Implicit vs. Explicit Argument

As defined by the book, “Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings,” an explicit argument “states directly a controversial claim and supports it with reasons and evidence,” while an implicit argument “doesn’t look like an argument. It may be a poem or short story, a photograph or cartoon, a personal essay or an autobiographical narrative. But like an explicit argument, it persuades its audience towards a certain point of view.” These definitions help the reader to understand the context of the Veterans day picture and the poem Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen, neither of which are explicit arguments. Though they both seem to be relatively innocuous entries into the textbook, they really say a great deal. With regards to implicit arguments, both have a great deal to say. The poem, for example, is a stinging and bitter rant against war and the horrors men face while fighting a war. The point is further driven home when it is revealed that the author, Wilfred Owen, himself died in the midst of World War I. The picture, on the other hand, offers a far different picture. It shows a young strong looking marine embracing and older veteran of another war, showing the comradeship of the two different generations of soldiers. Though the artificial hand of the younger soldier does come as a shock, it serves to remind the viewer that war itself is a very shocking thing and never to be taken lightly. Though neither item actually state an explicit argument, the amount they have to say is no less than if they were explicit.