Modern War Poetry
and poems of the First World War (click to select)

The First World War section includes a few of the most famous war poems of all time by Wilfred Owen and others. The basic notes provided with some of these poems will be useful for students. There is biographical information about 25 First World War poets, with substantial amounts on Wilfred Owen in particular.

 
First World War - A war in Europe was long anticipated by politicians in the UK. More . . .

NEW

Folk Song about the First World War

The words to this song were recently posted on the interactive pages of this web site. This is a link to the YouTube recording that the author, Alun Rhys Jones, made of it and the text of the song. I think it is impressive.

David Roberts, Editor.

27 January 2015  -  70th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland by the Russian army. Holocaust Memorial Day remembering the extermination of 6 million Jews and others at he hands of theNazis.

A fence around Auschwitz 2015

Remembering the Holocaust

Thoughts on the seventieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau

By Ephraim Mirvis, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.
I have visited many European sites where millions were murdered during the Holocaust. For me, the site that, more than any other, sends a chill down my spine is the Wannsee Villa in Berlin.
It is an elegant country villa on the shore of a beautiful lake. At this picturesque spot, top Nazi officials planned how to wipe out the Jewish people . . .  More . . .

The song I am learning to sing i know that no day in history saw more bullets exchanged than kisses, and that the love letters written outnumber those reported ‘missing’. this is something i need to believe: arteries pump more life than artillery drains, and while young people die for fields that will be ash soon (if not already), women in white blouses tend flower-boxes and hug their children tightly, humming lullabies. if the world ends tomorrow, today must be full of laundry and laughter and loves too big to bury. Anna Leader The author was seventeen when she wrote this poem

The poem was written for a competition organised by The Poetry Society Young Poets in conjunction with The Freud Museum for its Exhibition "Why War? which took place in October 2014. You can read several other poems that were presented at the exhibition by scrolling to the bottom of the page reached with this link: Poems written by members of the UK Poetry Society’s Young Poets Network, in response to a writing challenge in collaboration with the Freud Museum. 

November 2014

Fascinating radio war poetry and history series with over 300 contributors from Lincolnshire which ran for ten days from Tuesday 11 November on community radio station, Siren FM, in Lincoln, UK. Based on the book, Minds at War, edited by David Roberts. The programme contained a great deal of additional material unearthed and often written by contributors. The programme was produced and directed by Ben Pickard.

Readers and contributors include local people from all walks of life including the Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, the Mayors of Lincoln and Grimsby, the Bishop of Grimsby, students from local schools including the William Farr School, and Washingborough Academy. For more information . . .

Minds at War - the Poetry and Experience
of the First World War

One of the largest anthologies of First World War poetry. Also includes poets' letters, news reports and historical background. Illustrated. Richly informative. It is the main source book for 11 days of readings on Siren FM, with a great deal of additional material - music, comments, and First World War information unearthed by Siren FM and contributors.

BOOKS For information about anthologies of poetry, collections of poems by specific war poets, and relevant history books please see the bookshop page. For more information about anthologies edited by David Roberts please click a picture link in the left column.

 

Superb new anthology of modern war poetry, edited by Neil Astley.

For Review of The One Hundred Years'  War by David Roberts click here.
(The correct page should appear, but if not there will be a link in the top-of-the-page menu,)

 

Dulce et Decorum Est - a video reading of the poem by David Roberts.  Also, the text of the poem and explanatory notes on it.

2014

War memorials in northern England and Scotland.

A growing collection of photographs by Marguerite Rami shows the wonderful and often moving memorial sculpture and is a strong signal of the greater sense of loss felt in the north of the UK as a result of the First World War. Click to view.

Notes on the History of the First World War. Key events and ideas briefly explained [first section]

British poetry encouraging a fighting spirit before 1914 - new in First World War section

Combat Stress ‏ If you or a loved one served in UK ArmedForces & need to talk about mental health, the 24-hour @CombatStress Helpline is 0800 138 1619  (From Twitter.)

Commemorating the First World War - a new poem

PALESTINE "Weeping tears for Gaza" - The suffering of Palestinians has escalated yet again (July/August 2014). Poetry cannot cope with it. Four new poems.

