Model Answers
Evaluate the First World War Poetry as an historical source. How useful is it to the
historian? What care needs to be taken in its use?
1. James Sinclair
When a historical event is momentous enough to gain the title ‘The Great War’, it
can be strongly anticipated that the amount of literature and documentation on the event
will be close to infinite. This indeed is true for the First World War. Such a vast array of
perspectives, types of sources, and topics puts tremendous emphasis on the credibility of
the document being examined. To put the poetry of World War One in perspective, the
Germans alone had written about three million poems within the first six months of war,
and identified British poets numbered 2 225. This begs the main question, is the poetry
of the First World War a trustworthy historical source? There can be no concrete
evaluation given to poetry as a whole in the First World War due to vast quantities of
poems that exist, however, there are general strengths and weaknesses that can be
argued. Firstly, the poems of the First World War are generally factually correct, and
will offer the reader an accurate depiction of the events that occurred. Secondly, the
reliability and validity of a poem depends greatly on the author, and their actual
participation during the time of war. Finally, the government played a huge role in
filtering information that the public viewed, this skewed and biased some poetry
produced during the war. Due to the above arguments there is no solid value of the
poetry of World War One as a source to a historian.
2
Perhaps the most important criterion that a historian must use while evaluating a
document for use as a source is its factual integrity. Do these documents demonstrate
actual feelings, events, or atmosphere? Auspiciously, the poetry of the First World War
is an excellent historical source when appraised on accuracy. Poems like ‘Suicide in the
Trenches’ by Sassoon, and ‘S.I.W.’ by Wilfred Owen depict quite accurately suicide in
the trenches. As a soldier of the war said, “the semi-suicidal instinct which haunted me
whenever I thought about going back to the line….an insidious craving to be killed.” A
further poem that accurately represents battle in the First World War is ‘In Flanders
Fields’ by John McCrae, this poem gives an emotional account of a soldier’s feelings
after the Battle of Ypres. As historian Rob Ruggenburg states, “John McCrae’s poem(In
Flanders Fields) may be the most famous of the Great War.” The three poems listed
above represent the historical accuracy that can be provided to historians from First
World War Poetry.
The factual accuracy of First World War Poems is by no means limited to life on
the battlefield or in the trenches, they can also produce factual accounts of soldiers’
feelings and emotions. An emotional accuracy that the poetry of the First World War
provides is the love and idealist homosexuality that the men in the trenches felt for each
other. These feelings are displayed in poems by authors such as Robert Graves, Sir
Herbert Reid, and Wilfred Owen. Although homosexuality was seen as a weakness in the
army and probably never practiced, the poetry shows the love and companionship that the
3
men felt for each other. Finally, poetry at the beginning of the war does an excellent job
in capturing the enthusiasm of the soldiers. As soldier Julian Grenfell wrote to his
mother, “I adore war. It is like a big picnic without the objectiveness of a picnic. I have
never been so well or happy.” Mr. Grenfell also wrote a poem called ‘Into Battle’, for
which the theme and mood agreed with his letter entirely. Also, poems such as ‘Men
Who March Away’ by Thomas Hardy, described the soldiers marching away to war with
an extremely cheerful mood and demeanor. Although certain care must be taken by
historians when evaluating First World War poetry, the majority of poems produced are
factually accurate.
Poetry of the First World War was written by two distinctly different types of
authors, combatants and non-combatants. Wilfred Owen, Seigfried Sassoon, and Julian
Grenfall are all examples of combatant poets, meaning they actually fought in the war.
Poets such as Robert Vernede, Rupert Brookes, and Rose Macauley are deemed noncombatants since their literature was written far away from the battlefields. Either
classification of author has both its merits and its weaknesses. For either to be evaluated
as a historical source, their strengths and weaknesses must first be discussed.
When examining combatant poetry it is important to remember that there is no
substitute for primary, first hand experience and knowledge. That is exactly what
combatant poets provide when discussing poetry as a source for the conditions of war and
soldiers' experiences. The insight and emotion of first hand experience on the battlefield
comes through quite clearly, Sassoon’s poem ‘The Dug Out’ is an excellent example.
