World War One 1914 - 1918 Poetry

World War One 1914 - 1918 mouth of hell’. ‘I have experienced seventh hell’. Wilfred Edward Salter Owen (1893-1918). ‘I am staring into the sunset mouth of hell’. Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (1886-1967).

Now God be thanked who has matched us with his hour’ Peace (1914) Rupert Brooke (1887-1915) ‘That there’s a corner of a foreign field, That is forever England’ ‘The Soldier’ (1914) Now God be thanked who has matched us with his hour’ Peace (1914) Rupert Brooke (1887-1915)

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) For all we have and are, For all our children’s fate, Stand up and fight the war, The Hun is at the gate. (For all we have and are 1915).

Who’s for the Game? By Jessie Pope Who’s for the game, the biggest that’s played, The red crashing game of a fight? Who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid? And who thinks he’d rather sit tight? Who’ll toe the line for the signal to ‘Go!’? Who’ll give his country a hand? Who wants a turn to himself in the show? And who wants a seat in the stand? Who knows it won’t be a picnic – not much- Yet eagerly shoulders a gun? Who would much rather come back with a crutch Than lie low and be out of the fun? The metaphor in this poem compares war to_____________________

Kipling’s son Jack died in the war at Loos (17th August 1915) Kipling Soon changed his mind about the war by saying: “If there is any reason why our sons died. Tell them, because our Fathers lied.” (1918).

‘And I must go’ (1917) I heard the sighs of men that had no skill To speak of their distress no, nor the will! A voice I know. And I must go. Wilfred Owen

A poem for Jessie Pope War is obviously not like a game of rugby or football. Imagine you have lived in the trenches and you are angry about Jessie Pope’s poem. You are going to write a poem to show what war was really like. Use the exercise below to help you plan the metaphors in your poem. Metaphors to use in my poem The trenches are… The water we walk in is… The constant sound of gunfire is… The pain is…

Imagery! Imagery is simple! It is just describing something to put a picture in the reader’s head. You can do this in a number of ways. Match the examples with the devices. Simile Metaphor Personification Adjective The beautiful model The man was a mountain He was as hard as nails The trees danced