Poems from the First World War have often been analysed over the last 100 years. From these studies, it can be said that the poetry of the Great War differs from earlier poetry since in the war no specific rules for writing were given (c.f. Puissant 6). But also, poems from the First World War itself offer enormous contrasts (c.f. Longley 58).
One corollary of the premise that poetry changed in the course of the war from an expression of martial aspiration and the glory of sacrifice to one of disillusionment is that the change came about because of the trench poets’ direct experience of the war’s horrific front lines (…). (Stout 29)
Two contrastive poems are “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke and “To Germany” by Charles Hamilton Sorley. The poets clearly had different opinions on war when they wrote the poems: While Brooke writes in a romantic, patriotic way (c.f. Kendall 87) about the war in 1914, Sorley addresses the enemy directly and unemotionally (c.f. Kendall 86) in April 1915. I argue that these differences between the poems …show more content…
In order to do this the political circumstances and the patriotic thoughts at the time of the First World War in both England and Europe, the conditions of the First World War itself and the phenomenon of the English “(…) soldier poets, or as they are often called trench poets (…)” (Stout 28) must be examined. Correspondingly the moment when disillusionment occurred has to be defined. Also, the poets’ backgrounds considering military service and their attitudes towards the Great War must be studied. As a result of these aspects the poems can be analysed, interpreted and differences and similarities can be revealed. Subsequently the causes for the contrasts in the poems are examined and the aspect of the difference “(…) between the poets who merely read about the fighting and those who actually did.” (Stout 29) is elucidated in
One corollary of the premise that poetry changed in the course of the war from an expression of martial aspiration and the glory of sacrifice to one of disillusionment is that the change came about because of the trench poets’ direct experience of the war’s horrific front lines (…). (Stout 29)
Two contrastive poems are “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke and “To Germany” by Charles Hamilton Sorley. The poets clearly had different opinions on war when they wrote the poems: While Brooke writes in a romantic, patriotic way (c.f. Kendall 87) about the war in 1914, Sorley addresses the enemy directly and unemotionally (c.f. Kendall 86) in April 1915. I argue that these differences between the poems …show more content…
In order to do this the political circumstances and the patriotic thoughts at the time of the First World War in both England and Europe, the conditions of the First World War itself and the phenomenon of the English “(…) soldier poets, or as they are often called trench poets (…)” (Stout 28) must be examined. Correspondingly the moment when disillusionment occurred has to be defined. Also, the poets’ backgrounds considering military service and their attitudes towards the Great War must be studied. As a result of these aspects the poems can be analysed, interpreted and differences and similarities can be revealed. Subsequently the causes for the contrasts in the poems are examined and the aspect of the difference “(…) between the poets who merely read about the fighting and those who actually did.” (Stout 29) is elucidated in