Poems of the First World War : Never Such Innocence

by Martin Stephen

Assembling a broad selection of Great War poetry, this volume includes the famous but also the less well known poets, the popular songs of the day and poems from the Home Front. Here are Brooke's The Soldier, Owen's Spring Offensive - but also anonymous marching songs such as When This Blasted War Is Over, sung by British troops in their thousands, and poems by the women back home who waited for news of sons and husbands.

Genres: Poetry, War

384 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1993

About the author

George Martin Stephen is High Master of St Paul's School,London, and ex-High Master of The Manchester Grammar School. He is the author of 16 academic titles on English literature, modern naval history and war poetry, as well as the highly-acclaimed Henry Gresham historical crime novels, set in the London and Cambridge of Elizabeth I and James I.

Reviews

[Raymond Deane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very idiosyncratic anthology edited by someone who feels that standard anthologies over-stress the idea that war poetry = anti-war poetry. Some of his choices are very eccentric, and some of his omissions are grotesque (some of Owen's best poems) - but he provides his reasons, which one can take or leave. A useful book to have around.