This amazing poet was killed one week before the end of the war, this was published two years after his death. And here we are, almost 100 years later, totally affected by his graphic expressions of the horror.
Grumpy Ole Dave I Really Inspired By Wilfred Owen, This Is A Verse I Written, Please Check Out; *_The Darkened Days_* th-cam.com/video/RJwZlbKMevk/w-d-xo.html
I love how he reads this poem. The story he tells with his eyes when he starts shouting "Gas" really helps to make you feel like he's a soldier remembering darker times.
oh yes, in my opinion he has the best rendering of anyone. The sneer with which he utters the second ...drowning. The ironic slight smile on his lips and challenging his eyes when he says ...my friend. A very memorable rendition
I have listened to several actors read this poem, including Kenneth Branagh, but Eccleston's reading in his northern accent is so realistic that it sends chills down the spine.
Christopher hitchens is the best in my opinion, so mater of fact, no acting input. Like a old school soldier would say it...quite surreal it's so good.
Yeah, it's condemning the phrase "dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" which (roughly) translates to "it is sweet and honorable to die for one's country". Owen was sickened and saddened by the approach his country had to war.
So brilliantly read, you could actually forget that this was a recital of one of the greatest poems written, but instead, believe that Eccleston is a man reflecting on some hell that he had been a part of. That is an incredible gift.
Wow, I literally have chills listening to this. If anyone still doesn't understand why we feel it necessary to remember the fallen of past wars, they obviously need to read Wilfred Owen's work.
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Such a chilling, haunting recital, spoken with true passion and meaning. I wish I had his version read to me in Yr 10 English.
Actually I think Wilfred Owen would have found our preoccupation with the poppy and remembrance to be glorification of war. Each year gets worse if you ask me.
@@Queen-of-Swords Agreed. From our perspective it's a kind way of remembering the soldiers, but back then it was basically the higher ups giving an ounce of sympathy to men who lost everything
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori is a line from the Roman lyrical poet Horace's Odes (III.2.13). The line can be roughly translated into English as: "It is sweet and glorious to die for one's country."
A lie that was the only thing young children in Britain heard about when they were in a conversation about the war in Mainland Europe, otherwise the British army would have run out of soldiers after the Somme.
Owen misunderstands Horace's meaning. It means the same in Horace as John 15:13 does in the bible. These "war poets" have done more than almost anyone to distort modern perceptions of the war. They didn't speak for everyone, nor even the majority, and most of the poems weren't even published until well after the war.
I had to read this poem for a drama exam almost 40 years ago my drama teacher made me do it again and again and again I didn't understand his criticisms until I heard this. You are a fine actor Christopher Eccleston and I have loved everything you have been in, but this well, it speaks volumes.
This poem is actually a response to a poem called "Who's for the game?" a propaganda poem that was written in order to try and convince young men to go to war.
Wow, being a nurse it moved me. His imagery is haunting. The evil of gas and the death he describes was chilling. He grabs the reader from the first line. It is a shame he isn't taught in every war college or academy in the world. He was a treasure and a gem that arouses from a truly horrible war. When the tank meets the horse. Machine guns meet the "over the trenches" Although courage and bravery, I believe is the same with every war. Adrenaline takes over followed by heroic deeds. Mind over matter. Superhuman strength. To all men and women who served, I say Thankyou.
Everybody stop saying this is the Doctor writing about the time war! This poem is about the Great War, a true horrific event where millions gave their lives. This is a brilliant poem, so can we just pay our respect. I am not hating, I know you didn't mean it in a nasty way, but it's not how I see it.
sure you can, I'm just saying you have a tendency of ruining fun at the worst moments. And i think its intentional. So if you want to express your opinions then great, but don't stop my expressions of your opinions either.
John Isaac Felipe Booohoo fandom killjoy, you know what a real killjoy is? Real life war. Take it from someone who's born in a war-addicted nation and has to check the paper daily to make sure no loved ones are among this time's and that time's and today's and tomorrow's and yesterday's and next week's fallen. There is a time and a place for fandom giggles, sincerely, a huge Whovian, except with manners.
John Isaac Felipe You are incredibly rude and childish. Your comments to me have been offensive and I am sure everyone else who disagreed with my comment just shuck it off. Please stop replying to me now.
Brilliant recital from Christopher Eccleston. Spoken with real gravitas and an expert of emotive reading, brilliantly conveying Owen's anger and bitterness. Studying this for my GCSE English atm.
I very much admire the works of Wilfred Owen, but in this particular reading “Dulce et decorum est pro patrio mori” is not pronounced properly, apart from that he read it quite well...
I haven't voted it down, but I am inclined to. This is a great poem, but with poetry I want to feel the spirit of the words meditative on my mind. I don't want to be burdened by the ego of an actor. A Cello is a vehicle for the music, it mustn't presume to jump up and swoon to let us know how deeply moved it is. Those of us who are not stones can engage with our own feelings.
