier is unable to get his mask on in time. The speaker of the poem describes the gruesome effects of the gas on the man and concludes that, if one were to see first-hand the reality of war, one might not repeat mendacious platitudes like dulce et decorum est pro patria mori: "How sweet and honourable it is to die for one's country."
Beowulf Beowulf (/ˈbeɪoʊwʊlf/ Old English: [ˈbeːo̯ˌwulf]) is an Old English epic poem consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It may be the oldest surviving long poem in Old English and is commonly cited as one of the most important works of Old English literature. A date of composition is a matter of contention among scholars; the only certain dating pertains to the manuscript, which was produced between 975 and 1025.[2] The author was an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, referred to by scholars as the "Beowulf poet".[3]