4
This poem gives the reader an emotional account of a soldier’s experience with death in
the trenches, an account that could only be given accurately by someone who had to
endure it. ‘Assault’ by Erno Muller is another poem which provides the reader with the
grotesque reality of trench warfare. Among other realistic war references in the poem,
Muller cites the use of gas, which was introduced in the First World War as a weapon of
mass destruction. Unfortunately, the poetry of one combatant does not represent the
feelings of all soldiers participating in the conflict. In this sense historians must be
cautious when judging the personal feelings of an individual soldier. C.H. Sorley’s poem
‘To Germany’ sends the message that British soldiers as a whole feel a hate and
aggression towards German soldiers, at least until the end of the war. However, it was
stated that “On Christmas Day, 1914, fraternization reached an astonishing point when,
on some sections of the front, opposing troops met in no-man’s land to exchange gifts of
chocolate, tins of bully beef, biscuits, and cigarettes.” Since some combatants have
different experiences during battle it is understandable that they have different
perspectives of the war, however, this is an important consider for historians to make
when referencing combatant poems. Combatant poetry represents a more accurate source
to historians compared with literature written by anyone not directly involved in conflict.
After examining the poetry of soldiers it is equally important to examine the
poetry of the citizens who were not involved directly within conflict, the noncombatants. Poetry of non-combatants is essential for gaining insight on the feelings of
citizens away from the front lines. ‘In the Gallery Where the Fat Men Go’ is a poem
written by Louis Golding which criticizes fellow countrymen of not suffering enough for
5
the war cause in comparison to the men in battle. This poem and theme of ideology from
non-combatants is quite accurate since poems authored by combatants such as We ‘Shall
Drink to Them That Sleep’ by Alexander Robertson and ‘The Fathers’ by Sassoon concur
with Golding’s theory. However, not unlike combatant poetry, non-combatant poetry is
also inaccurate in some displays of the First World War. A poem that Robert Vernade
published in The Times on August 19th, 1914 displays many common inaccuracies of
non-combatant poetry. In his poem Vernade uses inappropriate metaphors such as
comparing soldiers’ uniforms with school colors. Poems like this do not give historians
an accurate source for the First World War. Non-combatant poetry represents inaccurate
literature for historians compared with literature written by those who actually
experienced direst combat.
Although the poetry produced in the First World War can be seen in most lights
as historically accurate, there are two areas that hinder its reliability, patriotism and
propaganda. Although in most contexts patriotism is a respectable quality for literature to
possess, it makes it difficult for poetry to be accurate because of all of the added
emotions which can bias the work. “The overwhelming majority of the vast number of
poems written during the war by combatants and non-combatants alike were patriotic
ditties.” Although it is by no means inaccurate for poems to be expressing patriotism,
ones love for their country can produce a bias which may pose a problem for a historical
researcher. Poems such as ‘The Soldier’ by Brooke, and ‘The Roman Centurion’s Song’
by Kipling are by no means inaccurate, however, they do produce exaggerated love for
their country which biases their poem in terms of the First World War as a whole. At one
6
point in time there were seventy million men fighting the war, although these poems
express the feelings of the authors accurately, they are not accurate in the minds of
millions of other men who have different patriotic opinions. When evaluating historical
sources historians must be aware of the level of patriotism involved in the poetry.
The other weakness of First World War poetry is the issue of propaganda. In
times of war nations needed publicity in favor of their war cause and their successful role
in the war thus far. Once David Lloyd George found out that Germany had established a
Propaganda Agency in August of 1914, he decided to create the British War Propaganda
Bureau. Although this committee was extremely enigmatic and both the authors and
operators of the Bureau were sworn to secrecy they played a large role in molding the
truth that the public had knowledge of. Sir Henry Newbolt was a contributing poet to the
bureau and he published a poem named ‘Vitai Lampada’, subsequent to the war he made
the following comment regarding his poem: “it’s kind of a Frankenstein’s monster that I
created thirty years ago.” Although this bureau only reached a few major poets including
Rudyard Kipling, it represented a lot of the poetry seen by the public through the media
during the First World War. Although not all World War One poetry was influenced by
propaganda, it is a caution historians need to entertain when evaluating poetry as a
source.
In conclusion, the First World War produced over nine million deaths, reeked
havoc on Europe for four years, and formed international tensions that would again
surface later in the century. It is important to understand the causes and effects of such a
7
momentous event, and literature created during the time period provides an exceptional
database of information. Nevertheless, vigilance must be taken when examining certain
types of literature, namely poetry. Although there can be no solid value assigned to First
World War poetry as a historical source, there are some general conclusions which can be
observed. Primarily, consideration must be given to the author of the poem as their role
in the war. Secondly, poems of World War One can be seen as factually correct for the
vast majority. Finally, caution must be exercised by historians when examining a poem
to ensure that the poem is not propaganda, or that the poem does not contain overly
patriotic thoughts. Disregarding any historical flaws, the poetry of the First World War
is still quoted in the twenty-first century and because of its brilliance will most likely be
quoted and used by historians for many centuries to come.