@@connoroleary591 To me, this extraordinary poet will now be in the minds and souls of many who had never met him for whatever reasons. I'm more than willing to forgive a few bits of production value to also hear one of the better actors of the generation give it his all. Perhaps the monstrous facets - the dark truths - of war will be what stays deepest. Pax et lux
Excellent rendition, powerfully told. Reminds me of my English teacher, who recited this poem to us boys over 35 years ago. The 'Gas! Gas! Quick boys!' was also said with that added vim emphasized by Eccleston. Always made my hair stand on my arms. I would love to hear him recite "I have a rendezvous with death' by Alan Seeger. Another hauntingly beautiful WWI poem.
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots, But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of gas-shells dropping softly behind. Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!-An ecstasy of fumbling Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time, But someone still was yelling out and stumbling And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.- Dim through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. In all my dreams before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,- My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.
The truth of war, the truth of WW1, a brilliant reading. My grandfather was a sergeant in the Royal Canadian Engineers in that war. It was horror and depredation. Owen spoke true.
Mý grandad serced it thst was from 1916 as soson and he was legal age to join! He was born in 1898 and he was the last member of my fsmoly in the 1800s i met hom personaly many times and he was betu traumatisex till the end. He was born in 1898 but he only died ib 1995 when he was 97 because je eas a lifelong smoker. His wofe was born in 1904 and she is my grandmum! Ahe always missed him abd he was the pldest member on the faimily until 2001 thats euen my grandma outlived hin. She died only in 2003 when she was 98 years old the week before her 99th birthday. I was sdeverstated vexause she was so healthy! My mum was bprn in 1925 and my dad in 1922. My daf fied in 1985 drom COPD. UNDERSTAND ME? my Mum is died novembet and she was 93 tears okd! I AM NOW THE SECIBD OLDEST OF MY FAMILY AT MY AHE 72.
@@fishboymansharkwow I had at least one family member I know of who fought in WW1. Apparently he fought in the Somme and luckily survived. As far as I'm aware he never spoke about his experiences of war. Do you remember what your Grandad was like? Did he ever talk about the war? Hope all is well. All the best. JFT
I first discovered this poem back in 1984 in literature class.... it was and still is my favorite. I still to this day remember verse by verse, but Christopher Eccleston reading is amazing and drew out more understanding... didn't realize they were marching back to their lines, didn't visualize the misty panes, where from the limited vision from their gas masks. Love this poem.... Christopher Eccleston reading sends shivers down my spine.... I'm a combat veteran, 3 tours in Iraq, thank god we didn't have to deal with this shit. I commanded convoys that delivered bulk JP8, aviation fuel, throughout Iraq. We delivered 150 million gallons in just 6 months in 2003-2004, my convoys were hit mostly every night. Wish I could write a poem to describe what we were up against.
Why not have a stab? Just for yourself. It doesn't have to be floral, in some complex meter. Just committing your thoughts, feelings, emotions to paper is enough. No one in the world needs to see it.
I remember feeling haunted by Wilfred Owen's poetry, when learning about it in school. I would then walk past his grave in The Abbey in Shrewsbury, on the way home from school. It was a very surreal and moving experience for a 14 year old girl.
Still come back to this my "favourite" poem, it manages to contain how I feel what most British Veterans of WW1 must have endured experienced and were left haunted . Both my Great Grandfathers served in WW1, one returned covered in mud after a sniper took out an orange-sized lump in his back just below the rib cage. The other a "Tunneller" was so damaged with PTSD, he attempted and nearly managed to kill his son my Grandfather leaving him fighting for his life for over a month, left disabled in his right arm after surviving the attack where he was left bleeding out in the street. We cannot imagine the hell these men went through, but this poem gives us a bitter flavour.
My father was what is called a “Late Baby”. My grandfather died when he was 11 days old. The gas from the trenches finally overwhelmed him. The Old Lie, It is right and honourable to die for your country. Pain of absent fathers passed down from generation to generation. There is no glory in that. I came here to write about my English teacher, Mr Mellis. A truly lovely man and his passion for poetry I have happily inherited and continue to read those carefully crafted words of meaning to this day. I doubt I ever told you, Mr Mellis, how much you were a true teacher. My mind expanded with your guidance. Thank you Sir. 🙏
Brilliant poem that I have loved for 50 years now. Was introduced to it by my (Welsh) English teacher at Downham Grammar School in Norfolk. Glyn Howells was an awesome teacher. Much of the poetry he introduced me too have remained as favourites all these decades since.
I would never have known this poem existed were it not for my appreciation for Christopher Eccleston and Doctor Who. Regardless of how I got here, I am glad I did. This poem is one of my all time favorites now, and hearing Eccleston narrate it makes it all the better.
While i am not a massive fan of poety, this poem is incaptivating, especially the last lines: If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--- My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.
