20M - War Poets of the Twentieth Century Lesson

Before working with War poetry, make sure to review the TPCASTT method for analyzing poetry. The TPCASTT is applicable to any kind of poetry a reader needs to analyze.

Download the handout here. Links to an external site.

TPCASTT (An analysis method for poetry)

T- TITLE Look at the title before reading the poem. Attempt to predict the significance
of the title. This will help you gauge the meaning of the poem as you read. Occasionally,
poems will not have titles. If this is the case, skip the "title" part of the TPCASTT
technique.
P-PARAPHRASE: Translate the plot of the poem into your own words. Make sure you
understand what every word means and that you can see every image being
used.
C- CONNOTATION: Contemplate the meaning of the poem beyond the literal-the figurative.
Look for all poetic devices and see how they contribute to the meaning of
poem. Connotative devices include all figurative language and sound devices (similes,
metaphors, eto)
the
A- ATTITUDE: Identify and describe the persona. Observe the speaker's attitude, the tone.
S- SHIFT: Determine the stanza type and whether there are shifts in the tone/attitude.
Sometimes a change in stanzas will indicate a shift in attitude.
T- TITLE (again): Reexamine the title. Try to see how the title fits with the work as a
whole
T- THEME: Determine what the poet is saying. This does not have to be a "moral" or a
"cute saying." Instead, you should think about how the human experience is presented in
the poem. The theme should be a universal truth, not applicable only to the poem.

Modernist Poetry

The goal of literature, especially poetry, during the Modernist time period was to paint a true picture of reality. Modernist poetry was a reaction to the formal, ornate poetry of the Victorian time period. As discussed previously, the literature of this period reflects the disillusionment and cynicism that resulted from the Great War's massive casualties and devastation. Wilfred Owen, an English poet, wrote heavy words as an introduction to his book of poetry. See the quote to the right.

Read a summary of the interaction of literature and the reality of World War I: The Great War.

Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon are two main War Poets of the Modernist period. We will now look at each poet in more detail and read some poetry.

Wilfred Owen

One of Britain's most famous war poets, Wilfred Owen, served in the British military during the war. Owen's poetry echoes his intense personal experience as a soldier.

Owen wrote with unparalleled power of the physical, moral, and psychological trauma of World War I. He borrowed the heroic language of the previous century and used the language in the new context of the First World War.

"Dulce et Decorum est"

The title "Dulce et decorum est" is Latin for "It is sweet and honorable", and the first line of the poem is "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" which means "It is sweet and honorable to die for one's country". Ironically, the poem reveals the horrific imagery occurring during war, and Owen clearly condemns the idea of war throughout the poem.

Read "Dulce et Decorum est." Also, access the audio of "Dulce et Decorum est" Links to an external site. and a critical analysis of "Dulce et Decorum est." Links to an external site.

When reading "Dulce et Decorum est", notice the sonnet structure and the use of imagery and details by Owen.

"Anthem for a Doomed Youth"

"Anthem for a Doomed Youth" questions how society marks the deaths of soldiers who die in battle. Owen points out that soldiers who die on the battlefield receive no special ceremonies, and he uses the sounds of weapons and battle to represent the song and ceremony for a soldier's death.

Read "Anthem for a Doomed Youth."

When reading "Anthem for a Doomed Youth", notice the Petrarchan sonnet structure combined with the English sonnet rhyme scheme. Also note the imagery and details in the poem.

Siegfried Sassoon (1886 -1967)

Siegfried Sassoon fought in France and Palestine during World War I and earned a Military Cross.  However, he was so horrified by the brutalities and bloodshed of war, he threw his Military Cross into the river.  He began to write starkly realistic "trench poems" about the agonies of war. Be sure to understand the contrast between his two poems "Absolution" and "Attack."

"The Rear Guard"

"The Rear Guard" describes a soldier who cannot see clearly and attempts to escape from the underground tunnels to the open air of the battlefield. However, because the soldier cannot see, he has a sense of urgency and fear about his inability to escape.

Read "The Rear Guard." Links to an external site.

When reading, note the tone of terror and fear in the poem as well as the horrific details of war.

On Passing the New Menin Gate"

"On Passing the New Menin Gate" questions how society will honor the men who have died in battle. The Menin Gate is a memorial to soldiers, but Sassoon's poem reveals a tone of contempt and claims that the men deserve more than their names on a memorial.

Read "On Passing the New Menin Gate."

When reading, note Sassoon's use of alliteration and internal rhyme in his poems. Also notice the speaker's feelings towards war.

War Posters of the 20th Century