Roderick Phillips, Society, State, and Nation in Twentieth-Century Europe(New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.,
1998), 88.
Ibid.
Siegfried Sassoon, Suicide in the Trenches (n.d.) <www.carleton.ca/~mpine/poems.htm> [29 September
2003].
Stuart Lee, Wilfred Owen (1997)< www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/1tg/projects/jtap/tutorials/intro/owen> [25 October
2003].
Niall Ferguson, The Pity of War(Great Britain: The Penguin Press, 1998), 451.
John McCrae, In Flanders Fields(n.d.) <www.carleton.ca/~mpine/poems.htm> [29 September 2003].
Rob Ruggenburg, In Flanders Fields: The Making of the Poem(n.d.)<www.firstworldwar
.com/poetsandprose /inflandersfields.htm>[15 October 2003].
Hilda D. Spear, Remembering, We Forget(London: Robert MacLehose & Co. Ltd, 1979.), 74.
Ibid, 76.
Roderick Phillips, Society, State, and Nation in Twentieth-Century Europe(New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.,
1998), 101.
Hilda D. Spear, Remembering, We Forget(London: Robert MacLehose & Co. Ltd, 1979.), 32.
Ibid, 34.
Thomas Hardy, Men Who March Away(1914)<www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/7086/
reflections_twp.htm>[17 October 2003].
Stuart Lee, Wilfred Owen (1997)< www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/1tg/projects/jtap/tutorials/intro/owen> [25 October
2003].
Robert Means, Seigfried Sassoon (n.d.) < www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/1tg/projects/jtap/tutorials/intro/sassoon> [26
October 2003].
Hilda D. Spear, Remembering, We Forget(London: Robert MacLehose & Co. Ltd, 1979.), 34.
Ibid, 25.
8
Ibid.
Stuart Lee, Women’s Poetry from WWI (n.d.)<www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/1tg/projects/jtap/tutorials/intro
/women> [25 October 2003].
Seigfried Sassoon, The Dug-Out(n.d.) <www.carleton.ca/~mpine/poems.htm> [29 September 2003].
Erno Muller, Assult (n.d.) <www.carleton.ca/~mpine/poems.htm> [29 September 2003].
Roderick Phillips, Society, State, and Nation in Twentieth-Century Europe(New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.,
1998), 107.
Reliability of War Poems, Schools History(n.d.)<www.schoolshistory.org.uk/reliabilityofpoetry1.htm>[5
October 2003].
C.H. Sorley, To Germany(n.d.) <www.carleton.ca/~mpine/poems.htm> [29 September 2003].
Roderick Phillips, Society, State, and Nation in Twentieth-Century Europe(New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.,
1998), 89.
Edward Hudson, Poetry of the First World War(London: Butler and Tanner Ltd., 1988), 96.
Hilda D. Spear, Remembering, We Forget(London: Robert MacLehose & Co. Ltd, 1979.), 92.
Ibid, 93.
Ibid, 25.
Niall Ferguson, The Pity of War(Great Britain: The Penguin Press, 1998), 449.
Hilda D. Spear, Remembering, We Forget(London: Robert MacLehose & Co. Ltd, 1979.), 38.
Ibid, 28.
Roderick Phillips, Society, State, and Nation in Twentieth-Century Europe(New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.,
1998), 79.
War Propaganda Bureau, The National Archives Learning Curve(n.d.). <www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk
/FWWwpb.htm>[23 October 2003], pp 1.
Prose & Poetry- Sir Henry Newbolt, First World War.Com(2001) <www.firstworldwar.com/poetsandpro
se/newbolt.htm> [24 October 2003].
Ibid.
Martin Gilbert, The First World War(New York: Henry Holt and Company Ltd., n.d.), xv.
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2. Janessa Bishop
The Great War of 1914 is an event that draws a great amount of historical
attention. The enormity of its impact upon global society furthers the continuous
assembly of information and knowledge by historians. However, it is often difficult to
attain authentic information about the First World War. One of the underlying reasons is
due to the restrictive censorship and secrecy that occurred in the media, in conjunction
with limited accessibility of a variety of sources. Historians will often use war poetry as a
primary source when studying the Great War. War poetry is of central interest as it
reiterates the conditions and circumstances of the war through personal experiences;
9
however, it must be assessed with scrutiny as it is a form of literary art. Poems are valid
sources when attempting to deduce the experiences of men at battle, as many of them
were written in response to events or circumstances of the war. Nevertheless, poetry is
also a form of art, and therefore it must be acknowledge that the poet may have
embellished or manipulated his words in order to present a particular message or
meaning. A variety of poetry will be assessed in order to uncover its pertinence in terms
of the First World War, as well as the care that must be taken by the historian when using
poetry as an operational source. Therefore, the poetry of the First World War will be
analyzed in terms of its informative strengths and inherent weaknesses to determine the
extent of care taken by the historian when using it as a primary source.