This poem is indeed utterly brilliant,the precision and the memory of one's soul cannot bare to define what war is all about, destruction and despair but to dwell we must find hope and we could live forever more!!! greetings from Belgium 🍻✌️💜⚪🇧🇪
My Literature teacher shared this with our class today. I was pretty happy I actually knew who Christopher Eccleston was. *inserts Doctor Who / Time War joke* He delivers it perfectly. Truly a fantastic actor.
Fun fact: this poem was actually a response to one of Jessie Pope's poems, I think it was 'The Call' but I could be wrong. You can tell because in the original draft of the poem, which had all of his original word choices, he wrote "To Jessie Pope"
Oof just read Jessie's poem and it's sad that she used a genuinely good talent for poetry to glorify war. I'm actually glad Wilfred Owens made this poem and I've gained a far bigger respect for him.
I'm studying about this poem today in A.P. world history class I'm in 10th grade and these words really are deep and the way he reads it, he does it with emotions, it's so cool. ^^ I'm glad I'm learning about this today.
Appreciate just the poem, no frills, background music or any aesthetic to distract from the powerful words from this haunting and unforgettable commentary on the fruits of war; especially in the context of today's Syrian headlines. Thank you Christopher Eccleston.
Very powerful. Brought tears to my eyes. All soldiers die as hero's just so their mothers can sleep at night. Usually though, it's choking on your own blood for no reason in a ditch for nothing.
Not a huge fan of poetry to say the least but this poem really expresses the grit and despair of the war. Christopher portrays the emotions brilliantly. His change of tone with "gas run boys run" was captivating and the look of disdain at the end silently articulated the dark mood of the poem.
I had to listen to one of two people read this poem one of which is Eccleston... this is the only time I've ever actually liked listening to a narration having to do with school heh
Excellent Recitation. Great work by the speaker. I had goosebumps when he recited the poems with fall and rise in voice. I imagined what pain Owen must have gone through to experience of war brutalities. What senseless waste of young human lives in wars!.
Dear Docson4 You might like to change your setting so that people can access your videos on mobile devices. I've had to wait until I got back to y PC to see this. Worth waiting for but frustrating and unnecessary.
Wow, I'm not a big poetry guy, but reading the title alone has brought a flood of memories from school. It's probably the one time i read poetry in school and actually felt something from it.
Biting poetry that rips the guts out, bleeds the heart, tears at the very soul, telling it as it really is, war is hell, war is hell, war is hell, wreaking of that horrid smell, crouching by the wayside like a raging tiger, gripping its prey without remorse, war is hell, war is hell, war is hell, stripping men and countryside of all worthy marks, leaving remorseful tales along with bloated corpses and ragged armies remarking their gruesome tale, war is hell, war is hell, war is hell.
Very good recitation. It probably takes a skilled actor to invest the words with emotion. I couldn't do it so can appreciate it all the more. Thank you.
An excellent recitation, and interesting to hear what is now the third version of the "shells" line: I'd heard the "outstripped five-nines" and "gas-shells" one, but not "disappointed," which may be the best yet...
Visited his old home in Birkenhead today,wondered about how he experienced so much knowledge and awareness in such a short life. Will remember and give thanks for his sacrifice on Sunday. We will remember them.
I'm French. And I do speak English. And I do love English poetry. I should only add that this very poem is probably my favorite, even though every time I read it, or hear it, I am overhelmed. Our great-grandfathers bled in the same trenches.
Beautifully read - saddening, terrifying, everything that makes Owen my favourite war poet. This is the best rendition I have heard and its hard listen.
I remembering studying this in class... I *think* in year 8 or 9? I just remember the silence that descended after the teacher finished reading. It was chilling.
Owen would have been free to stay on indefinite home-leave after his injuries, he could have walked, been gone, been free, but chose to return to the frontline, earning himself the Military Cross in the process, something he always felt he needed to gain to justify himself a war poet, I don't believe he needed it though, but it always made me happy that he did received it, for his own sake. What a poet! What a soldier! What a man! He will never be forgotten, never.
I discovered this poem through Christopher Hitchen's book, "Mortality." I had to search the Latin. Knowing the translation made the poem quite powerful. I'm not a veteran. It would be quite interesting to read how combat veterans respond to this poem. WW I, not one of humanities' better moments.
I love this poem, which makes it one maybe 4 poems I can say that about. Not much of a poetry person here. It's also one of an actual handful of things I read in English class that I liked. 12 years of English classes and this is one of about 4 or 5 things I liked enough to remember.
I'm currently teaching this to a year 9 class who aren't all that fond of poetry. They have (so far!) loved this poem and learning about Owen's life. I read them this poem today and they all sat stunned into silence.
Kristi Parmee I was in I think a similar age group when I read it. It helps that I was in my rebel phase and all about getting troops out of Iraq. War is Shell (all about oil) etc.
this....this is why he was chosen to be the doctor those eyes portray such sadness such pain you can believe he'd been through a war and in this instances his Doctor had and that's why I loved his Doctor he puts so much emotion into his acting.
