WAR POETRY

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WAR POETRY

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War Poetry

• War poems were written by men and women during
  and after most wars.
• They were written by people both directly
  involved in fighting and not.

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• Many famous war poems by English writers came
  after WWI because this was the first war in which
  ordinary educated English civilians took part,
  either by voluntary enlistment or later
  conscription.

• There was a period during and directly after the
  war, when almost any young man who could express
  his thoughts and feelings in verse could get
  himself published, however many of these have
  since been forgotten. Others have remained
  famous and popular, even today.

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FIRST PHASE

• At the beginning, many poems glorified war and
  pushed for men to enlist. These were often
  published in the press.

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SECOND PHASE

• Soldier poets wrote about their own experiences
  during war. They referred to Honour, Duty and
  Sacrifice. Many of these men later died in
  battle and had their poems published by proud
  parents to immortalise their sons. This dramatic
  style was often mocked.

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THIRD PHASE

• Towards the end and following the war there were
  more negative and realistic war poems published.
  They resented the fake heroes of earlier poems,
  and instead wanted to tell about real heroism,
  boredom, death and suffering. Many of these poets
  are still remembered and admired today.

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Background to the First World War

• In 1914, Europe was divided by two great
  alliances Britain and her Empire, France,
  Russia, Serbia and Italy against Germany,
  Austria-Hungary and Turkey.
• Tensions based on political, military and
  colonial rivalries had been rising since 1900.
  Balkan terrorists created a flash point in Bosnia
  in June 1914, when a teenage assassin shot the
  heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian
  Empire, Franz Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie.

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• By August, Europe was at war. This continued
  until November 1918.
• There was extreme fighting until the end. The
  Central Powers (German etc) lost 3.5 million men
  the Allies (Britain etc) lost over 5 million.
• On average 5,600 soldiers were killed each day of
  the Great War.

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WAR Why would you?

• Task
• In your exercise book, draw a table with two
  columns.
• On one side, write all the reasons FOR going to
  war.
• On the other side, write all the reasons for NOT
  going to war.
• WHICH LIST IS LONGER? WHY?