Mr. Kanach-English 2

LITERATURE AND
THE GREAT WAR

The soldiers and civilians who experienced the First World War recorded their reactions in both prose and poetry.  Great poetry and memorable novels are still able that convey the depth of the World War I experience.  Some of the written records are informal in the form of diaries, journals or letters and serve as great primary sources recording the actual feelings of the people of the day.

In Flanders fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
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.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae’s (1872-1918) In Flanders Fields is probably the single most recognizable literary memory from the Great War.  Its poignant image of the graveyards on the Western Front have made the European red poppy a worldwide symbol of the soldier and the ultimate sacrifice.

No war in history has left a more memorable legacy of poetry.  The number of notable poets who died in the war is an incredible list that includes John McCrae, Wilfred Owen, Joyce Kilmer, Alan Seeger, and Rupert Brooke.

Lost Poets of the Great War provides information from poets Rupert Brooke, John McCrae, Wilfred Owen, Isaac Rosenberg, Alan Seeger and Edward Thomas.

The Boston American, Tuesday, June 8, 1915 includes a discussion of President Wilson’s policy and the debate within his cabinet over Britain’s interference with U.S. shipping.This is just one month after the sinking of the Lusitania.

Assignment
Write poetry that reflects the personal feelings of the people who experienced World War I.
You may either choose to write poetry from the viewpoint of someone serving at the front or from the viewpoint of someone at home writing to the front.
It should tell of recent events that are consistent with the date of the Novel.