The Poetry of World War I

by Edward Hudson

In the midst of the exploding shells and flying bullets of World War I, soldiers took pen to paper to record their terrifying experiences in the form of poetry. Poignant verses tell us the true horror of war but also remind us of the strength of human courage and virtue.
This collection of poems features the most forceful ans evocative of the poets of the Great War, including Rupert Brooke, Wilfred Owen, Charles Sorley, and Ivor Gurney, and stands as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made in those years.

Genres: Poetry, World War I, War, Classics

192 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[R.J.]

I chose to cry today. These are beautiful, heartbreaking, and worth reading.

“My day was happy—and perchance
The coming night is full of stars.”

Richard Dennys, Better Far to Pass Away

[Donnell]

Brings the mud, the stench, the fear to the here and now.

[Kier Scrivener]

These were gorgeous poems telling of the horrors of the Great War.

[Danielle]

I absolutely adore WWI poetry; it's my favourite kind, and there are so many specific poems I could read a million times and not get sick of. This collection had some I was familiar with, and many others that were new to me, which was exciting. I have so many new favourites after reading this! It's a very varied collection, so I highly recommend it to anyone who's a long-time fan or just newly getting into this.

[Maxwell Thornton]

A great and meaningful collection of English poems from the First World War. In addition, it comes with an introduction about the context of WW1 poetry, why it was done, and more.

'In Flanders Fields' by John McCrae and 'We Shall Keep the Faith' by Moina Michael were ones that stood out to me, personally.

I recommend this book to English literature students in primary and secondary schools, learners of World War 1, and Canadians in general.

[Mel]

I don't read much poetry anymore, but I really enjoyed this collection. I appreciated the variety of authors, and so many of the poems hit in some way-whether they were beautiful or funny or something else. I feel like overall, the book provides a good picture of the time period and all of the emotions and experiences that surround WWI.

[Brian Miracle]

Good, relatively short book of British poetry from World War 1. Some of the poems, such as “In Flanders Fields”, I’d read before. Most were new to me. The book has a good mix, from patriotic verses to those depicting the horror of that conflict. I found some real gems in this book. Recommended for both lovers of military history and lovers of poetry.

[Hallberg Guðmundsson]

hella depressing

[Madison Elizabeth]

4.5. There were some poems in here that I absolutely adored, and some that I didn’t think about much. All had their own perspective on the war and gave you a lot to think about.