The poetry inspired by the First World War has significant historical importance
concerning the experiences and circumstances of battle. Since much war poetry was
primary produced by soldiers themselves, the resulting work emanates their personal
views and accounts of the front lines. The graphic horror and appalling circumstances
that were unaccounted for by the press are often found within war poetry. Poet Sigfried
Sassoon suggests a presence of misery and despair of men at war in his work, Suicide in
the Trenches. The discomfort of the trenches are accurately addressed in the mention of
“crumps, lice, and lack of rum”, and Sassoon also presents how these conditions led men
to suicide. Similarly, Rose Macauley explains the daily struggles against the cold and
mud, as soldiers wish for shells to burst to heat the blood and pray for sleep in a six-foot
bed. These poets effectively demonstrate the miserable feelings and conditions
experienced by the soldiers, as well as the physical and mental battles that occurred in
10
response to the continuation of war. It is through poetry, memoirs, journals and
interviews that the true conditions of the war were uncovered. The historian is thus
encouraged to utilize poetry when concerned with the physical conditions of battle, as
well as the inherent responses adopted by many soldiers, to further their knowledge upon
the social impacts of war. In addition, war poetry is effective in contradicting and
criticizing censorship used by the media during wartime. Both May Herschel Clarke and
C.H. Sorley reiterate this concern in their poetry. Clarke shows how the newspapers were
unwilling to report their military losses, causing public misinformation, and Sorley
contradicts the allied propaganda aimed against the Germans by declaring that the war
was fought on both sides for the same causes. Consequently, the discrepancies between
news presented by the media and work written by those in battle are numerous. Poetry is
very useful to the historian as it enables one to decipher a concise description of the First
World War regardless of news and media discrepancies. Finally, looking at the ideas
presented in the poems Peace by Rupert Brooke and Back by Wilfred Gibson can help
determine the psychological impact of the war. Brooke aptly portrays the intrinsic
struggle between life and death that occupied a soldier’s thoughts during war in the irony
produced by the statement: “…the worst friend and enemy is but death.” Gibson focuses
on a similar problem, expressing the difficulties in choosing between the duties of a
soldier and the compassion of humanity. Gibson demonstrates the lack of identity felt by
many men, as he cannot connect his actions at war with his actions at home. The value of
psychological description is essential in the historian’s understanding of how and why
men were feeling upon their return from war. It thus becomes very important to utilize
war poetry as a source when discussing battle conditions, social impacts and
11
psychological sufferings of the First World War. Notwithstanding, poetry inherently
consists of several weaknesses that will be assessed to determine the validity of poetry as
a source to the historian.
To properly evaluate poetry as a credible source of the First World War, the
endemic weaknesses must be considered. The historian must be aware of these
consequent limitations when using poetry in order to avoid a misinterpretation or a false
reading of the source. The problems that arise when studying poetry are numerous. To
begin, the view presented by the poet is inherently personal, and therefore may not be
reflective of the masses. Thus, the historian is not able to make a generalization from his
findings concerning a single poem, and other sources must be consulted to broaden the
viewpoint. As well, when studying the poetry of the First World War, it is essential for
one to assess the origins of the poet, and their circumstances upon writing the poems.
Laurence Binyon’s celebrated poem From the Fallen contains a fantastical view of the
war. Binyon presents the conventional experience of war, and does not include relevant
details pertaining to the First World War. It is also of interest that Binyon began writing
poetry before the outbreak of war, as From the Fallen does not reflect personal
experience, or effectively describe conditions of war. Furthermore, British soldier
Wilfred Owen wrote upon his short experiences during battle though much of his work
does not appear to reflect the obscurity of war. His intermingling of war and seasons in
1914 is a romanticized reiteration of the Great War, and does not address the problems or
purpose of war. Owen’s poetry is seen as a valid source of art, however, it should be
consulted with scrutiny if used as a historical source. Finally, poetry is an expressive
12
form of art, and one must recognize that the poet has the ability to embellish or
exaggerated certain emotions or ideas in order to promote a concept. Sigfried Sassoon has
been criticized for his blatant defamation of war tactics within his poems. Sassoon’s idea
that the war was a senseless waste of human life is a central theme in his work. John
McCrae’s infamous poem, In Flanders Fields, promotes the defeat of men by war, and
commemorates the agonizing battles fought at Flanders. McCrae reveals a slightly
exaggerated imagery of war heroes, of honourable and noble battles fought for a sacred
cause. The historian must be aware that poets are often quite expressive in their poetry,
and may not be able to offer pertinent information in terms of the war. Poetry is a form of
entertainment, and thus is must be inspected with caution when used as a source for the
First World War.
