The poem describes the harsh realities of war faced by soldiers. It depicts soldiers struggling through deep mud as they march exhausted from the front lines. One soldier is hit by gas and drowns in his own fluids as the other soldiers watch helplessly. The poem aims to convey that it is not sweet and right to die for one's country, contradicting the common propaganda phrase "Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori". It seeks to discourage the glorification of war and recruitment of young soldiers through realistic portrayal of the horrors of battle.