War Poetry
War poetry which is poetry that was produced during a war, or about a war.
Some very well known wall poems are presented below. You can read them online, or click the link below to download the and save it to your device for ready access to the poems.
war_poetry_anthology.doc |
Expolore this LIB GUIDE to learn more about war poetry
Dulce et Decorum est
No war or conflict has produced quite so much poetry as WWI. A recurring theme in these poems is the futility, or pointlessness of war. One writer who famously explored this theme is Wilfred Owen, who is recognised as one of the great poets of the First World War. His poem Dulce et Decorum est, was published after his death in 1920.
Read the poem HERE with explanatory notes
View the powerpoint and complete the activities to gain a greater understanding of Owen's poem.
The Battle
Like Owen, Louis Simpson depicts the battlefield in a distinctly un-heroic way in 'The Battle', focusing in on the hardship and suffering of the soldiers in The Battle. The tone is bleak and matter-of-fact; and the language is spare, yet it successfully portrays the horror these men endure.
Download the document below to read and annotate the poem and complete the activities.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields" is a war poem written during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. He was inspired to write it on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of friend and fellow soldier Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, who died in the Second Battle of Ypres. According to legend, fellow soldiers retrieved the poem after McCrae, initially dissatisfied with his work, discarded it.
Read the poem and learn more about it HERE
- Why is a metaphor used? Give the example. What message is it conveying?
- Find an example of personification. Why do you think it is used?
- What is the tone of the poem?
- How would you describe the rhythm of the poem? How does it make you feel
Info on rhyme and rhythm
A rhyme scheme allows the reader to see which lines rhyme in a stanza. A rhyme scheme is labelled using letters and a new letter is used for every new rhyme. When a poem has each pair of lines rhyming these are called rhyming couplets. When a regular rhyme scheme is used, the reader feels at ease and the poem is predictable. If the rhyme scheme is irregular, the reader may feel anxious and confused.
The rhythm of a poem is like the beat of a tune. If a poem has a regular rhythm, it will usually have a particular pattern of rhyme in relation to the number of syllables in a line. Some poems have every line with the same number of syllables. An irregular rhythm has no pattern. Usually, if a poem is regular, it makes the reader feel comforted and peaceful.
POETRY WORDGAMES