History has taught us that no other war challenged existing conventions, morals, and ideals in the same way World War I did. World War I saw the mechanization of weapons like heavy artillery and tanks, the use of poison gas, the long stalemate on the Western Front, and trench warfare, all of which resulted in the massive loss of human life. A handful of poets, including Wilfred Owen, participated in the war, fought in it, …showed first 75 words of 868 total…

…showed last 75 words of 868 total…willing to believe the Lie but they will, of course, learn differently once they experience the war first hand. The reader's attention does not wander throughout the poem because of Owen's consistent imagery. By the end of the poem, the reader can fully appreciate the irony between the truth of what happens in the trenches and the Lie being told at home. It is this attention to form and imagery that makes the poem effective.