Three Poets of the First World War

‘Who died on the wires, and hung there, one of two -

Who for his hours of life had chattered through Infinite lovely chatter of Bucks accent’
This new selection brings together the poetry of three of the most distinctive and moving voices to emerge from the First World War. Here are the controlled passion and rich metaphors of Wilfred Owen’s celebrated verses such as ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ and ‘Strange Meeting’, along with many of his lesser-known works. The elegiac poems of Ivor Gurney, including ‘Requiem’ and ‘The Silent One’, reflect his love of language, music and landscape, while the visceral works of Isaac Rosenberg, such as ‘Break of Day in the Trenches’, are filled with stark imagery but also, as in ‘Louse Hunting’, with vitality and humour. Each poet reflects the disparate experiences of ordinary soldiers in war, and attempts to capture man’s humanity in the most inhumane of circumstances.
This volume is accompanied by an introduction exploring each poet’s life and early work, and tracing its development through the conflict. This edition also includes a table of dates, further reading and explanatory notes.
Edited with an introduction and notes by JOHN STALLWORTHY and JANE POTTER