Wilfred Owen

A couple of days ago, I had the TV on in the background and a programme came on, in which the First World War poets were mentioned.  Amongst the poets discussed was my favourite poet of all time - Wilfred Owen.  It made me think again about his powerful poetry.

I still remember the first time I came across Owen.  I was sixteen and my English teacher introduced the class to Owen's poem 'Dulce et Decorum Est'.  I was inspired by his vivid and truthful descriptions as well as his obvious talent in manipulating the English language.

A couple of Christmases ago, I bought an anthology of his work and read the volume cover to cover in one evening.  I was later to study a selection of Owen's poems when I was preparing for an AS exam in English Literature.  In depth study revealed even more clearly the skill and magic of his writing.

Tragically, Owen was killed in action on November 4th 1918.  There is even talk that his mother opened the telegram, informing her of his death on Armistice Day.  A cruel irony, indeed.  

Owen's grave in Ors Military Cemetery.

 









 









 


In 2010, I was in the Somme with my boyfriend, showing my parents around sites relevant to our family history.  After they left for the rest of their holiday, we decided to take the journey to Ors to find the grave of my hero so I could pay my respects to him.  It took quite a while to get there but it was worth it.  As I looked around, I had to wonder how many other aspiring writers had visited him, inspired by his work.  

If you have never read Owen's work or if you found it tedious or awful because of the pressure of impending exams, I cannot say strongly enough how worthwhile it would be to revisit his work or to discover it.  He was a genius.  His use of half rhyme in 'Miners' adds a sinister tone to the poem.  His description of the battlefield as it might be viewed from above in 'The Show' is grotesque but honest, giving a unique insight into the grim nature of the war.  The way he draws attention to the physical and mental disabilities caused by the experience of war in 'Mental Cases' and 'Disabled' is shocking and sad.  In every poem, he inspires utter pathos in the reader, simply by depicting the truth.  His skill as a poet is, in my humble opinion, mindblowing.