It has become apparent that war poetry can be a very useful to a historian if
studied with care. The poetry of the Great War offers an authentic look at the war, as it
comprises the war experiences of many soldiers. Poetry has the ability to capture the
emotions and conditions of war and is both compelling and entertaining as a form of art.
Erno Muller capitalizes on placing his audience inside his poem, Assault. His use of
punctuation causes a startling feeling of motion, and one feels as if they are participating
in the battle. Although Muller’s poem is less informative in terms of the difficulties of
war, he enables the historian to feel as if they are a part of the action. This is imperative,
as the historian is able to integrate himself within the poem and attempt to comprehend
the situation of the soldiers during wartime. Nevertheless, the historian must be extremely
cautious when analyzing poetry. The emotive meaning of a poem may distort the
13
historian’s ability to effectively assess the poem for its historical value. One must try to
establish distance between the content and emotions of the poem in order to examine
poetry as a source. The fervent emotions instigated by Sigfried Sassoon’s poetry must be
deemed secondary to the evidence he establishes on the conditions of war. The historian
must resist emotional influence of the poetry, and must displace himself from the poet. In
addition, knowledge of the poet’s origins and conditions upon writing should be clearly
understood by the historian. Some poets wrote poetry in response to war, whereas others
wrote poetry while participating in war. For example, Rupert Brooke wrote about his
experience in the Naval Division, whereas John McCrae wrote upon his time as a medical
officer. Poets who have had time to reflect on their experiences may present a less
authentic attitude than those who wrote during the instances of battle. As well, soldiers
directly involved in war are more likely to adopt a realistic reiteration of events, whereas
those removed from war may present a conventional view. Thus, the historian must
consider the background to each poet and place priority on poetry written by soldiers
during wartime conditions. Upon their return from war, it is imperative to note that many
soldiers were unable to articulate their experiences. Many had to fabricate romanticized
versions of war in attempt to escape the horror they had encountered. The historian must
acknowledge the hardships endured by these men as they were reintegrated into society,
and comprehend that their poetry may be reflective of emotional instability. It is clear
that the poetry of the First World War can be a very useful source provided that the
historian is able to discriminate against the embroidered emotion that may be present and
consider the origins of the poet.
14
War poetry has the ability to provide essential information upon the Great War if
used with caution by the historian. It effectively portrays the desperate emotions, trying
conditions, and shocking consequences of the Great War. War poetry was also successful
in providing missing information that was formally withheld from the public by press
censorship. However, the poetry of the First World War also contains inherent
weaknesses, which the historian should be aware of upon use of the source. The historian
must not allow the emotional incentive of the poem to disable his ability to decipher
information related to the war, nor become emotionally attached to the poem. He must
also consider the poet’s origin, and question the reasons and conditions upon which the
work was written. The validity of the poem will depend upon the selected war
experiences reiterated by the soldier, as well as the ways in which he presents his views
upon war. Embellishment and exaggeration are common techniques found in poetry to
emanate meaning, however their presence serves to discredit the source. If the historian is
able to keep these weaknesses in perspective when using war poetry, he can safely
assume that the acquired information is plausible. It is thus conclusive that the poetry of
the First World War is beneficial to the historian provided that he takes appropriate
caution in reference to the source.
http://www.carleton.ca/~mpine/poems.htm
Ibid.
Peter Butenhuis, The Great War of Words: British, American and Canadian Propaganda and Fiction, 1914-1933 (Vancouver, 1987),
pp. 78-79.
http://www.carleton.ca/~mpine/poems.htm
http://www.carleton.ca/~mpine/poems.htm
Corinna Dupuis 304532
HIST 1002
15
Professor M. Pine
November 03, 2003
War Poetry: Simply Sentimental?
There are two schools of thought on the subject of First World War poetry. D.S.R. Welland said
“poetry of the war had to record not what the war did to men’s bodies and senses, but what it did to their
souls”1, while war poet himself, Edmund Blunden, retorted that “the effect on the soul depended very
closely on what happened to the body, we did not leave our bodies at the transport lines”.2 The fact is, both
can be said to be true.
