The+Poets+of+World+War+I

More than any other conflict, the World War I inspired writers of all generations and classes, most notably among combatants. Jon Stallworthy, in his introduction to //[|The Oxford Book of War Poetry]// (1984) begins by evoking the emotive force of the poems in his anthology: "'POETRY', Wordsworth reminds us, 'is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings', and there can be no area of human experience that has generated a wider range of powerful feelings than war: hope and fear; exhilaration and humiliation; hatred – not only for the enemy, but also for generals, politicians, and war-profiteers; love – for fellow soldiers, for women and children left behind, for country (often) and cause (occasionally)." (p.xix) Read the following examples of war poetry from World War I. Which poem did you like best? What do you think it is saying? What message do you think the poet is trying to convey about war? Give the name of the poem and the writer in your response.Respond to these questions by the date assigned.

http://www.english.emory.edu/LostPoets/McCrae.html http://www.english.emory.edu/LostPoets/Dulce.html

Follow the link for the painting //Gassed// at the bottom of the second poem. What does the picture say to you? Read the nurse's account of what exposure to mustard gas did to the soldiers. What was her opinion of the war?