Advanced | Exemplar Essay

Dulce et Decorum Est

The Honor, Horror, and Sacrifice of War

Claim and Focus Analysis and Evidence

The essay makes a clear, arguable claim Several pieces of relevant and valid
about the purpose and message of the evidence from each poem are provided
poems (“Each poet tries to influence to support the claim. Explanations of
the reader's perspective on war by examples are thoughtful and clearly
developing a persuasive point of view tied to the purpose of each poem. The
through their language and imagery”) analysis is balanced and thorough.
that thoroughly addresses the demands
of the prompt.

Organization Language and Style

Effective transitions are regularly The essay establishes a formal style
used to show how ideas relate and and objective tone that are maintained
progress throughout the essay (‘to begin throughout. Varied sentence structure
with,” “as a result,” and “on the other and precise language address the
hand”). Purposeful and well-developed complexity of the topic (“imagery,”
paragraphs for the introduction, body, “stanza,” “tone,” “elevates”). Few errors
and conclusion are arranged within a are present, and they do not interfere
structure that enhances the analysis. with meaning.

Using Exemplars in Your Lessons

Exemplar essays are tools to take abstract descriptions and make them more concrete for students.
One way to use them is to print the clean copies of the essays and allow students to use the rubric
to make notes or even find examples of important elements of an essay - thesis statements,
introductions, evidence, conclusions, transitions, etc. Teachers can also use exemplars to illustrate
what each score point within a trait ‘looks like’ in an authentic student essay. For additional ideas,
please see “25 Ways to Use Exemplar Essays” by visiting the Curriculum Resources page in Help.
 Exemplar Essay

Dulce et Decorum Est

The Honor, Horror, and Sacrifice of War Notes

War. It's a word that represents death to some. Others may think of it as

pride and being brave. No matter what, war brings many emotions and feelings

to people who have experienced it in their lifetime. The poems “Who's for the

Game?” by Jessie Pope and “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen present

very different opinions about being a soldier and the effects that war can have

on a person. Each poet tries to persuade the reader's perspective on war by

developing a distinct point of view through their language and imagery.

To begin with, Jessie Pope’s poem “Who’s for the Game?” has a particular point

of view regarding war. War is depicted as an honor rather than a nightmare and

the tone of the poem is noble and inspirational. War is a duty that every citizen that

lives in America should consider. For example, the text says "And who wants a seat

in the stand? Who knows it won't be a picnic- not much- Yet eagerly shoulders a

gun?” This shows that they're admitting that the war most definitely won't be easy,

but it makes the reader feel like a coward if they don't join the service. Furthermore,

joining this fight should be an honor and a duty for one’s country. One way the author

shows point of view is by asking many questions regarding whether one has the

confidence to fight for your country. "Who'll grip and tackle the job unafraid? And

who thinks he'd rather sit tight?" Pope also uses words with a fun, light-hearted feel

to describe joining the war. He calls war a "game" and a "show" and literally calls it

fun by saying, "Who would much rather come back with a crutch Than lie low and

be out of the fun?" He even structures the poem to have an upbeat rhythm, like a fun

inspirational song. In addition, the author claims that those who sit tight are not doing

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 their civic duty and fighting for their country. Pope almost makes those who would Notes
"rather sit tight" feel bad about not wanting to fight in the war! All in all, this poem is

persuasive in nature as its main goal was to encourage men to join the war effort.

On the other hand, “Dulce et Decorum Est” expresses the perspective that

war has a number of negative side effects. In the first stanza, a decently large

amount of these side-effects are found. "Bent double, like old beggars under

sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags...Men marched asleep. Many had lost

their boots, But limped on, blood-shod." Clearly, the author is stating that being

in the war can have painful outcomes. Although the soldiers are weary, weak,

and exhausted they still continue on. This is established by the negative phrases

used in the poem ("knock-kneed," "limped," and "blood-shod") and the powerful

imagery describing the sights, sounds, and feel of the horrific setting in which the

soldiers were made to be in. The poem helps readers understand the struggle

that the soldiers went through and the terrifying memories that, if you were lucky

to survive, you can't ever forget. Ultimately, the grim life of war is presented to

the readers with the tone of these phrases and the word choice of the poet.

Additionally, the last stanza of the poem extends the horrors that the soldiers

experienced. It warns the reader if he could "watch the white eyes writhing in his

face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the

blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs" that you wouldn't think war

was so honorable and patriotic. Owen cleverly makes this point in the last lines

in the poem by telling the reader to remember "The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est

Pro patria mori." The author demonstrates his point of view and the purpose of

the poem by calling this quote “the old lie.” In spite of war being glorified by the

media or government at that time (as shown in the opposing poem), this author

shows the harsh truth about war. Many citizens see war as a rite of passage, but

in this case Owen demonstrates the awful truth and reality of war, an "old lie" that

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 is fed to soldiers without revealing the true, horrific realities of the battlefield. Notes
To conclude, both poems convey very different tones and perspectives on the

topic of war. Pope's poem elevates war to simply a heroic act, insisting that the young

men are obligated to become soldiers and stand up for their country that is in danger

and needs help. Wilfred Owen's poem portrays war as a harsh and grim atmosphere,

one where, if the soldiers come home, they will forever be haunted by the images

and experiences of the battle. Each poem tries to influence the reader to agree with

its point of view of fighting for your country. The two texts are completely different in

every way, from the way they're worded, to the structure. Reading the poems together

allows the reader to determine his own feelings about the honor and sacrifice of war.

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