Poetry flowed during the Great War and whether it has been from prominent writers of the time,
civilians awaiting their loved one’s return, or a soldier in the field of duty, it is a very valuable and relevant
source to a historian studying the war. War poetry is a useful tool in getting an in-depth and personal look
into the hearts and emotional turmoil of the lives affected by the struggle although they are very personal
accounts of the time and therefore run the inevitable risk of being both biased and untruthful. Regardless of
the fact that such works of fiction must be read objectively, they still provide an insight that would be
difficult to discover elsewhere. Where problems arise, with using poetry as a historical source, is in the
reasons and circumstances behind the writing. Was the poet at the battlefront enduring the daily hardships
of a soldier? Was the poet at the home front trying to cope with civilian daily life? Or was the poet
detached from the realities of war either by being in the upper class elite or at a geographical distanced
from the war? Was the work commissioned propaganda? Some focused on the death and horror of the
trench situation, others about the loss of loved ones, and some of the notion of heroism and nationhood.
With a thorough look at a variety of poetry written in the time of the First World War one can learn of the
sense of loss and abandonment suffered, the conditions endured by civilians and soldiers, and the general
sentiment of a nation.
A poet whose writing had the aura of heroism and triumph was that of Rupert Brooke. One reason for
his particular view of the war was the fact that he was 27 years old when the war began and did not live
long enough to be as harshly affected by it as others were. Brooke produced very little and therefore his
reputation is almost solely based on five ‘War Sonnets’ published in 1915.3 It has been said that his Sonnets
were “poems, not of war, but of preparation for war”4, since he did not live long enough to experience it.
This also meaning that he came from a very elite and privileged background where he was widely adored
Welland, D.S.R. “Wilfred Owen: A Critical Study”. London: Chatto & Windus, 1960. p. 27
ibid p. 27
3
Parfitt, George. “English Poetry of the First World War: Context and Themes”. New York: Harvester
Wheatsheaf, 1990. p. 20
4
Rogers, Timothy ed. “The Poems”. London: Black Swan, 1987. p. 27
1
2
16
and had few worries. Parfitt describes his voice as “solemn and sonorous”.5 The Sonnet Peace6 is the first
of these sonnets previously mentioned. The ‘peace’ mentioned could relate to the peace having just been
experienced in England during the years prior to the war and how the war brought about action and
manhood that was previously lost on European society. There is a sense that his poetry could have served
as propaganda for the war. Blunden, another poet of the time, wrote that for Brooke, “the call for sacrifice
was the opportunity for purification”.7 In early 1915, on a troopship towards Turkey Brooke contracted
blood poisoning before being able to join in the fight of Gallipoli, and he died just prior to his 30th birthday.
8
Due to his lack of direct experience in the war and perhaps his glorified life prior to his death, one must be
somewhat wary of using Brooke’s work as a representation of the true war experience considering how
little of the war he actually witnessed. A historian would be able to use Brooke’s works to look into why
and how there was a glorification of the war that many expressed in its early stages.
Another poet of the time is Wilfred Gibson and his work lends to even more scepticism than that of
Brooke’s in regards to its validity as a historical source. Gibson became a ranker in the RASC only after
having been rejected four times and he was never even shipped overseas.
9
Why this leads to some
questioning of his work is in relation to poems such as Back. He writes “They ask me where I’ve been,/And
what I’ve done and seen./…But some one just like me,/Who went across the sea/And with my head and
hands/Killed men in foreign lands…”10 This is a prime example of how poetry can not necessarily be taken
literally or as a first hand account of the War, but more as an expression of sentiments and emotions
thought to be involved in the struggle.
Laurence Binyon also wrote poetry on the First World War, and he too wrote it from the home front,
although he did eventually go to the Western Front in 1916 as a Red Cross Orderly. 11 Binyon chose to write
more from the idea that the soldiers were valiant and courageous and that they are saved from the gloom of
old age by dying in glory at the front. “They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:/Age shall not
weary them, nor the years condemn”.12 Notably, the poem The Fallen, was written in 1914, two years prior
to his direct involvement in the war.13
Some poets went more for a sense of gritty realism in their work, one being C.H. Sorley, one of the
few pre-war and war poets who blatantly speaks of death and the evils of war. Having lived in Germany
5
Parfitt, p. 21
Brooke’s “Peace”
7
Blunden, E. “War Poets 1914-1918”. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1958. p. 18
8
ibid. p. 17
9
Parfitt, p. 73
10
Gibson, Wilfred. Back.
11
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWbinyon.htm
12
Binyon, Laurence. The Fallen.