For anyone who finds this today and wishes to know the context of this poem over 100 years later. I suggest reading, or listening to: 1) The Soldier (Rupert Brooke): The young Officer on his way to war. He never made it to combat. 2) In Flanders Fields (Dr John McCrae). The Doctor who lost his friends and lamented the loss of people in war. 3) Dulce et Decorum Est (W. Owen). The hero Officer who became an anti-war spokesperson based on his experiences. Who, despite this, returned to the trenches and his perceived duty. KIA November 1918. Experience the range of WW1 in 3 poems. The joy of war, the lament of war, the despair of war.
A heartbreaking insight into war, which many of us have never had to face, Not just WWI but all of them. War doesn't make any sense at all. It devastates us all.
This poem is so inspirational and it gives of a nice affect for the reader almost as if the reader was there them self it has so much vast vocabulary that it is describing what it was like relating to things that are easier to understand i love this poem it is my all time favourite and i think that this is a valuable peace which should be treasured by many whom read it .
This amazing poet was killed one week before the end of the war, this was published two years after his death. And here we are, almost 100 years later, totally affected by his graphic expressions of the horror.
TheMsHuskie now 101
This is helping with my GCSE revision
Plazma Phoenix not yet 101 wait til 11/11/19
I studied this as part of my Academy English SG, to this day I remember “dulce est decorum pro patria mori”
War is hell! Lest we forget.
This poem changed my life. It showed me at 12 yo the power of words. Wilfred died 100 years ago today. Thank you Sir, thank you.
Grumpy Ole Dave I Really Inspired By Wilfred Owen,
This Is A Verse I Written, Please Check Out;
*_The Darkened Days_*
th-cam.com/video/RJwZlbKMevk/w-d-xo.html
Me too. Still touches me deeply all these years later
An extraordinay poem.
Me too🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
this poem changed my life because more work
I love how he reads this poem. The story he tells with his eyes when he starts shouting "Gas" really helps to make you feel like he's a soldier remembering darker times.
he scared me 😂😂
"""""" *remembering* """""
Someone tell this person who 9 is
@@sknfmsmr Oh I know he played the 9th Doctor, but that's not the character he's playing here.
This poem is so evocative and Christopher Eccleston is a class act👍🇬🇧
oh yes, in my opinion he has the best rendering of anyone. The sneer with which he utters the second ...drowning. The ironic slight smile on his lips and challenging his eyes when he says ...my friend. A very memorable rendition
I have listened to several actors read this poem, including Kenneth Branagh, but Eccleston's reading in his northern accent is so realistic that it sends chills down the spine.
Yeah luv his northern accent. Have you heard another Northern, Sean Bean, reading this?
Wilfred Owen served in The Manchester Regiment.Eccleston makes sense.
@@tmgmagdalena4138 No, but I heard him reading another of Owens' poems and he's splendid as well.
Christopher hitchens is the best in my opinion, so mater of fact, no acting input. Like a old school soldier would say it...quite surreal it's so good.
In Britain this poem is taught in schools to this day.
Not just Britain. We learn it in Australia, too!
nickthe killer Didn't you understand anything from the poem or are you just trolling?
This poem does not praise soldiers, instead it condemns those who would use the deaths of soldiers to glorify war, or convince people to join up.
Yeah, it's condemning the phrase "dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" which (roughly) translates to "it is sweet and honorable to die for one's country". Owen was sickened and saddened by the approach his country had to war.
Yep. Learnt it today. It really inspires you.
So brilliantly read, you could actually forget that this was a recital of one of the greatest poems written, but instead, believe that Eccleston is a man reflecting on some hell that he had been a part of. That is an incredible gift.
Considering his most famous role is a reinvention of a silly old character as a grizzled war veteran, it feels pretty on brand!
@@BonJoviBeatlesLedZepwhat role is that?
@@justforthis3208I assume they're referring to him as the 9th Doctor in Doctor Who. Eccleston's Doctor was the one who ended the Time War
Wow, I literally have chills listening to this. If anyone still doesn't understand why we feel it necessary to remember the fallen of past wars, they obviously need to read Wilfred Owen's work.
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Such a chilling, haunting recital, spoken with true passion and meaning. I wish I had his version read to me in Yr 10 English.
Actually I think Wilfred Owen would have found our preoccupation with the poppy and remembrance to be glorification of war. Each year gets worse if you ask me.
@@Queen-of-Swords Agreed. From our perspective it's a kind way of remembering the soldiers, but back then it was basically the higher ups giving an ounce of sympathy to men who lost everything
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori is a line from the Roman lyrical poet Horace's Odes (III.2.13). The line can be roughly translated into English as: "It is sweet and glorious to die for one's country."
The literal Latin meaning is "It's honourable to die for the fatherland." But they still retain similarity.
A lie that was the only thing young children in Britain heard about when they were in a conversation about the war in Mainland Europe, otherwise the British army would have run out of soldiers after the Somme.
