‘The poetry of the First World War may not have been explicitly modernist in form and technique, as most of its poets had their intellectual roots in the nineteenth century, but its striking subject matter and the shecr force ofits disillusion let it speak to modern ears much more directly, with a ery of anguish that has few parallels, before or since. ‘The main poets ofthe age were Rupert Brooke who maintained his rather old-fashioned outlook on war and patriotism, as exemplified in the celebrated lines from the sonnet “The Soldier": If should die, think only this of me: ‘That shere’s some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England. Some war poets, in particular Siegffied Sassoon, survived the war and continued their carcer afienvanis, although obviously deeply scarred by their experience. Others who died in action, such as Wilfred Owen or Issac Rosenbe quickly disillusioned by life in the trenches and highlighted the squalor and brutality of it all in works ranging from colloquial portraits of their fellow soldiers to dream visions of mysterious significance. ‘The case of Wilited Owen, who was killed on Armistice Day 1918, is one of the most moving. Alrea age, much influenced by Keatsand the fin-de-siee achieved remarkable force ‘This book is not about heroes, English poetry is not yet fit to speak of them. Nor isit about deeds, o lands, nor anything about glory, honour, might, majesty, dominion or p Above all Tam not concerned with Poetry. Mr subject is War, and the pity of War. the Poetry isin the pity. Yer these clegies are to this gencration in no sense consolatory. They may be to the next. All a poct can do teday is warn. That is why the true Poets must be truthyia. Text 95 Dulce et Decorum Est Below we give Wilfred Owen’s poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ ‘The title of the poem comes from the Latin pact Horace’s lin ‘Dulce et Decorum est pro patria mori’ (itis sweet and fitting to die for one’s country). 1. Do you agree with the sentiment expressed in this quotation? ‘Aré these ideas of patriotism still prevalent today? 2 What do you think might be the response of a sensitive poet who served in the trenches during the First World War to this patriotic rhetoric? What events might undermine bis willingness to die for a noble cause? Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed!, coughing like hags*, we cursed through sladge’, knock-kneed: walking with ones together, Til on the haunting? flares? we turned our backs hhaga: witches ‘And towards our distant rest began to trudge’. * sludge: mud ‘Men marched asleep. Many had fost their boots haunting: recurriny in the memory ahosty But limped’ on, blood:-shod?. All went lame”; all blind; & flares: rackets to signal mulitary positon, Drunk with fatigue’; deaf even to the hoots!* seudge: cd slowty und with difficntsy. (Of tied, outstripped! Five-Nines thar dropped behind, = limped: wail with one or ut lps infective ‘blood:-shod: instead of shes ten fet covered Bee. 1 lame: nadie to wall ee or ath lps. fatigue: trednes. hoots: sound of bonals, like a bird. outstripped: shat have ben left bind. Five-Nines: aint