WW1 poetry lesson 3

• Literatuur
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

WW1 Poetry - PRE-IB 2020

Counter-attack

Reflect on the homework:

• First impression
• The title
• The speaker
• Tone / mood
• What is the poem about?
• Theme(s)

Trench warfare

Some facts

• By the end of 1914, both sides had built trenches that went from the North Sea and through Belgium and France. Neither side made much ground for nearly three and a half years.
•  It is estimated that there were about 2,490 kilometre of trench lines dug during World War I. Most trenches were between 1-2 metres wide and 3 metres deep.
• Trenches weren’t dug in straight lines. The WWI trenches were built as a system, in a zigzag pattern with many different levels along the lines. They had paths dug so that soldiers could move between the levels.

Siegfried Sassoon

8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967

An English poet, writer, and soldier. 

Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. 

His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches and satirised the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's view, were responsible for the war.

Step 1: Read 'Suicide in the Trenches'

After reading, write down or talk about your first impression and immediate response, both positive and negative. 

Also, discuss the poem's structure and rhythm. 

For example, are the lines short and meant to be read slow? Or, does the poem move fast, and if so, why?

How to Analyze a Poem in 6 Steps

Step 1: Read the poem once to yourself and then aloud, all the way through, at LEAST twice. 

Step 2: Think about the title and how it relates to the poem.

Step 3: Understanding the speaker at the centre of a poem may help the piece appear more tangible.

Step 4: Address the attitude or mood the poem is attempting to convey.

Step 5: Read line-by-line and 'translate' into your own words. 

Step 6: Last but not least, it's time to get to the core of what the poem is about by identifying its theme. 

https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories

Homework for Monday

Finish analyzing the poem 

+ answer the questions on page 13 of the reader.