These lyrics are from the poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen, a renowned World War I poet. The poem vividly describes the horrors of war and the disillusionment that soldiers faced. Let's provide a line-by-line commentary on these powerful verses:
[Verse 1]
"Bent double like old beggars in sacks": The opening line immediately sets the tone by comparing the soldiers to old beggars, suggesting they are physically and mentally worn down by the war.
"Knockkneed and cursing or coughing like hags": The soldiers are described as physically weak and suffering, coughing like old women. The imagery emphasizes their suffering.
"Men marched on sleeping some without boots": This line underscores the dehumanizing conditions of war, where soldiers are forced to march even when they are exhausted and lacking basic necessities like boots.
"Fatigue drunken deaf still to the hoots": Despite their exhaustion, the soldiers are still marching, oblivious to the danger around them, symbolized by the "hoots" of gas shells.
"Of breaking gas shells / Dropping softly behind": The mention of gas shells highlights the constant threat and fear on the battlefield. The shells are falling softly, but they contain deadly gas, which adds to the tension.
"But limped on blood-shod / All went lame all went blind": This powerful imagery describes how the soldiers' feet are so battered that they are "blood-shod," and their suffering has made them physically and emotionally numb.
[Chorus]
"Gas! Gas! Quick boys fumbling helmets in time": The chorus reflects the chaos and urgency of a gas attack, as soldiers hurriedly try to put on their gas masks ("helmets") to save themselves from the deadly gas.
"Someone still screaming a man in fire or lime": Amid the gas attack, the poem highlights the horrifying sounds of fellow soldiers in agony, either burning or choking.
"Under a grey cloud dim dark through green light": The gas creates a surreal and eerie atmosphere, described through colors like grey, dim, dark, and green, which adds to the nightmarish quality of the scene.
"In all my dreaming before my helpless sight": The speaker is haunted by these traumatic images even in his dreams, emphasizing the lasting psychological impact of war.
"He plunges at me / Choking guttering drowning": The imagery here portrays the desperate struggle of a soldier affected by the gas, trying to breathe but ultimately succumbing to it.
"Put in a wagon he had to keep pace / As his eyes melt in his face": This gruesome image describes how a dying soldier is loaded onto a wagon but still suffers as his eyes are affected by the gas.
[Verse 2]
"If you could hear blood / Gurgling from ruptured lungs": The second verse continues to depict the horrific consequences of war, with the graphic description of soldiers suffering from severe injuries.
"If you could witness / Vile sores on innocent tongues": This line emphasizes the innocence of the soldiers who have been subjected to the horrors of war and now bear physical and emotional scars.
"You would not tell me / Not with such pride and such zest": The poem challenges the glorification of war and criticizes those who promote it with patriotic slogans.
"The lies of history / Dulce et decorum est / Pro patria mori": The Latin phrase "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" translates to "It is sweet and proper to die for one's country." The poem denounces this idea as a lie and challenges the notion that war is honorable.
"Some desperate glory / Pro patria mori": The pursuit of glory in war is described as desperate, highlighting the futility and senselessness of sacrificing lives for the sake of national pride.
"Stand firm boys breathe the glory": The poem ends by urging soldiers to hold their ground, but it's a bitter and ironic command, as it contradicts the grim reality depicted throughout the poem. The "glory" they are told to breathe is anything but glorious.
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