Curated set · answers marked
What does the Latin phrase "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori", quoted by Owen at the end of the poem and referred to as "the old Lie," mean?
Rationale
This phrase originates from the Roman poet Horace (Odes III.2.13). Owen employs it ironically — after vividly illustrating the agony and terror of a gas attack during World War I, he denounces this idea as "the old Lie," contending that romanticized views of honorable sacrifice are misleading and harmful.
What does the Latin phrase "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori," quoted by Owen at the end of the poem and referred to as "the old Lie," mean?
Rationale
This phrase comes from the Roman poet Horace (Odes III.2.13). Owen uses it sarcastically, labeling it "the old Lie" to critique the romanticized, patriotic celebration of war and highlight the harsh, traumatic truth of death on the Western Front, which he portrays throughout the poem.
What does the Latin phrase "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori," which Owen cites at the end of the poem and refers to as "the old Lie," mean?
Rationale
This phrase, sourced from the Roman poet Horace (Odes III.2.13), translates to "It is sweet and fitting/proper to die for one's country." Owen describes it as "the old Lie" because the poem graphically depicts a gas attack and its consequences, arguing that there is nothing sweet or glorious about dying in modern warfare.