Poetry of the First World War

by Edward Hudson (Editor)

This anthology of First World War poetry consists of the works of a wide range of poets, many of whom were killed in the war. Accompanying each poem is a contemporary photograph, taken in such areas as the forward trenches, behind the lines and in the base camps. The anthology is arranged chronologically, beginning with the patriotic, jingoistic fervour of 1914, and then gradually charting the move to a more realistic mood, culminating in the disillusion, resignation and anger felt so strongly by the men at the front. The poets included range from A.E.Housman and Thomas Hardy, whose writing influenced the soldier poets, to those who actually fought at the front, such as Brooke, Sassoon and Owen. There are some unexpected contributions from those who volunteered, but did not see active service, such as Laurence Binyon and W.W.Gibson, and Rudyard Kipling, who had written about soldiers long before the War, and whose only son was killed in action.

Genres: Poetry, World War I, War, Classics

128 pages, Library Binding

Published November 1, 1989

Reviews

[R.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose to cry today. These are beautiful, heartbreaking, and worth reading.

“My day was happy—and perchance
The coming night is full of stars.”

Richard Dennys, Better Far to Pass Away

[Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brings the mud, the stench, the fear to the here and now.

[Kier Scrivener · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were gorgeous poems telling of the horrors of the Great War.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore WWI poetry; it's my favourite kind, and there are so many specific poems I could read a million times and not get sick of. This collection had some I was familiar with, and many others that were new to me, which was exciting. I have so many new favourites after reading this! It's a very varied collection, so I highly recommend it to anyone who's a long-time fan or just newly getting into this.

[Maxwell Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great and meaningful collection of English poems from the First World War. In addition, it comes with an introduction about the context of WW1 poetry, why it was done, and more.

'In Flanders Fields' by John McCrae and 'We Shall Keep the Faith' by Moina Michael were ones that stood out to me, personally.

I recommend this book to English literature students in primary and secondary schools, learners of World War 1, and Canadians in general.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read much poetry anymore, but I really enjoyed this collection. I appreciated the variety of authors, and so many of the poems hit in some way-whether they were beautiful or funny or something else. I feel like overall, the book provides a good picture of the time period and all of the emotions and experiences that surround WWI.

[Brian Miracle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, relatively short book of British poetry from World War 1. Some of the poems, such as “In Flanders Fields”, I’d read before. Most were new to me. The book has a good mix, from patriotic verses to those depicting the horror of that conflict. I found some real gems in this book. Recommended for both lovers of military history and lovers of poetry.

[Hallberg Guðmundsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

hella depressing

[Madison Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. There were some poems in here that I absolutely adored, and some that I didn’t think about much. All had their own perspective on the war and gave you a lot to think about.