Which parts of these excerpts indicate…

English Questions

Which parts of these excerpts indicate that soldiers are completely unprepared to fight in a war? Consider the lines from Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce Et Decorum Est” and Siegfried Sassoon’s “Suicide in the Trenches.”

Answer

The disarray of the soldiers and the pointed critique of the cheering bystanders illustrate their lack of readiness for battle. In the first excerpt, we see soldiers fumbling with their helmets, struggling to put them on, while one is likened to a person engulfed in flames. The second excerpt addresses the crowds who joyfully cheer on the soldiers yet remain oblivious to the grim realities they face. These elements depict the confusion and chaos that characterize soldiers’ experiences in war and underline the severe impact of combat on both mind and body.

Scroll to Top