That regard has been noted.
@captmitty Yeah I'm unsure if my translation is accurate. I'm not fluent in Latin so sorry about that. x
Owen misunderstands Horace's meaning. It means the same in Horace as John 15:13 does in the bible. These "war poets" have done more than almost anyone to distort modern perceptions of the war. They didn't speak for everyone, nor even the majority, and most of the poems weren't even published until well after the war.
I have a deep deep love for Eccleston. This shows just how wide his range is, and how intensely his emotions run.
His performance in 28 Days Later was also brilliant; a true highlight of an unprecedented "Zombie-flick".
I had to read this poem for a drama exam almost 40 years ago my drama teacher made me do it again and again and again I didn't understand his criticisms until I heard this. You are a fine actor Christopher Eccleston and I have loved everything you have been in, but this well, it speaks volumes.
MELT MONSTER brilliant
This poem is actually a response to a poem called "Who's for the game?" a propaganda poem that was written in order to try and convince young men to go to war.
Buch Baby The one by Pope? Such a good response. Role up role up and play the game
Buch Baby I had no idea about the roots of this poem. Thank you very much for posting this. 🙋🍃🌌
He's so smart about it especially the sarcastic my friend part
Thank you so much for your wise words. As a year 12 english student, this helped more than you could ever imagine
@@TMOY1807 Interesting. I actually maybe heard a bit of irony there, but also some compassion. But yes, it was an excellent recitation indeed.
My favourite part of this is how he says “to children” with such incredulity. Really gets to the heart of Owen.
Wow, being a nurse it moved me. His imagery is haunting. The evil of gas and the death he describes was chilling. He grabs the reader from the first line.
It is a shame he isn't taught in every war college or academy in the world.
He was a treasure and a gem that arouses from a truly horrible war.
When the tank meets the horse.
Machine guns meet the "over the trenches"
Although courage and bravery, I believe is the same with every war. Adrenaline takes over followed by heroic deeds. Mind over matter. Superhuman strength.
To all men and women who served, I say Thankyou.
Everybody stop saying this is the Doctor writing about the time war! This poem is about the Great War, a true horrific event where millions gave their lives. This is a brilliant poem, so can we just pay our respect. I am not hating, I know you didn't mean it in a nasty way, but it's not how I see it.
John Isaac Felipe Can I not express my opinion now?
sure you can, I'm just saying you have a tendency of ruining fun at the worst moments. And i think its intentional. So if you want to express your opinions then great, but don't stop my expressions of your opinions either.
You have misinterpreted entirely what I have said, and I find your comment quite offensive. Also you are twisting my words, I never said you weren't.
John Isaac Felipe Booohoo fandom killjoy, you know what a real killjoy is? Real life war. Take it from someone who's born in a war-addicted nation and has to check the paper daily to make sure no loved ones are among this time's and that time's and today's and tomorrow's and yesterday's and next week's fallen. There is a time and a place for fandom giggles, sincerely, a huge Whovian, except with manners.
John Isaac Felipe You are incredibly rude and childish. Your comments to me have been offensive and I am sure everyone else who disagreed with my comment just shuck it off. Please stop replying to me now.
Brilliant recital from Christopher Eccleston. Spoken with real gravitas and an expert of emotive reading, brilliantly conveying Owen's anger and bitterness. Studying this for my GCSE English atm.
I'm Italian and I'm studying war poets in my English class; this poem is so sad and Owen makes it so real as well. cwc Thank you for sharing. :3
Any recommendations buddy?
Christopher just reads it so well, he's perfect to read this beautiful poem
Christopher Hitchens
It's in the eyes. Awesome performance of a great poem. Also, 10 people have voted this down - have you no soul?
Those downvoters are from Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army. They know how to take care of children ardent for glory.
Or Jessie Pope's accounts
I very much admire the works of Wilfred Owen, but in this particular reading “Dulce et decorum est pro patrio mori” is not pronounced properly, apart from that he read it quite well...
I haven't voted it down, but I am inclined to.
This is a great poem, but with poetry I want to feel the spirit of the words meditative on my mind. I don't want to be burdened by the ego of an actor.
A Cello is a vehicle for the music, it mustn't presume to jump up and swoon to let us know how deeply moved it is. Those of us who are not stones can engage with our own feelings.
@@connoroleary591 To me, this extraordinary poet will now be in the minds and souls of many who had never met him for whatever reasons. I'm more than willing to forgive a few bits of production value to also hear one of the better actors of the generation give it his all. Perhaps the monstrous facets - the dark truths - of war will be what stays deepest. Pax et lux
Excellent rendition, powerfully told. Reminds me of my English teacher, who recited this poem to us boys over 35 years ago. The 'Gas! Gas! Quick boys!' was also said with that added vim emphasized by Eccleston. Always made my hair stand on my arms.
I would love to hear him recite "I have a rendezvous with death' by Alan Seeger. Another hauntingly beautiful WWI poem.
