Objectives

• Analyse how Owen's similes and extended metaphors in the opening stanza — 'bent double, like old beggars under sacks' and 'coughing like hags' — construct the soldiers' physical and psychological degradation.
• Analyse how Owen uses the shift from past tense to present tense in 'In all my dreams before my helpless sight / He plunges at me' to dramatise the speaker's trauma and guilt.
• Analyse how Owen's direct address to 'My friend' and his quotation and refutation of Horace's Latin phrase position the civilian reader as complicit in the 'old Lie'.
• Write a fully evidenced analytical paragraph that tracks how Owen's use of form — the irregular sonnet structure, the isolated couplet, the shift to second person — reinforces his anti-war argument across the whole poem.
• Evaluate how Owen's biographical context (Craiglockhart, the original dedication to Jessie Pope) shapes the poem's rhetorical purpose and intended audience.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Owen's World: Context, Voice, and the Poem's Opening Line

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   The phrase 'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori' translates to 'It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country,' suggesting that dying for one's homeland is honorable. Personally, I find it a compelling but ultimately troubling notion, as the reality of war often reveals the harsh and tragic consequences of such ideals.

   Teacher input

   Model close reading of line 1 — 'Bent double, like old beggars under sacks' — from Ch.1. Highlight how the simile 'old beggars' flips the heroic soldier image on its head, and discuss how Owen's October 1917 writing at Craiglockhart (during his recovery from shell shock) and his initial dedication 'To Jessie Pope etc.' set up the poem's dual audience: the patriotic home front and those reading recruitment poetry. Guide students on how to annotate for both context and connotation at the same time.

   Independent task

   Students will annotate lines 1–8 of Ch. 1, covering the entire opening stanza from 'Bent double' to 'towards our distant rest.' For each of the four similes and physical images — 'old beggars,' 'hags,' 'blood-shod,' and 'drunk with fatigue' — they should write one sentence identifying the technique used and another sentence explaining how it shapes the reader's perception of the soldier. Annotations will be gathered into a brief written response, consisting of at least four annotations and four sentences.

   Exit ticket

   Owen chose the word 'beggars' instead of 'soldiers' in line 1 to emphasize the desperation and dehumanization of those affected by war, highlighting his argument about the true cost of conflict.

2. Lesson 2: Degradation and Numbness: The Soldiers' Bodies in Stanza One

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Reread lines 5–8 of Ch.1: 'Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots / But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; / Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots / Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.' Identify every sense that Owen mentions as having failed. You have four minutes.

   Teacher input

   Model analysis of the syndetic listing in lines 7–8 — 'All went lame; all blind; / Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots' — from Ch. 1. The repetition of 'all' emphasizes a shared, nameless suffering among the soldiers. The phrase 'deaf even to the hoots / Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines' carries structural irony: the soldiers are so worn out that they can't even hear the incoming shells that will ultimately kill them. To illustrate this, we can embed the quotation and focus on the word 'deaf' to strengthen our argument about Owen's depiction of trauma.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing a single PEEL paragraph (Point, Evidence, Explain, Link) in response to the question: 'How does Owen present the soldiers as stripped of their humanity in lines 1–8 of Ch.1?' They need to incorporate at least two embedded quotations from those lines and discuss at least one grammatical or structural feature, such as the use of semicolons or the repetition of 'all.' Afterward, the paragraphs will be collected and assessed according to the rubric.

   Exit ticket

   The term 'blood-shod' conveys a deeper sense of suffering and injury associated with being barefoot, unlike the simpler phrase 'without boots,' which only indicates a lack of footwear.

3. Lesson 3: Gas! GAS!: The Attack, the Drowning Man, and the Speaker's Trauma

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Observe the typographical change in line 9 of Ch.1: 'Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!' Owen shifts from lowercase to uppercase letters. In two sentences, explain the effect this creates and what it indicates about the poem's pace at this moment. You have four minutes to write, and please refrain from discussing it just yet.

   Teacher input

   Model analysis of the extended drowning metaphor in lines 13–16 of Ch. 1 — 'As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. / In all my dreams before my helpless sight / He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning' — focusing on the isolated couplet (lines 15–16) as a formal device. Highlight how Owen’s switch from the past tense ('saw') to the present tense ('plunges at me') blurs the line between the battlefield and the speaker's thoughts, illustrating how the repetition of 'drowning' reflects the speaker's inability to escape the haunting memory. Demonstrate how form and grammar combine to convey trauma.

   Independent task

   Students will annotate lines 9–16 of Ch. 1 (from 'Gas! GAS!' to the end of the isolated couplet) and then write a paragraph addressing the question: 'How does Owen use the drowning metaphor and the change in tense to depict the speaker's psychological state?' They should reference the isolated couplet as a deliberate structural choice. Minimum requirement: one embedded quotation for each technique identified. This will be submitted as written work.

   Exit ticket

   Owen separates lines 15–16 ('In all my dreams…drowning') into their own stanza to emphasize the haunting nature of the imagery and the depth of the speaker's despair. This distinction allows the emotional weight of these lines to resonate more powerfully, highlighting their significance within the poem.

