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why are the soldiers knock kneed and coughing like hags

by Estefania Hintz Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, The soldiers in this poem are crippled, mentally and physically overcome by the weight of their experiences in war.

Full Answer

Why are the soldiers knock kneed and coughing like hags in Dulce et decorum est?

Imagery In Dulce Et Decorum Est In the first stanza he says, “Bent double, like old beggars, under sacks, /Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, this brings attention to the audience on how soldiers became weak and ill (Owen, 1-2). This really brought to life disease during war.

What does coughing like hags mean in Dulce et decorum est?

The simile 'coughing like hags' was used. because the men who went into battle were relatively young, yet after. battle they looked old and ugly, hence hags. With this one sentence. Owen implies health conditions that no one at home would ever dream.

What does coughing like hags suggest?

'coughing like hags' l. 2. Owen compares the men to old, ugly women. They have lost their youth and with it their potency and masculinity.

Is coughing like hags a simile?

Owen has used many self-explanatory similes in this poem such as,” Bent double, like old beggars under sacks”, “Knock-kneed, coughing like hags”, “like a man in fire or lime” and “like a devil's sick of sin.”

What does hags stand for?

HAGSAcronymDefinitionHAGSHave A Great SummerHAGSHide and Go SeekHAGSHave A Good SummerHAGSHave A Good Sleep2 more rows

What are hags?

Historically, a hag is an old, ugly woman with evil powers.

Why does it sound like a seal when I cough?

Croup is a common childhood illness that causes swelling in the upper airway. This can cause a change in voice and characteristic “croupy” cough that sounds like a seal or bark. There are a number of viruses that have been found to cause croup, the most common being parainfluenza virus.

What does guttering choking drowning mean?

Also, these three verbs ('guttering, choking, and drowning') are brutal, merciless verbs. He 'plunged' at him shows how he is struggling like a fish but is helpless and the narrator cannot help him while he watching him slowly get murdered by the fire and lime-like gas, 'my helpless sight'.

What does old beggars under sacks mean?

"Bent double like old beggars under sacks," Simile - Suggests that the soldiers that are hunched over like old men, much before their time. They are worn down by the dreadful horrors of war. This image contrasts heavily with the normal image of a young soldier.

What does come gargling from the froth corrupted lungs mean?

The imagery Owen uses is prevalent in these lines: "If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood/ Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs/ Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud," (Lines 21-23). These lines show that the men were brutally killed in this war.

What does high zest mean?

high zest is saying that people say it with enthusiasm and the desperate glory is talking about how the boys have been told they will be comming back heroes and girls will be falling for them where as in actual fact half of them won't come back.

What is the meaning of Dulce et Decorum Est?

: it is sweet and proper to die for one's country.

What is the meaning of blood shod?

They are “blood-shod”—a use of metaphor since it is an implied, rather than directly stated, comparison between the blood on the troops' feet and the boots they have “lost.” Also note a similar use of hyperbole—a figure of speech based on exaggeration—when the speaker says the men are “deaf” to the cries of their ...

What is drunk with fatigue?

'Drunk with fatigue,' is an expression that uses a metaphor to suggest that the men are mentally vacant and are staggering along. To be 'Drunk with fatigue,' these men must be so tired that they are no longer sane and can barely even think for themselves.

What is the first stanza of Dulce et decorum est about?

In the first stanza of “Dulce et Decorum Est,” the speaker thrusts the reader into the mundane drudgery and suffering of the wartime experience, as the speaker's regiment walks from the front lines back to an undescribed place of “distant rest.” This is not a portrait of men driven by purpose or thrilled by battle.

What does the soldier in line 24 mean?

That the soldier is associated with the word "innocent" in line 24 emphasizes the injustice and horror of his death and that of others like him. As an innocent, the poem also connects the soldier to the "children" of line 26, who are also, by virtue of being children, "innocent.".

What is an overview of chemical warfare?

An Overview of Chemical Warfare — A concise historical account of the development of chemical weapons, with detailed descriptions of the poison gases used in WWI.

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1.Why are the soldiers "knock-kneed and coughing like …

Url:https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/why-are-the-soldiers-knock-kneed-and-coughing-2729566

26 hours ago The soldiers are "knock-kneed and coughing like hags" because the war has broken down their bodies. Despite the fact that they are likely quite young, nearly "children" themselves, their bodies ...

2.Why are the soldiers knock-kneed and coughing like hags?

Url:https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/why-are-the-soldiers-knock-kneed-and-coughing-2024533

18 hours ago The men are knock-kneed and coughing like hags because they are exhausted and battle weary from being at the front.

3.Dulce et Decorum Est Poem Summary and Analysis

Url:https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/wilfred-owen/dulce-et-decorum-est

13 hours ago Why are the soldiers knock kneed and coughing like hags || Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, The soldiers in this poem are crippled, mentally and physically overcome by the weight of their experiences in war. In fact, we get simile upon simile before we are acquainted with the …

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