Animal Farm Project - Abuse of Language

Poetry Out Loud Performances

Joshua Kelly was one of the top performances for Poetry out loud. His recitation of Dulce et Decorum Est was done extremely well. His voice and articulation was right-on, he spoke clearly, his voice was audible at all times, and he spoke at a good pace so you could understand every word in the poem. His appropriateness of dramatization was very good too. He was dramatic, but not over the top - He does just enough for you to show the poem's graphic scenes and haunting war images. His overall performance was very good, and I thought he grasped the meaning of the poem well, and his performance made the poem much more interesting to listen to.

I interpreted the poem, Dulce et Decorum Est, as how people see war as something to be idolized and glorified, but the soldiers of the war are stripping away all of that, to show how bitter and terrible the war truly is. They reveal how horrible everything is, and it is nothing to be proud of. "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..." {Second Stanza} This was a very good example of how the soldiers are sharing their pain of the war with other people, and making the war no longer seem so glorified. Overall, I thought the entire performance of the poem was done very well, and the meaning was well shown.


-Nicole Dandridge