Dulce et Decorum Est - The Poster and the Poem
Take students beyond simply reading Wilfred Owen's famous poem with Dulce et Decorum Est – The Poster and the Poem. This powerful presentation places Owen's poem alongside a genuine First World War Australian recruitment poster, inviting students to explore how one text persuaded young men to enlist while the other exposed the devastating reality of war.
Students first interrogate the recruitment poster by asking who created it, what it wanted, what it omitted and who benefited from its message. They then read Dulce et Decorum Est twice, first as readers responding emotionally to the poem, then as literary analysts examining imagery, simile, emotive language, repetition, personal pronouns and author purpose. Throughout the lesson, students compare the two texts, explore how Owen directly challenges wartime propaganda and develop a deeper understanding of how authors position readers.
The presentation concludes with a scaffolded analytical writing task, success criteria, sentence starters, quote bank and literary devices to support students as they construct an evidence-based analytical response. Ideal for Remembrance Day, ANZAC Day, poetry analysis, Australian History units and Year 6 extension or Year 7-8 English programs, this resource encourages students to think critically about both literature and history.
Learning goals
- We are learning to analyse and evaluate similarities and differences in texts on similar topics, themes or plots.
- We are learning to use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning and to connect and compare content from a variety of sources.
- We are learning to plan, create, edit and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts with correct text structure, tense, language features, vivid vocabulary, punctuation, spelling and images.
- We are learning to understand the changes in Australian democracy and citizenship after Federation, including the impact on First Nations Australians, migrants, women and children.
- We are learning to analyse and evaluate similarities and differences in texts on similar topics, themes or plots.
- We are learning to identify and explain how choices in language, for example modality, emphasis, repetition and metaphor, influence personal response to different texts.
- We are learning to use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse information, comparing content from a variety of print and digital sources.
- We are learning to plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts with correct text structure, language features and images for purpose and the audience.
- We are learning to re-read and edit work using agreed criteria and to explain our editing choices.
- We are learning to use software, e.g. MS Word or PowerPoint, learning new functions as required to create texts.
- We are learning to understand the experiences of Australian democracy and citizenship, including the status and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, migrants, women and children.
- We are learning to understand the contribution of individuals and groups to the development of Australian society since Federation.
Curriculum alignment
AC9E6LY05
9
Use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring and questioning to build literal and inferred meaning, and to connect and compare content from a variety of sources
AC9E6LE02
9
Identify similarities and differences in literary texts on similar topics, themes or plots
AC9E6LY06
9
Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, using paragraphs, a variety of complex sentences, expanded verb groups, tense, topic-specific and vivid vocabulary, punctuation, spelling and visual features
AC9HS6K02
9
Changes in Australia’s political system and to Australian citizenship after Federation and throughout the 20th century that impacted on First Nations Australians, migrants, women and children
ACELY1713
8.4
Use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse information and ideas, comparing content from a variety of textual sources including media and digital texts
ACHASSK137
8.4
The contribution of individuals and groups to the development of Australian society since Federation
ACELT1614
8.4
Analyse and evaluate similarities and differences in texts on similar topics, themes or plots
ACHASSK135
8.4
Experiences of Australian democracy and citizenship, including the status and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, migrants, women and children
ACELY1717
8.4
Use a range of software, including word processing programs, learning new functions as required to create texts
ACELY1715
8.4
Re-read and edit students’ own and others’ work using agreed criteria and explaining editing choices
ACELY1714
8.4
Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, choosing and experimenting with text structures, language features, images and digital resources appropriate to purpose and audience
ACELT1615
8.4
Identify and explain how choices in language, for example modality, emphasis, repetition and metaphor, influence personal response to different texts
HT3-5
old
Applies a variety of skills of historical inquiry and communication
EN3-3A
old
Uses an integrated range of skills, strategies and knowledge to read, view and comprehend a wide range of texts in different media and technologies
EN3-2A
old
Composes, edits and presents well-structured and coherent texts
EN3-6B
old
Uses knowledge of sentence structure, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary to respond to and compose clear and cohesive texts in different media and technologies
HT3-1
old
Describes and explains the significance of people, groups, places and events to the development of Australia
HT3-2
old
Describes and explains different experiences of people living in Australia over time
EN3-7C
old
Thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information and ideas and identifies connections between texts when responding to and composing texts
HT3-3
old
Identifies change and continuity and describes the causes and effects of change on Australian society
HT3-4
old
Describes and explains the struggles for rights and freedoms in Australia, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
EN3-UARL-02
new
Analyses representations of ideas in literature through genre and theme that reflect perspective and context, argument and authority, and adapts these representations when creating texts
EN3-UARL-01
new
Analyses representations of ideas in literature through narrative, character, imagery, symbol and connotation, and adapts these representations when creating texts
EN3-OLC-01
new
Communicates to wide audiences with social and cultural awareness, by interacting and presenting, and by analysing and evaluating for understanding
EN3-HANDW-02
new
Selects digital technologies to suit audience and purpose to create texts
EN3-HANDW-01
new
Sustains a legible, fluent and automatic handwriting style
EN3-SPELL-01
new
Automatically applies taught phonological, orthographic and morphological generalisations and strategies when spelling in a range of contexts, and justifies spelling strategies used to spell unfamiliar words
EN3-RECOM-01
new
Fluently reads and comprehends texts for wide purposes, analysing text structures and language, and by monitoring comprehension
EN3-VOCAB-01
new
Extends Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary through interacting, wide reading and writing, morphological analysis and generating precise definitions for specific contexts
EN3-CWT-01
new
Plans, creates and revises written texts for multiple purposes and audiences through selection of text features, sentence-level grammar, punctuation and word-level language
VCELY359
Reread and edit own and others’ work using agreed criteria and explaining editing choices
VCELY361
Use a range of software, including word processing programs, learning new functions as required to create texts
VCHHK094
The different experiences and perspectives of Australian democracy and citizenship, including the status and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, migrants, women, and children
VCELT341
Analyse and evaluate similarities and differences in texts on similar topics, themes or plots
VCELY358
Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, choosing and experimenting with text structures, language features, images and digital resources appropriate to purpose and audience
VCELT342
Identify and explain how choices in language, including modality, emphasis, repetition and metaphor, influence personal response to different texts
VCELY347
Use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse information and ideas, comparing content from a variety of textual sources including media and digital texts
VCHHK096
Significant contributions of individuals and groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and migrants, to changing Australian society
VCHHC086
Explain the causes of significant events that shaped the Australian colonies, contributed to Australian Federation and the effects of these on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and migrants
VCHHC085
Identify and describe patterns of continuity and change in daily life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, ‘native born’ and migrants in the Australian colonies
Australian Curriculum covers QLD / SA / WA / NT / TAS / ACT.
Differentiation
Modifications
- Read the poem aloud before analysing literary devices.
- Discuss unfamiliar vocabulary and historical context before beginning analysis.
- Complete the comparison between the recruitment poster and poem as a whole class.
- Provide the sentence starters and quote bank as scaffolds for developing writers.
- Focus on a smaller number of literary devices for students requiring additional support.
Extensions
- Compare Dulce et Decorum Est with another war poem or commemorative text.
- Research Wilfred Owen and investigate how his experiences shaped his writing.
- Analyse additional wartime recruitment posters from Australia or Britain.
- Hold a class discussion about the ethical responsibilities of governments during wartime.
- Challenge students to write an analytical response comparing two historical texts of their own choosing.