Introduction to World War 1 Literature

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

What do you know about WW1 ?

How would you describe world war one in one word?

World War 1

- First 'modern war'

- Trenches

- Trench Poetry 

A soldier's view

Trench Poems

In poetry, war was usually depicted as an honourable, glorious affair. 

Many soldiers turned to writing and it became modern. Naturalistic and painfully realistic, with shocking images and language, intending to show what the war really like, the war poetry showed the mud, the trenches, death, and sometimes even compassion for soldiers.

The overall massage through such poetry is that the war is brutal, vicious, meaningless, stupid and barbarous; there was nothing honourable, glorious, or decorous about the war. The daily experience of soldiers on the front was of mental disorders, nervous breakdown, caused by constant fear and pressure.

The Trench Poets question the very notion of war, heroism, patriotism, etc., they attacked the values of the pre war society in general.

How to Analyse 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 center 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

How does this make you feel?

Next week! 

- We will have a look at the literature assignment

- Discuss how to analyse literature and answer questions about literature.