Response Paper on the poem Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen Essay

Response Paper on the poem Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen - Essay Example Personally, my son has recently informed me that he joined the army, so the poem resonates increasingly strong. When reading the poem I am constantly reminded of the realities of the contemporary armed conflict in the Middle East and conflicted about my son joining the cause for American freedom. Dulce et Decorum translates to ‘It is sweet and right,’ an ironic reference to the reality and of the tragic occurrences of World War I. While I completely support our troops in Afghanistan, one could make a convincing case that this line is a similar justification used in the wars in the Middle East. Although it’s not entirely clear what the ‘sweet’ refers to one could rightly attribute it to the ‘sweet’ revenge that many Americans felt justified the countries attack on these regions for the advances made by Saddam Hussein and the terrorist attacks made on the World Trade Center. The ‘right’ portion of the title refers to the belief that American attacks are justified on the grounds of moral reasons – weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, stopping the Taliban in Afghanistan. I believe that the poem functions to bring the reader’s attention not to these abstract justifications, but to the bitter realities of arm ed conflict. In just the first two lines of the poem, the soldiers are portrayed as tired and sick. In the rest of the stanza, Owens shows how the conditions that theses soldiers had to go through were horrendous. For example, â€Å"Many had lost their boots, but limped on, blood-shod† shows how these soldiers had been fighting in all conditions. He uses connotations of dirt and everyday language to add to the realism "we cursed through sludge." When I consider these lines I envision that the soldiers are demoralized, shadows of their former selves. They dont march proudly as imagined, but trudge wearily and heavily. The punctuation of the verse slows down the rhythm of the poem, to enhance the realism of the soldiers movements. I

The Women's Movement in the United States Essay

The Women's Movement in the United States - Essay Example This paper shall describe and explain the women’s movement from 1848 to 1920, including the social and political events which eventually led to the 19th Amendment. Various major feminist groups fighting for women’s right to vote will also be discussed; a comparison of these groups would also be considered. A discussion on why the women’s movement faltered during the 1920s after women got the right to vote shall also be considered. This paper is being discussed in an attempt to establish a comprehensive discussion on women’s rights, including its highlights and how these highlights impacted on the current rights being enjoyed by women. Although major moves towards the establishment of women’s rights were first seen in 1948, previous actions to secure it were already being sought through smaller and minor activities and movements even before 1948 by women and different organizations. Angelina and Sarah Grimke are two of the women best known for their contribution to the establishment of women’s rights. They went through slavery and wrote various literature expressing their negative opinions about it. Angelina Grimke, in 1938, was the first woman to address the Massachusetts legislative body on the abolition of slavery; she also strongly expressed her desire for women’s equality and full citizenship. Other abolitionists also expressed their outrage against sexual discrimination and in 1848 they organized the first Woman’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls New York. In their Declaration of Sentiments, echoes of the Declaration of Independence were heard, pointing out that â€Å"all men and women are created equal† and therefore, they share the same inalienable rights – those of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Their declaration also expressed the need to change government policies, especially those which have traditionally been oppressive towards women. This Convention also supported various declarations, especially those which relate to legal and educational reforms which were not gender prejudiced. Finally, the convention also resolved that women had the right to secure their inherent right to vote. Their demands were immediately rejected and even scorned, especially by the religious leaders and other male leaders. Only few men expressed any form of support for women’s rights and sentiments. The women were however persistent in their objectives and they found allies in each other. Two of these close allies were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony whose persistence found their way to the pages of the book ‘History of Woman Suffrage.’ The American Civil War momentarily interrupted the women’s rights movement, however, the war was also able to secure one of the goals of the abolitionists – the abolition of slavery. As soon as the war ended, the women again persisted in the cries for equal opportunities and equal rights. T hey believed that since efforts were also being made to grant black men their votes, they too should be granted the same right to vote. These hopes would however be dashed as their persistence was apparently falling on deaf ears. They were continually being turned down and suppressed in their fight for equal rights. As a result, the women’s movement was split and became less effective in the years that would follow. In 1868, women’s rights to vote became even more endangered when the