World War I Poetry with Emphasis on Wilfred Owens

World War I spanned four years, from June 1914 to June 1918. During this war, technological advances increased the danger for the soldiers who took part in battle. Poison gas and trench warfare transformed World War I into a cesspool of sickness and death. Poetry during World War I provided a way to connect people back home with the horrific lifestyle soldiers had to face on a daily basis. Poets such as Wilfred Owens used vivid imagery, dire diction, and other literary devices to depict the grueling tasks of warfare.
World War I, otherwise known as the Great War, began on June 28th, 1914, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia. This began a four year war that took the lives of thirty-seven million people. The biggest difference from this war compared to others, was the development of trench warfare and the development of chemical warfare.
Trench warfare consisted series of two or more trench lines running parallel to each other and being at least 1 mile in depth. Each trench was dug in a zigzag formation so that no enemy could fire for more than a few yards down its length. Each of the main lines of trenches was connected to each other and to the rear by a series of communications trenches that were dug roughly perpendicular to them. Food, ammunition, fresh troops, mail, and orders were delivered through these trenches. The intricate network of trenches contained command posts, forward supply dumps, first-aid stations, kitchens, and latrines. Most importantly, it had machine-gun emplacements to defend against an assault, and it had dugouts deep enough to shelter large numbers of defending troops during an enemy bombardment (“Trench Warfare”). On average, the British lost 7,000 men daily due to trench...

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...hem for Damned Youth”. In this poem, Owens asks what type of ceremony is held for soldiers who die in battle. He then answers himself by saying there is not a ceremony, but only the sounds of guns. Furthermore, he asks what can be done to make their deaths easier. He answers himself by saying tears and the drained faces of their loved ones will send these deceased boys off.

Works Cited

"Owen, Wilfred." Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.. Web. 15 Apr 2014. .
"Trench Warfare." Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.. Web. 15 Apr 2014. .
Gay , Kathlyn. World War I. Brookfield, CT 06804: Twenty-First Century Books, 1995. Print.

Lengel , Edwards. "Introducing Poison Gas." Military History. Mar 2013: 18. Print.