The Futility of Dying for a State through Poetic Devices: "Dulce et Decorum Est" and "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est" (1920) uses vivid imagery primarily to remove any romantic or patriotic idea that it is sweet to die for one's country. Randall Jarrell's "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" uses ambiguity to compare the death for the state to an abortion. Each poem presents the death of …
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…making the points of "Dulce et Decorum Est" and "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner". Both poems use rhyme to emphasize their points, however Owen relies mainly upon vivid concrete imagery and Jarrell primarily uses ambiguities. Though different methods and poetic devices are used, the point is the same that it is not especially sweet to die for a cold and callous state. Bibliography Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Boston: St. Martins, 1999. 5