Analysis of "Dulce et Decorum Est"

With the little Latin I have picked up and the high school Spanish I can incorporate into Wilfred Owen's poem, "Dulce Et Decorum Est", I have come to decipher the title in such a way that it means, "it is sweet and right". Through first impression and no research, my thoughts head straight for the dinner table of delectable deserts and royal etiquette. The image of food and dining precipitate in my head. Yet, skimming …

…the deceit and utter misery of the innocent. Owen's poetry expresses war as he sees it. The poem reveals the trials and pain of war while overlapping the lie of the old Latin phrase to wake up minds of those who tell their children that lie. Effectively, Owen utilizes strong literary devices, definite and concrete shifts with multiple reinforcing tones to convey his message in that death in war is anything but sweet and right.