The soldier's voice is communicated in the first person to add a personal touch. “I Saw Him Drowning” allows the reader to imagine the terror associated with witnessing such a scene. Dulce et Decorum est speaks honestly about the atrocities of war to convey how war is nothing to be glorified, expounding the saying “it is sweet and right to die for one's native land.” The “innocent tongues” would not escalate the conflict if they only knew the “bitter” reality. The soldiers are "bent double", weighed down by tiredness, forced into degrading situations "like old beggars". Barely conscious, they “trudge” in their blood-filled shoes, “deaf” to the loud noises around them as they fall unconscious. The haunting sight of a man captivates the reader, as his “foam-corrupted” lungs drown in mustard gas. The alliteration in “everyone has become lame, everyone has gone blind” and “look at the white eyes writhing” uses rhythmic characteristics to convey the atrocities. Successfully expressing shock, terror, and grief, Owen honestly counsels his readers about the true emotions within