And indeed, the poem's last verses confirm the irony of the title, underlining that it actually is a lie "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." (25-28) the importance of the words is underlined by them being written in capital letters and it is easy to notice that besides the Latin words, only "Lie" is capitalized, suggesting the state of synonymy between them. "The abnormal is not courage " is also describing a fight scene, yet the readers d discover that the tone of voice and the approach are completely different from the ones in the first poem. "The Poles rode out from Warsaw against the German/Tanks on horses. Rode knowing, in sunlight, with sabers / a magnitude of beauty that allows me no peace" (1-3). Just like in Owen's case, the poet includes himself in the group of characters making the story. On the one hand, there are the tanks, on the other there are the horses, which might imply an opposition between nature and industry as creation of man. The presence of the sun is a very important element, suggesting that the entire scene has a powerful positive connotation. The idea is underlined by the choice of terms such as "magnitude of beauty." The next issue discussed by Gilbert is represented by courage. In order to explain the attitude that the fighters have towards the acts they are engaged in, the poet declares that their courage is something more, namely a passion.

The following liens are dedicated to describing in profundity the feelings which lead the soldiers to get involved in war actions and how they feel about it. If in the former poem the action took place at night and was similar to a scene from hell in which human decay and destruction were thoroughly described, in the present case the soldiers' actions...

The acts which one might interpret as being of "courage" are derived from the depth of the being. Not only are they determined by the most beautiful attributes associated with human essence, but they contribute to render people "accomplished," that is fulfill their potential "Not the marvelous act, but the evident conclusion of being./Not strangeness, but a leap forward of the same quality./Accomplishment. The even loyalty. But fresh"(13-15)
The poet underlines that the war scene and everything it implies are things which need to be associated with conscious decisions and with inner balance. In the former poem, Owen was stating the exact opposite, claiming that war is to be associated with lack of balance and the ultimate spiritual destruction. The perspective in Gilbert's verses is impressive. We actually have two opposite approaches to the same reality, one closer to heaven, one coming straight from hell.

All in all, it could be stated that Gilbert and Owen have opposite visions when it comes to the reality represented by war. While one associates it with decay and destructing, presenting it like a living hell, the other suggests that it is only a means of achieving excellence and accomplishing the value that a man has.

Bibliography:

Gilbert, J. The abnormal is not courage, Retrieved November 5, 2010 from http://www.eliteskills.com/analysis_poetry/The_Abnormal_Is_Not_Courage_by_Jack_Gilbert_analysis.php

Owen, W., Dulce et decorum est, Retrieved November 5, 2010 from http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen1.html