13
http://www.firstworldwar.com/poetsandprose/binyon.htm
6
17
during the first half of 1914, he returned to his homeland of England at the outbreak of war, where he
would become a captain in 1915. Sorley provides a historian with a first-hand account of someone in the
war who displayed cynicism; “you are blind like us…/And in each other’s dearest ways we stand,/And hiss
and hate./And the blind fight the blind”.14 He would later get killed by a sniper in the Battle of Loos in
October 1915. For the reason that Sorley was present and active during the war, his works of poetry could
be very valuable to any historian researching the various sentiments of the time.15 Erno Muller expressed a
similar sentiment in Assault: “A command!…’Good luck, mates.’/Mind that hole. Through the wire./Over
the top./And kill./’God. This is fun!”16 Clearly, Muller is being sarcastic in this enthusiasm. These types of
excerpts allow historians to know that while the soldiers continued to fight, there was some awareness, or
suspicion, that they were merely pawns in a battle of super powers. Also this quote shows that soldiers
were expected and sometimes convinced to take pride in their fighting and treat the experience like Brooke
would, as a passage into experience and manhood.
Another perspective of the war is that of the home front which in many cases relates to the woman’s
perspective. Due to the limit of work by woman, the value of such poetry is heightened. Rose Macauley is
one woman who wrote from the home front and lends to the historian a sense of the anguish, some
boredom, and even some jealousy that was produced to having had to stay at home. She writes:
I think no soldier is so cold as we.
Sitting in the frozen mud.
I wish I was out there, for it might be
A shell would burst to heat my blood…17
This quote is very useful to the historian who wishes to learn more of the desperation and desertion felt by
those left at home during the war to wait out their fate. “I wish I was out there”, clearly makes the reader
aware of the desire to participate by women and others left at home. Later, in Spreading Manure, Macauley
writes, “I should feel no cold when they lay me deep/To sleep in a six-foot bed”. Macauley speaks of the
sense that some at the home front would rather die with their men in battle then to be left at home to worry
and suffer alone. Also, being written by a woman lets a historian have a clear look that some women would
have sacrificed their lives to have been given the opportunity and the right to fight for their country in the
Great War. “But things being other, I needs must stand/Frozen, and spread wet manure”.
Another female war poet was May Herschel Clarke, but her writings on the war offer a more critical
view of the war than Macauley, and therefore gives historians yet another tool in order to investigate a
14
Sorley, C.H. To Germany.
www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~crumey/c_h_sorley.html
16
Muller, Erno. Assault.
17
Macauley, Rose Spreading Manure
15
18
more cynical view. In Clarke’s, Nothing to Report, she comments on the dehumanization of the soldiers
and the loss of individuality suffered by many on the battle front, as well as the lack of information being
provided to those at home. “One minute we was laughin’ me an Ted,/The next, he lay beside me grinnin’ –
dead./There’s nothin’ to report, ‘the papers said”.18 There is cause to be somewhat sceptical of using work
like this as a historical source for a few reasons. First, it is very short and therefore does not provide any
factual information. Secondly it is written from the perspective of a male soldier, which clearly, Clarke was
not. The third reason and the most important one is that the poem clearly states an opinion and therefore
when read one must remain very objective. Apparently this poem may have been written in response to one
of Rupert Brooke’s works, so it even further loses some of its credibility as a historical source. Nonetheless
it does offer the reader a sentiment.
Eleanor Farjeon extends the evidence to a historian that woman were aware of the direness of the
situation in her poem Easter Monday: In Memoriam Edward Thomas. Farjeon wrote; “that Easter Monday
was a day for praise,/It was such a lovely morning. In our garden/We sowed our earliest seeds, and in the
orchard/The apple-bud was ripe. It was the eve./There are three letters that you will not get”.19 There is a
sense in this piece that life on the home front, in some ways, like gardening for example, had to go on as
usual, but that there was an imminent sense of loss and depression amongst those left behind.
The writer of one of the most memorable poems of the Great War, In Flanders Fields, is John
McCrae. In a letter to a friend, just prior to leaving for Europe as a brigade-surgeon, McCrae wrote: “It is a
terrible state of affairs, and I am going because I think every bachelor, especially if he has experience of
war, ought to go. I am really rather afraid, but more afraid to stay at home with my conscience”.
20
According to John Prescott, McCrae’s being in the medical tent and beyond exposed him to the gruesome
reality of the war, but it was the death of a Lieutenant, Alex Helmer, that really had the most impact on
him. Prescott wrote that “a couple of men went to the burying ground when the shelling stopped and dug
his grave; others picked up as many pieces of the body as they could, putting them into sandbags”, it was
this event that inspired McCrae to write the infamous In Flanders Fields.21 “We are the Dead. Short days
ago/We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,/Loved, and were loved, and now we lie/In Flanders fields”.