4. Lesson 4: 'The Old Lie': Direct Address, Horace, and the Accusation

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Read lines 17–28 of Ch.1 (the final stanza, from 'If in some smothering dreams' to 'the old Lie'). Underline every word related to disease or physical decay. You have four minutes.

   Teacher input

   Model analysis of Owen's use of second-person direct address in lines 25–28 of Ch. 1 — 'My friend, you would not tell with such high zest / To children ardent for some desperate glory, / The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est / Pro patria mori' — illustrates the bitter irony behind 'My friend.' The phrase 'children ardent for some desperate glory' targets Jessie Pope's audience for recruitment, highlighting their naivety. Owen's decision to capitalize 'Lie' and his choice not to translate the Latin compel the reader to grapple with the phrase's emptiness. This approach demonstrates how rhetorical address can function as both a structural and argumentative device.

   Independent task

   Students will write two paragraphs in response to the question: "How does Owen use direct address and the Latin quotation in lines 25–28 of Ch.1 to challenge the civilian reader?" In Paragraph 1, focus on analyzing the rhetorical effect of the phrases "My friend" and "you." In Paragraph 2, examine the function of the untranslated Latin and the term "Lie." Each paragraph should include quotations and discuss at least one language technique. This work will be submitted as written assignments.

   Exit ticket

   Owen leaves the Latin phrase untranslated at the end of the poem to emphasize its significance and invite readers to grapple with its meaning.

5. Lesson 5: Synthesis: How the Whole Poem Constructs an Anti-War Argument

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Without looking at your notes, jot down: (a) one image from the first stanza, (b) one technique used in the gas attack sequence, and (c) one word from the last stanza that reflects Owen's argument. You have three minutes. This is a memory check.

   Teacher input

   To analyze how Owen's poem transitions from pity to accusation, we can break it down into its four distinct movements: exhaustion (lines 1–8), crisis (lines 9–14), trauma (lines 15–16), and accusation (lines 17–28). Initially, the reader experiences a sense of exhaustion as Owen vividly depicts the weariness of the soldiers, evoking deep sympathy. As the poem progresses into the crisis phase, the tension escalates, forcing the reader to confront the severity of the situation. Lines 15–16 capture the trauma of war, marking a poignant moment that serves as a turning point in the poem. This isolated couplet acts as the hinge that shifts the focus from merely witnessing the horrors to a stronger moral indictment. In the subsequent accusation section, especially evident in lines 25–28, Owen confronts the reader with a direct challenge, transforming the earlier pity into a call for accountability. Through this structural progression, Owen effectively guides the audience's emotional journey, compelling them to move from empathy to a critical stance against the injustices of war.

   Independent task

   Timed independent essay paragraph (20 minutes, closed notes): 'In what ways does Owen utilize imagery and structure throughout Ch. 1 to critique the glorification of war?' Students are required to reference at least three specific moments in the poem (one from lines 1–8, one from lines 9–16, and one from lines 17–28), embed quotations, and present a cohesive argument in their topic sentence. This paragraph serves as the summative assessment and will be graded using the complete rubric.

   Exit ticket

   Owen's main argument in the poem is that the horrors of war are often overlooked, and he employs vivid imagery in the final two lines to convey this message.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: student names the specific connotation of 'beggars' and links it to Owen's anti-heroic argument — looking for precision of word-level analysis rather than general paraphrase.
• Lesson 2 PEEL paragraph: marker checks that the student has embedded at least two quotations from lines 1–8 and commented on a grammatical or structural feature, not just named it.
• Lesson 3 exit ticket: student explains the structural function of the isolated couplet (lines 15–16) as a formal enactment of trauma — looking for understanding of form as argument, not just content summary.
• Lesson 4 two-paragraph response: marker checks that paragraph 1 analyses the rhetorical effect of second-person address ('My friend,' 'you') and paragraph 2 addresses the untranslated Latin as a deliberate argumentative choice.
• Propaganda vs. Poem group activity: teacher circulates to check that groups are identifying specific shared vocabulary between Pope and Owen, not making general statements about tone.
• Tense Timeline activity: marker checks that students have correctly identified the shift to present tense in lines 15–16 and articulated why this collapses the temporal distance between event and speaker.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g. satire, irony, understatement).

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a literary text, including connotation and figurative language.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Identify and explain the function of a simile, metaphor, or extended metaphor in the poem.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain how the poet's structural choices — stanza breaks, the isolated couplet, shifts in tense and person — contribute to the poem's meaning.
• Narrator/Speaker (NAR-1) — Explain how the speaker's relationship to the events described shapes the poem's rhetorical purpose and emotional effect.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received (Owen at Craiglockhart, 1917; the original dedication to Jessie Pope; posthumous publication 1920).
• AO4 — Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with specific reference to Owen's use of simile, extended metaphor, direct address, and irregular sonnet form.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received, including the First World War Western Front, shell shock, and the culture of jingoistic recruiting verse.