The Theme of Death in War in The Rich Dead and Dulce et Decorum Est Ess

The Theme of Death in War in The Rich Dead and Dulce et Decorum Est by Wildred Owen and Rupert Brooke's The Rich Dead It seems that war in society is inevitable - for long as it has been historically documented, war has always been present. Although the tactics by which wars have been fought and won have developed throughout the ages, the outcome has always remained the same - with the untimely deaths of many men. It is this idea of war that has provoked intense controversy, with many people believing it merely results with death and destruction, whilst others regard it as a glorious enterprise and an altogether heroic adventure. During the First World War, poets depicted these diverse aspects of war, with the opposing attitudes clearly recognised in the work of Wilfred Owen and Rupert Brooke. Owens anthology of war poetry is characterised by his vivid and graphic detail concerning war and all its brutal consequences. He also revolts against pro-war propagandists, not only denouncing their beliefs but also by the way they brainwashed naÃÆ'Â ¯ve young boys into believing it was honourable to die for your country. One such advocate of this idea was Rupert Brooke, his work recognisable by a profound sense of patriotism. He wrote to depict the courage and excitement of war rather than the harsh realities staring them in the face, by means to entice young men into enrolling in the army. This is exactly what Owen was objecting to. I have chosen to study in depth the poems-'Dulce Et Decorum Est' by Wilfred Owen-an ironically titled poem portraying the wasteful futility of young lives lost at war and 'The Rich Dead' by Rupert Brooke-a poem honouring the death of a war hero. I feel that both poems effectively r... ...he poem. Owen strives to provide a more realistic image of the wholly unavoidable human suffering that war brings. I think the following line from the song "The Green Fields of France" reflects this image accurately when the writer describes his feelings while standing in a World War One graveyard: "To a man's blind indifference to his fellow man, To a whole generation who were butchered and damned" Rupert Brooke's work on the other hand is aiming to paint a pretty picture of the harsh realities of war. Although in theory the romantic principles presented by Brooke may seem attractive, to apply them to real life is nave and idealistic. War might bring glory on a wider scale, but to claim that a soldier's needless death in appalling conditions is honourable is simply untrue. War may well be inevitable but it is senseless and can never be justified.