22
This is representative of war poetry that would be of the utmost use to a historian. McCrae wrote this work
while being directly affected by the war. Not only does he show how emotionally wrenching the experience
18
Clarke, May Herschel Nothing to Report
Farjeon, Eleanor. Easter Monday: In Memoriam Edward Thomas.
20
Prescott, John F. “In Flanders Fields: The Story of John McCrae”. Boston: The Boston Mills Press, 1985.
p. 77
21
Prescott, John F. “In Flanders Fields: The Story of John McCrae”. Boston: The Boston Mills Press, 1985.
p. 95
22
McCrae, John “In Flanders Fields”
19
19
was but all his work has factual bearing and had concrete facts involved. McCrae was not only a poet but
was reporting on the facts of the battlefront.
Two of the most renowned and influential war poets, and consequently the most studied, are
Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. Blunden wrote that Owen felt that “his colloquies were not nothings,
that poetry might help to extricate humanity from this nightmare of obstinacies, and comparatively easy for
him to avoid”.23 Owen’s purpose in writing his war poetry was in his mind to enlighten the ignorant. He
wanted to express total honesty and the true experience of the war. In his poem titled 1914 Owen writes
“now begin/Famines of thought and feeling…/But now, for us, wild Winter, and the need/Of sowings for
new Spring, and blood for seed”.24 Here Owen is making a statement regarding the horrible numbness felt
by some of the soldiers as they head for battle, and the suppression of the emotions, along with the death of
one’s mind and soul that is necessary to cope with a war environment.
A friend of Owen’s, yet from a more romantic style was Siegfried Sassoon. Sassoon’s war poetry has
a very sorrowful tone and speaks to the reader of the ignorance of the public as to the experience of a
soldier. One of his most riveting passages is as follows:
In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain.
No one spoke of him again.
You smug-faced crowds and kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you’ll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.25
Sassoon’s message for any historian is fairly clear, it rejects the glorified notion of the soldier and speaks
more of the ‘hell’ they suffered. “Why do you lie with your legs ungainly huddled,/And one arm bent
across your sullen, cold,/Exhausted face? It hurts my heart to watch you”.26 Soldiers like Sassoon were
repeatedly faced with the death of their comrades and fear for the own lives. Sassoon was a well-renowned
romantic poet prior to the war “but it was only on from the front that he could make his protest, voice his
outrage, speak for his dumb comrades through the war poems he was writing”.27
23
Blunden, E. “War Poets 1914-1918”. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1958. p.34
Owen, Wilfred 1914
25
Sassoon, Siegfried. Suicide in the Trenches
26
Sassoon, Siegfried. The Dug-Out
27
Orrmont, Arthur. “Requiem For War: The Life of Wilfred Owen”. New York: Four Winds Press, 1946.
p. 134
24
20
Sassoon and Owen are two of the most studied war poets for three reasons. First, and seemingly the
most obvious reason, is that the quality of their work, along with the quantity, make them two of the most
widely read and respected poets. Second, is the fact that Owen’s and Sassoon’s poetry speaks less in
metaphor and more in honesty than some others, they took their poetry to the extent of reporting the war.
Third, and most important, both Owen and Sassoon were present and active in battle during the war lending
their view more legitimacy than someone speaking from assumption or solely emotions. Owen was Second
Lieutenant with the British Expeditionary28 while Sassoon was also a Second Lieutenant for England in the
war; “He was so fearless that fellow officers called him “Mad Jack””.29 Beyond their respective poetry,
Sassoon and Owen made other contributions to the study of the Great War with their written
correspondence with each other.
Most of the poetry written during and of the First World War is useful to historians only in order to
give an emotional impression of the experience. Carefully read, and ensuring its origins and purpose
provides a sentimental account of the period. Other poets like McCrae, Owen and Sassoon provide more
than just an array of feelings. They provide details accounts of the battlefront and the life of a soldier.
These poems help any historian to understand the physical, geographical and emotional conditions of their
surroundings. McCrae coined it beautifully when he wrote: “Of one’s feelings all this night – of the
asphyxiated French soldiers – of the women and children – of the cheery steady British reinforcements that
moved up quietly past us, going up, not back – I could write, but you can imagine”.30
28
ibid. p. 9
ibid. p.117
30
Prescott, John F. “In Flanders Fields: The Story of John McCrae”. Boston: The Boston Mills Press, 1985.
p. 87
29