Oh, this poem makes me cry. So rich in imagery, but so heartbreaking in content
Excellent recital (in my opinion) from Eccleston.
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!-An ecstasy of fumbling
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.-
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,-
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
The truth of war, the truth of WW1, a brilliant reading. My grandfather was a sergeant in the Royal Canadian Engineers in that war. It was horror and depredation. Owen spoke true.
Mý grandad serced it thst was from 1916 as soson and he was legal age to join! He was born in 1898 and he was the last member of my fsmoly in the 1800s i met hom personaly many times and he was betu traumatisex till the end. He was born in 1898 but he only died ib 1995 when he was 97 because je eas a lifelong smoker. His wofe was born in 1904 and she is my grandmum! Ahe always missed him abd he was the pldest member on the faimily until 2001 thats euen my grandma outlived hin. She died only in 2003 when she was 98 years old the week before her 99th birthday. I was sdeverstated vexause she was so healthy! My mum was bprn in 1925 and my dad in 1922. My daf fied in 1985 drom COPD. UNDERSTAND ME? my Mum is died novembet and she was 93 tears okd! I AM NOW THE SECIBD OLDEST OF MY FAMILY AT MY AHE 72.
THE OLDEST IS MY AUNT SHE IS ALIVR AND 96 AND IN A NYRSING HOME AND SHE IS TYRNING 97 1ST FEBRUARY WISJ HER WELL
@@fishboymansharkwow I had at least one family member I know of who fought in WW1. Apparently he fought in the Somme and luckily survived. As far as I'm aware he never spoke about his experiences of war.
Do you remember what your Grandad was like? Did he ever talk about the war?
Hope all is well. All the best.
JFT
The contempt he has while reading is really powerful, it feels like how a veteran would have read the poem
The first piece of poetry I heard at school, that actually moved me. That's 33 years ago, it's still phenomenal writing.
Me too (1981) - then i experienced it personally (First gulf war -)
I first discovered this poem back in 1984 in literature class.... it was and still is my favorite. I still to this day remember verse by verse, but Christopher Eccleston reading is amazing and drew out more understanding... didn't realize they were marching back to their lines, didn't visualize the misty panes, where from the limited vision from their gas masks. Love this poem.... Christopher Eccleston reading sends shivers down my spine.... I'm a combat veteran, 3 tours in Iraq, thank god we didn't have to deal with this shit. I commanded convoys that delivered bulk JP8, aviation fuel, throughout Iraq. We delivered 150 million gallons in just 6 months in 2003-2004, my convoys were hit mostly every night. Wish I could write a poem to describe what we were up against.
Why not have a stab?
Just for yourself. It doesn't have to be floral, in some complex meter.
Just committing your thoughts, feelings, emotions to paper is enough.
No one in the world needs to see it.
@@davidvasey5065 Don't.be a dick
Thank you for your service 🙏🙂
I remember feeling haunted by Wilfred Owen's poetry, when learning about it in school. I would then walk past his grave in The Abbey in Shrewsbury, on the way home from school. It was a very surreal and moving experience for a 14 year old girl.
Still come back to this my "favourite" poem, it manages to contain how I feel what most British Veterans of WW1 must have endured experienced and were left haunted . Both my Great Grandfathers served in WW1, one returned covered in mud after a sniper took out an orange-sized lump in his back just below the rib cage. The other a "Tunneller" was so damaged with PTSD, he attempted and nearly managed to kill his son my Grandfather leaving him fighting for his life for over a month, left disabled in his right arm after surviving the attack where he was left bleeding out in the street. We cannot imagine the hell these men went through, but this poem gives us a bitter flavour.
Definitely showing this to my class tomorrow. Fantastic reading.
Is the "Fantastic" intended as a pun or not?
Lol kids
This poem never ceases to bring me to tears.
My father was what is called a “Late Baby”. My grandfather died when he was 11 days old. The gas from the trenches finally overwhelmed him. The Old Lie, It is right and honourable to die for your country. Pain of absent fathers passed down from generation to generation. There is no glory in that. I came here to write about my English teacher, Mr Mellis. A truly lovely man and his passion for poetry I have happily inherited and continue to read those carefully crafted words of meaning to this day. I doubt I ever told you, Mr Mellis, how much you were a true teacher. My mind expanded with your guidance. Thank you Sir. 🙏
To Christopher, I have never heard that poem told so well, with so much anger, despair and sadness. One of my favourite poems. Thank you.
Christopher Eccleston reads this excelently, he really puts emotion into it and makes you feel like you're there. i love it
Brilliant. The immediacy of the regional accent delivers a soldier who survived it and witnessed at close range one who did not.
This is the most powerful poem I have ever heard
Dylan Hunt Wilfred Owen's poems are pretty horrific, try his poem "disabled" as well.