Palestine - a poem by David Roberts written in 2009 seems relevant today. + personal comments 2014.

Commemorating The First World War

For more information about First World War Commemorative events click here.

Out in The Dark, Anthology of poetry of the First World War, in context and with basic notes - especially useful for students. Tenth printing

Past 2014 events

D Day 70th Anniversary - A new remembrance verse for those who lived on a while after being seriously injured and were not recorded in the memorials of those who died in the fight to liberate France -  by a D Day veteran. Link.

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Beyond Wilfred Owen - Soldier Poets of today  -  David Roberts spoke at the The Charles Causley Festival, Launceston's Festival of Literature and the Arts, Saturday 14 June 2014. Service personnel continue to write about matters that deeply concerned Wilfred Owen and with a similar passion for telling the truth, but they write on new topics too, and in styles that Wilfred Owen would not have recognised.  At The Guildhall, Launceston, Cornwall, UK. Saturday 14 June.  "One of the highlights of the festival"  -  Rita Skinner, Launceston Town clerk and  Festival Secretary.
Link to Festival. More about the talk.

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PTSD support organisation

(There are many poems on this website, especially in the Falklands section, by soldiers suffering with PTSD.)

War poetry events 2014 and beyond:

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"New" First World War poet:
A First World War poet to compare with Wilfred Owen  -  discovered in France in 2008

One of the most talented of all French First World War poets. Who was he? What did he write? Why did he fall into obscurity for 90 years?

For the first time Paul Granier's collection of poems is published in English in a fine translation by Ian Higgins and is available now.  Visit the War Poetry Website Bookshop for more information, or any bookshop worldwide to place an order.

Read two of Paul Granier's poems.

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Visit our  BOOKSHOP page for Cockerels and Vultures and other books of First World War poetry and history.

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War Poetry Books for Students

Are you looking for a First  World War anthology that offers greater depth? More . . .

Are you new to studying the poetry of the First World War?   More . . .

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How was it possible for allegedly Christian countries to fight each other in the First World War? More . . .

Americans in the First World War

War Memorials of the First World War - Marguerite Rami  - Photographs of many of the outstanding war memorials in the north of England.

Main page of Remembrance Poems - link

Pages for you to add your war poems and comments

Powerful poem about his experiences and memories of Iraq in 2007 by Ed Poynter. See 2013 poems.

Also added in 2013 - German Jewish Poetry of the First World War translated into English. Most of these poems have never been published in English till now and most are unknown in Germany.

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First World War poetry anthology edited by David Roberts

We Are the Dead  takes anthologies of First World War poetry into new areas. It features poems and war paintings from five countries.

This hardback book is lavishly illustrated in colour throughout by the great war artists of The First World War. It contains British, Irish, Australian, Canadian, French and German poetry. It was edited by David Roberts and published by The Red Horse Press in 2012.

A large format book, superbly printed on quality paper.  £25-00. 

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See reviews and ratings of Minds at War
on the Good Reads website.

More about Minds at War on the War Poetry website..

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A shorter alternative to Minds at War is Out in the Dark.

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Link to new page of poems by Curtis D Bennett - former US pilot in Vietnam

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Falklands War Poetry(See below.) translated into Spanish
and published in Argentina

The title in Spanish is La Guerra de las Malvinas. It contains most of the poems in Falklands War Poetry and has a few additional poems written in Argentina. The English poems have been translated, edited and produced in Buenos Aires by Sue Littleton who was instrumental in finding the poems from Argentina which feature in Falklands War Poetry. More about this book.

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Part of the record of The Falklands War and the effects of war  -  an important part of Britain's modern history.
Thirtieth Anniversary of the war to repel the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina, April-June  2012

Falklands War Poetry

Falklands War Poetry, edited by David Roberts was published by Saxon Books in spring 2012. Poems are from Britain, the Falkland Islands and Argentina.
For further details, click here.

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www.warpoetry.co.uk , the number one in search engines for "war poetry" More. . .

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Modern War Poetry