Bent Double, Like Old Beggars Under Sacks s2

Dulce et Decorum Est Teachers’ Version 2.5

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, The commas demarcate the similes; add subtext to the two literal Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through physical descriptions. Awkwardness of sludge, soldiers’ movements is suggested by breaking up rhythm with commas. Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Simple short sentence emphasizes the soldiers’ weariness. Contrasts with the Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots lengthy description which preceded it. But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Three semi-colons making a stronger Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots break between ideas than a comma – Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind. emphasises the loss of senses referred to in each image; slows rhythm to sound as halting and clumsy Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! - An ecstasy of fumbling, as the men’s movements. Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; Three single word or very short But someone still was yelling out and stumbling, sentences with exclamation marks signals change of pace and tone; And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . . action; something happening; the Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, sense of panic. Dash emphasises shock of the attack – a pause before As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. they realize and reach for gas masks. In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, What is the ellipsis for? Is it too awful He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. to describe? Is it suggesting that he is disappearing from sight in the gas? If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Separating the three verbs with Behind the wagon that we flung him in, commas slows pace and emphasizes suffering; attention drawn to harsh And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, sounds and desperate actions. His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin; Last verse is all one long sentence. If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Why? Builds up to the final statement; Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, the long sentence ‘piles up’ the awfulness of the gas attack. Commas Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud demarcate the hideous details and Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, make us dwell on them. ‘If’ clauses, demarcated with semi-colon, build up My friend, you would not tell with such high zest the argument that war is obscene, not To children ardent for some desperate glory, glorious. The old Lie: Dulce et Decorum est Capital letter – to emphasise the Pro patria mori. enormity of the lie? What does the colon do? Creates a break before making the significant point? Ensures we make the connection clearly, that the sentiment “It is a sweet and fitting thing to die for one’s country” is a total falsehood.