War Poetry lesson - Suicide in the Trenches

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

First World War - Poetry

Today

• Siegfried Sassoon
• Wilfred Owen
•  Time to ask questions

Siegfried Sassoon

8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967

Established poet at beginning of war

Joined army in August 1914

Wounded twice

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.

Poem analysis - Suicide in the trenches

End rhyme/tail rhyme

eye rhyme

metaphor

Alliteration

boy - joy

glum - rum

brain - again

simple soldier

slept soundly

lice / lack

hell - war

What sort of person was the young soldier?
Why did "no one speak of him again?

Discussion

1. Sassoon uses sarcasm to sharp effect. Can you give an example and explain what he really means?

2. What is the theme of the poem? Can you illustrate this with examples from the stanzas?

Discussion questions:

1. What is the truth about Jack's death?

2. Explain the irony in the title

3. Why does no one seem to care about Jack's death?

Wilfred Owen

 (1893-1918)

Most talented of "Trench Poets"

Wounded in 1917; wrote most of his poems back in England

Went back to France in 1918; killed November 4

Poems published in 1920 - edited by Siegfried Sassoon

Created tragic vison of world at war, dominated by pain and suffering

Analysis of "Futility"

half rhyme

personification

ineffective, useless, unsuccessful

Poem and life of soldier = not finished

The sun will know

once - france

star - stir

why half rhyme?

Futility

The Ballad of Peace and War 

Futility

1917

1914

horrors of battle

War will have positive effect

1) What is ‘the old Lie’? 

2) Why does Owen hate “my friend”? What exactly is his message for him? 

3) What is Owen’s attitude towards war? Negative

This week

Study the reader + poems

Form questions + send them to me

Use the powerpoint in classnotebook 

Thursday -> final lesson -> First World War Poetry - revision