Brilliant poem that I have loved for 50 years now. Was introduced to it by my (Welsh) English teacher at Downham Grammar School in Norfolk. Glyn Howells was an awesome teacher. Much of the poetry he introduced me too have remained as favourites all these decades since.
I'm 50 years old and studied English at 14, it has always stayed with me. 😢
I would never have known this poem existed were it not for my appreciation for Christopher Eccleston and Doctor Who. Regardless of how I got here, I am glad I did. This poem is one of my all time favorites now, and hearing Eccleston narrate it makes it all the better.
While i am not a massive fan of poety, this poem is incaptivating, especially the last lines:
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,---
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
'smothering dreams' is my favourite bit..the suffacating feeling from waking from a nightmare.
This poem is indeed utterly brilliant,the precision and the memory of one's soul cannot bare to define what war is all about, destruction and despair but to dwell we must find hope and we could live forever more!!! greetings from Belgium 🍻✌️💜⚪🇧🇪
The last line DRIPPING with sarcasm as it breaks the iambic pentameter - Brilliant!!!
My Literature teacher shared this with our class today. I was pretty happy I actually knew who Christopher Eccleston was.
*inserts Doctor Who / Time War joke*
He delivers it perfectly. Truly a fantastic actor.
Fun fact: this poem was actually a response to one of Jessie Pope's poems, I think it was 'The Call' but I could be wrong. You can tell because in the original draft of the poem, which had all of his original word choices, he wrote "To Jessie Pope"
Oof just read Jessie's poem and it's sad that she used a genuinely good talent for poetry to glorify war. I'm actually glad Wilfred Owens made this poem and I've gained a far bigger respect for him.
@@whatno3145 Talent for poetry? Her stuff is mere doggerel compared to the likes of Owen.
Outstanding reading of Wilfred Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est.
I'm studying about this poem today in A.P. world history class I'm in 10th grade and these words really are deep and the way he reads it, he does it with emotions, it's so cool. ^^
I'm glad I'm learning about this today.
Omg same‼️
To this day ( im 35 ) , this is the only thing that stuck with me from my English class in high school. I've known it off by heart since I was 13.
Such a great message through poetry, and love, love love the way Christopher reads this!
Appreciate just the poem, no frills, background music or any aesthetic to distract from the powerful words from this haunting and unforgettable commentary on the fruits of war; especially in the context of today's Syrian headlines. Thank you Christopher Eccleston.
Very powerful. Brought tears to my eyes. All soldiers die as hero's just so their mothers can sleep at night. Usually though, it's choking on your own blood for no reason in a ditch for nothing.
He is truly a great poet, and should be recognised and studied by many, and so is the reader.
i remember my english teacher was reading this out in class, he actually full on screamed GAS GAS!!!. No one was bored or asleep afterwards.
Not a huge fan of poetry to say the least but this poem really expresses the grit and despair of the war. Christopher portrays the emotions brilliantly. His change of tone with "gas run boys run" was captivating and the look of disdain at the end silently articulated the dark mood of the poem.
+Hartie091979 "gas gas quick boys" even
How can you be "not a fan of poetry"? Doesn't it kind of depend on the poetry?
Are you a fan of prose?
My English teacher played this in class and I instantly recognized him from Doctor Who!(Please don't get mad that I only know him from Doctor Who)
Nah I know him for G.I. Joe the rise of cobra
I had to listen to one of two people read this poem one of which is Eccleston... this is the only time I've ever actually liked listening to a narration having to do with school heh
this is a chilling and eye-opening poem and it was read by an amazing person in this video, the combination really worked well.
Excellent Recitation. Great work by the speaker. I had goosebumps when he recited the poems with fall and rise in voice. I imagined what pain Owen must have gone through to experience of war brutalities. What senseless waste of young human lives in wars!.
Great rendition, his accent is the icing on the cake.
Dear Docson4 You might like to change your setting so that people can access your videos on mobile devices. I've had to wait until I got back to y PC to see this. Worth waiting for but frustrating and unnecessary.
Wow, I'm not a big poetry guy, but reading the title alone has brought a flood of memories from school. It's probably the one time i read poetry in school and actually felt something from it.
Biting poetry that rips the guts out, bleeds the heart, tears at the very soul, telling it as it really is, war is hell, war is hell, war is hell, wreaking of that horrid smell, crouching by the wayside like a raging tiger, gripping its prey without remorse, war is hell, war is hell, war is hell, stripping men and countryside of all worthy marks, leaving remorseful tales along with bloated corpses and ragged armies remarking their gruesome tale, war is hell, war is hell, war is hell.
No matter how many times I hear this poem, or read it, it hits me hard in the gut.
And then I get so angry, because somehow we humans cannot learn.
Oh man Christopher Eccleston was made for this, his deliverance of words in whatever he is just cannot compare
Just came here because my teacher assigned for our e-learning. Very glad to have discovered this.
Still brings a tear to me eye! Well read Doctor!
Very good recitation. It probably takes a skilled actor to invest the words with emotion. I couldn't do it so can appreciate it all the more. Thank you.
