Poems from the First World War: Published in Association with Imperial War Museums

By Author / Illustrator

Gaby Morgan

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Pan Macmillan

ISBN

9781447248644

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

08-05-2014

Synopsis

Poems from the First World War is a moving and powerful collection of poems written by soldiers, nurses, mothers, sweethearts and family and friends who experienced WWI from different standpoints. It records the early excitement and patriotism, the bravery, friendship and loyalty of the soldiers, and the heartbreak, disillusionment and regret as the war went on to damage a generation. It includes poems from Wilfred Owen, Rupert Brooke, Vera Brittain, Eleanor Farjeon, Edward Thomas, Laurence Binyon, John McCrae, Siegfried Sassoon and many more.

The Imperial War Museum was founded in 1917 to collect and display material relating to the 'Great War', which was still being fought. Today IWM is unique in its coverage of conflicts, especially those involving Britain and the Commonwealth, from the First World War to the present. They seek to provide for, and to encourage, the study and understanding of the history of modern war and wartime experience.

Reviews

A poignant collection of poems written by those who endured the horrors of World War 1, this book shares the thoughts and feelings of solders and nurses as well as the friends and families they left behind. It covers early moments of excitement and patriotism as well as the disillusionment and heartbreak experienced as the war wreaked havoc and tragedy worldwide. There are plenty of well-known poems included in the selection. John McCrae's 'In Flanders Fields', Brooke's 'The Soldier' and Kipling's 'My Boy Jack' amongst others make this a go-to collection when seeking out those often quoted works. Poems by Wilfred Owen - familiar to many - capture the hopelessness and desperation of the events, sights and sounds of the conflict, provoking a great sense of empathy in the reader; 'Futility' is (for me at least) one of the most moving poems ever written. Alongside these are poems by others, including some lesser known poets,whose voices also deserve to be heard. Women poets are also represented. 'The Deserter' by Winifred Letts, for example, is deeply compassionate and moving, speaking against the wicked treatment of those trying to escape the horrors around them. Moving and powerful, Poems from the First World War is a thoughtfully composed collection. 208 pages / Ages 11+ / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher.