The First World War was one of the deadliest results of human violence, simply to obtain wealth, land and to satisfy the greed for victory and pride. Men, young and old, were lured into joining the war to fulfill a fictional, nationalistic duty, and were forced to live in inhumane conditions in the trenches, offering their lives as a patriotic duty. In Wilfred Owen's poem, "Dulce et decorum est", readers are given an accurate description of the hardships and horrors of World War I, through the personal experience and eyes of Owen himself. Poetic devices and figurative language were both used impeccably to depict the tormenting situations in which the soldiers were placed. Vibrant imagery, themes, and irony have also been exceptionally incorporated into the poem, adding depth and meaning. Through remarkable use of techniques, Owen actually creates a mental image of utter despair, disgust, revulsion and, of course, war in our minds. The horrible conditions and quality of life in the trenches of World War I are emphasized through Owen's use of figurative language. , such as similes, metaphors and personification. An excellent example of a comparison would be what he wrote in the first line of the poem: “Bent double, like old beggars under sackcloth, on our knees, coughing like witches, we cursed through the mud” (stanza 1, lines 1 and 2). ). This description depicts the soldiers as "crippled or "broken", and shows them scarred both psychologically and physically. This really helps us visualize a group of young men who are in fact exhausted and so "drunk with fatigue" (stanza 1, line 7) that they are unable to even stand and have lost most control over their actions physical. By introducing these comparisons, Owen adds more...... middle of paper ...... with the use of irony, giving it more depth, meaning and soul. To summarize, Owen uses many literary techniques to illustrate his first-hand experience of World War I and communicates his views with a distinguished use of metaphors, similes, personifications, themes, images, and irony. Owen recognized that the high casualties and unnecessary deaths of World War I were in fact a metaphor for all deaths in modern warfare; the well-known “glory” of dying for one’s country was just a lie. Thanks to this, he managed to make it clear that "The old lie: Dulce Et Decorum Est, Pro Patria Mori", "It is sweet and right to die for one's country" is a terrible misunderstanding, and the poem it represents irony of death on the modern battlefield. No matter how noble the reasons, war can only give rise to misery, sorrow and agony..