By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
‘The Next War’ is a relatively little-known Wilfred Owen poem: compared with his great sonnet ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’, this sonnet is practically invisible to all but the most diehard fans of Wilfred Owen or war poetry. Yet this poem offers an interesting insight into Owen’s work. Before we offer an analysis of ‘The Next War’, here’s a reminder of the poem:
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
‘The Kind Ghosts’ is not one of Wilfred Owen’s best-known war poems, but it deserves to be better-known. In just twelve lines, Owen (1893-1918) contrasts the sleepy attitude of Britain’s civilians with the sacrifice being made by countless British men in the theatre of war. Owen revised ‘The Kind Ghosts’ in July 1918, just a few months before his death in early November of that year. Before we proceed to an analysis of the poem, here’s a reminder of it:
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
‘1914’ is a poem by Wilfred Owen (1893-1918). As the title suggests, it’s a poem about the outbreak of the First World War, in August 1914. Before we offer some words of analysis, here’s a reminder of the poem.
1914
War broke: and now the Winter of the world
With perishing great darkness closes in.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
‘Dreamers’ is a poem by the British poet of the First World War, Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967). Written while Sassoon was convalescing at Craiglockhart Hospital, ‘Dreamers’ is a poem which contrasts the realities of war with the soldiers’ longing for home and domestic comfort and security.
You can read ‘Dreamers’ here before proceeding to our analysis of the poem below.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967) wrote ‘Base Details’ in 1917; it appeared in his diary entry for 4 March. It’s one of his best short poems satirising the older generation who sent so many younger men to their deaths in the First World War. You can read Sassoon’s ‘Base Details’ here before reading on to our summary and analysis below.