Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.
GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!– An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.–
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,–
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.*
Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
*Latin Translation: It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.
Passage Analysis
FIG —Annotate and/or read the passage carefully to determine the connotations—plus (+), minus (-), or uncertain (?). Write a one-sentence prediction of what most likely will occur in the reading passage. Write out the parts (the textual support) that lead you to the prediction.
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NAR—Write a one-sentence response labeling the narrator point of view, and state
how this point of view is important in this passage. Explain any shifts in narrator point
of view or in speakers if there are any.
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CHR—Annotate for characterization. Write a sentence or two explaining the nature of the characterization. Discuss any devices, which are associated with the descriptions.
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STR—Annotate a shift clearly. Then write a sentence or two explaining the nature of
the shift and what effect it produces in the passage. Discuss any devices connected with the shift.
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SET—Annotate parts of the passage, which detail the setting. What is the time and place of
the passage. Pay attention to any shifts in setting.
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Write a one-sentence response that explains the situation of the piece and gives any
special connection to the title.
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*Crux—Mark the Crux of the passage (or write it out). It is the piece that leads to the
most obvious statement of overall meaning. Be sure to quote it in your essay!
Thesis Statement—Write out what you believe is the central insight or meaning of the poem. What is Housman revealing about the human condition?
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THE FIVE S STRATEGY FOR PASSAGE ANALYSIS
Practice Decoding “Dulce et Decorum Est”
Key Sentences—Annotate and/or read the passage carefully to determine the connotations—plus (+),
minus (-), or uncertain (?). Write a one-sentence prediction of what most likely will occur in the reading passage. Write out the parts (the textual support) that lead you to the prediction.
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Speaker—Write a one-sentence response labeling the narrator point of view, and state how this
point of view is important in this passage. Explain any shifts in narrator point of view or in speakers
if there are any.
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Situation—Write a one-sentence response that explains the situation of the piece and gives any
special connection to the title.
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Shift—Annotate a shift clearly. Then write a sentence or two explaining the nature of the shift and
what effect it produces in the passage. Discuss any devices that are connected with the shift.
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Syntax—Annotate parts of the passage with significant syntax. Pay particular note to any syntax
clumps. Write a short explanation of the types of syntax elements you encounter and what effects
they produce in the passage.
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*Crux—Mark the Crux of the passage (or write it out). It is the piece that leads to the
most obvious statement of overall meaning. Be sure to quote it in your essay!
Thesis Statement—Write out what you believe is the central insight or meaning of the poem. What
is Owen revealing about the human condition?
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