Publication Date
2025
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Department
World Languages and Cultures
Student Level
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor
Kate Holland
Metadata/Fulltext
Fulltext
Presentation Type
Talk/Oral
Summary
Before the outbreak of World War I, poet Wilfred Owen studied Greek and Roman literature, which presented him with idealized notions of patriotism, glory, and sacrifice. Influenced by classical texts such as The Iliad and the writings of Horace, these ideals of heroism left him unprepared for the brutal realities of anonymous warfare and for what it meant to be a “hero” in the twentieth century. In his poem “Dulce et Decorum Est,” Owen draws on his classical education to challenge the romanticized ideals of heroic sacrifice and glory. However, through the poetic nature of his death, dying exactly one week before Armistice Day, Owen himself became mythologized as a fallen war poet, ultimately perpetuating the ideals of heroism he sought to critique. The legacy of Wilfred Owen reveals how classical ideals continue to shape perceptions of war.
Recommended Citation
Fikse, Sage, "“The Old Lie”: The Effect of Classical Heroism on the WWI Soldier" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 1166.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/1166
Included in
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Comparative Literature Commons, English Language and Literature Commons
