Dulce Et Decorum Est Essays - Dulce Et Decorum Est, Simile

Dulce Et Decorum Est Reality ?Dulce et Decorum Est,? an anti-war poem by Wilfred Owen, ( ) conveys a strong meaning and persuasive argument. The anti-war theme and serious tone is extremely effective at portraying war as horrid and devastating. Upon my initial reading of this poem I felt overpowered by blood, guts and death. Although my reaction hasn't changed much through numerous readings, my emotional reaction becomes more intense with each reading. This poem makes me feel like I am right there watching the soldier who cannot fasten his mask fast enough and suffers the full effects of deadly gas. This poem also makes me look beyond the death and question the pain inflicted on the mothers who kissed their sons goodbye as they went to defend their country. I imagine the mother receiving word her son has died and is told how noble and patriotic his death was. In his last moments, the soldier and his family become victims of ?The old lie? (610). The precise dictation, vivid comparisons and graphic imagery are the three major elements that influenced my reaction to this poem. Through the precise dictation, I could clearly understand what the author is saying. Words like ?guttering?, ?choking?, and ?drowning? jumped out at me and made my body shiver (610). Other words like ?writhing? and ?froth-corrupted? made me understand just how tragic war is. Not only do these words show how this man is suffering, but also they show precisely the level of pain and torment this man must endure. The fact that the gassed man was ?flung? into the wagon convinced me that it is not ?sweet? nor ?fitting to die for one's country? (610). The author's use of dictation was extremely effective in convincing me of just tragic and pointless war is. In addition to dictation, the author's use of metaphor and similes also influenced my reaction to this poem. In the first line the author describes the troops as being ?Bent double, like beggars under sacks?(610). This simile expresses the condition of the men and reinforces the hopelessness they feel. The author's comparison of the dyeing man's ?hanging face? to a ?devil's sick of sin? dramatizes just how corrupt it all seems. The most powerful simile is when the author compares the sound of the gassed man gurgling blood in is lungs as ?obscene as cancer? (610). The most effective metaphor is the ?vile, incurable sores? that the author compares to the troop's memories. This metaphor illustrates how the troops will never forget this experience. This pain will forever be with them. The author clears up any misconception that war is noble and convinces me that his beliefs are true. More effectively than metaphors and similes, the graphic imagery that this poem explodes with drastically influenced my reaction to this poem. Some of the images in this poem nearly made me feel nauseas. The images I experienced in the readings of this poem could never be forgotten, especially when I take my three sons to register with Selective Services. My emotional and physical reaction reinforces how effective the author's use of imagery is in this poem. The image of the troops ?drunk with fatigue? and deaf to the ?gas-shells dropping softly behind? is a chilling image (610). As someone yells ?Gas? it is an ?ecstasy of fumbling? and one is still ?flound'ring like a man on fire? (610). Through the ?thick green light, as under a sea? the speaker sees the man drowning and describes the ?gargling from the forth-corrupted lungs? (610). Each of these images are disturbing to think about, but exposes the reality of war. These images made me feel disgusted at what war is capable of. The author ties this poem together in the last line. In Latin, the phrase ?Dulce et decorum est? means ?It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country?(610). The author calls the phrase ?the big lie? (610). Although there are countless elements, dictation, vivid comparisons and imagery, are the elements that persuaded and moved me emotionally and intellectually. Even though I recognize deadly gasses are generally not used in war anymore, I will never react the same to the billboards or commercials saying, ? Be all you can

Hurricanes and Tornados essays

Hurricanes and Tornados essays Hurricanes and tornadoes are some of the most violent natural occurring disasters known to mankind. Some on the gulf coast see hurricane opal as a distance memory, but most are reminded of her every time they drive on highway 98 and see the sand dunes building back from nothing to that great statue that they once were. While there are many differences between the two, the stark similarities are as dramatic. Both are centered on gusting wind swirling around a center; however the diameters of the storms are quite different. While hurricanes can range from 100 to 300 miles wide, tornadoes usually have only a length of less than two miles. However, a tornado makes up for its small size with extremely high wind speeds, in excess of over 250 miles per hour. Hurricanes on the contrary have wind speeds from 74 to 160 miles per hour. To compare and to contrast hurricanes and tornadoes the main areas of interest are the creation of both disasters, and the destructive power that is associ ated with both tornadoes and hurricanes. Hurricanes get their start over the warm tropical waters of the North Atlantic Ocean near the equator. Most hurricanes appear in late summer or early fall, when sea temperatures are at their highest. The warm waters heat the air above it, and the updrafts of warm, moist air begin to rise. At that longitude in the tropics, there is usually a layer of warm, dry air that acts like an invisible ceiling or lid. Once in a while, the lid that prevents the hurricane from forming is destroyed. Scientists do not know why this happens; however, when it does, it's the first step in the birth of a hurricane. With the lid off, the warm, moist air rises higher and higher. Heat energy, released as the water vapor in the air, condenses. As it condenses it drives the upper drafts to heights of 50,000 to 60,000 feet. The cumuli clouds become towering thunderheads. From outside the storm area, air moves in ...