An excellent recitation, and interesting to hear what is now the third version of the "shells" line: I'd heard the "outstripped five-nines" and "gas-shells" one, but not "disappointed," which may be the best yet...
Visited his old home in Birkenhead today,wondered about how he experienced so much knowledge and awareness in such a short life. Will remember and give thanks for his sacrifice on Sunday. We will remember them.
Una poesia fantastica... Letta da un attore meraviglioso... Onore a tutti quei ragazzi che hanno perso la vita💔
Such an amazing poem. The power of the poetry is divine!
Beautiful, assuredly we all agree the original work is a comment on the human record but this rendition is hauntingly well done.
I'm French. And I do speak English. And I do love English poetry. I should only add that this very poem is probably my favorite, even though every time I read it, or hear it, I am overhelmed.
Our great-grandfathers bled in the same trenches.
Beautifully read - saddening, terrifying, everything that makes Owen my favourite war poet. This is the best rendition I have heard and its hard listen.
Sad and Beautiful timeless and moving.
This is why CE is one of my favorite Britt actors. You can feel the words through time as he tells them
I remembering studying this in class... I *think* in year 8 or 9? I just remember the silence that descended after the teacher finished reading. It was chilling.
Powerfully told with expressions that fit the poem perfectly, it speaks volumes.
Thank you for this great gift. To the poet thank you for this truth.
I am a huge fan of Eccleston anyway but this is read incredibly well, really brings the poem alive in all its horror.
this just gave me chills this is my favourite poem and this just adds another layer why it shows just amazing
Magnificent rendition. So visceral and true to the poem.
Owen would have been free to stay on indefinite home-leave after his injuries, he could have walked, been gone, been free, but chose to return to the frontline, earning himself the Military Cross in the process, something he always felt he needed to gain to justify himself a war poet, I don't believe he needed it though, but it always made me happy that he did received it, for his own sake. What a poet! What a soldier! What a man! He will never be forgotten, never.
The most perfect voice for this poem.
I recall studying this at school, aged 14. It was a refreshing idea that perhaps our leaders view us as less than people, and more as strategic pawns.
This poem gives me such chills; it's so poignant.
I discovered this poem through Christopher Hitchen's book, "Mortality." I had to search the Latin. Knowing the translation made the poem quite powerful. I'm not a veteran. It would be quite interesting to read how combat veterans respond to this poem. WW I, not one of humanities' better moments.
I just became aware of this warrior poet yesterday. What a legend.
There's something amazing about the phrase 'a devil sick of sin'
I love this poem, which makes it one maybe 4 poems I can say that about. Not much of a poetry person here. It's also one of an actual handful of things I read in English class that I liked. 12 years of English classes and this is one of about 4 or 5 things I liked enough to remember.
I'm currently teaching this to a year 9 class who aren't all that fond of poetry. They have (so far!) loved this poem and learning about Owen's life. I read them this poem today and they all sat stunned into silence.
Kristi Parmee I was in I think a similar age group when I read it. It helps that I was in my rebel phase and all about getting troops out of Iraq. War is Shell (all about oil) etc.
Well done, in a clear voice. God help us all.
this....this is why he was chosen to be the doctor those eyes portray such sadness such pain you can believe he'd been through a war and in this instances his Doctor had and that's why I loved his Doctor he puts so much emotion into his acting.
Thank you Christopher, thank you for helping me with my National 5 English exam!
Amazing! I never appreciated language until I had read this poem!
For anyone who finds this today and wishes to know the context of this poem over 100 years later. I suggest reading, or listening to:
1) The Soldier (Rupert Brooke): The young Officer on his way to war. He never made it to combat.
2) In Flanders Fields (Dr John McCrae). The Doctor who lost his friends and lamented the loss of people in war.
3) Dulce et Decorum Est (W. Owen). The hero Officer who became an anti-war spokesperson based on his experiences. Who, despite this, returned to the trenches and his perceived duty. KIA November 1918.
Experience the range of WW1 in 3 poems. The joy of war, the lament of war, the despair of war.
A heartbreaking insight into war, which many of us have never had to face, Not just WWI but all of them. War doesn't make any sense at all. It devastates us all.
Haunting, I learned this in school and I still remember it.
I have to learn this poem for English exams and listening to himself recite it is far better than my own melodic tones
Same here!
This poem is so inspirational and it gives of a nice affect for the reader almost as if the reader was there them self it has so much vast vocabulary that it is describing what it was like relating to things that are easier to understand i love this poem it is my all time favourite and i think that this is a valuable peace which should be treasured by many whom read it .
. . . inspirational? Are you mad? It was a plea to stop, that's the opposite of inspirational.
Dulce Est Decorum read by Ninth? YES PLEASE!
Agreed.
Jack Mendez yep
this is one of owens poems i have to study this year and to hear it read out its very sad how on earth these people coped is beyond me.