World War I Poetry
Poetry and the Great War
Introduction
The poetry of World War I exquisitely captures the feelings and
attitudes of the soldiers as they fought during the Great War.
The study of this historically significant literature can only
enhance your understanding of this pivotal moment of the 20th
century. During this first activity you will read and analyze
poems from the Early Period of the war (1914-1916). This was a
period of unbridled patriotism. Young men excitedly went off to
war looking for heroism or fame while others simply believed in
the nobility of the cause.
The Task
After reading four poems from the Patriotic Period you will choose
one poem, do a close reading of the poem, and then write a clear
and concise analytical response to the poem of your choice.
The Process: Exploring the Web, Creating a Product
1. Read the background information on Rupert
Brooke to get a context for his poetry. How might the fact
that Brooke saw little combat during the war be a factor in his
poetry?
2. Go to his collection of War
Sonnets and read "Peace" then scroll down and read
numbers III and IV of "The Dead."
3. Read the background information on Alan
Seeger . What can you conclude from the fact that Seeger,
an American citizen, enlisted in the French Foreign Legion because
the U.S. had not yet entered the war? Scroll down and read his
poem entitled "Rendezvous."
4. Choose one of these four poems and answer the following questions:
* Who is the speaker? (Don’t confuse the speaker with the
poet.)
* What is the occasion? In what situation does the speaker find
himself?
* What is the central purpose of the poem? Does it tell a story?
Does it reveal a universal truth about human nature? Does it recall
an experience? Does it call forth a memory of a mood, emotion,
etc.?
* By what means is this purpose achieved? Are the images and figures
of speech fresh and original, or are they old cliches? Do you
feel the poem manipulates your feelings? What feelings did the
poem awaken in you? What emotions did you feel as you read the
poem?
* What is the most important phrase in the poem?
* What memory does the poem call to mind--of people, places, events,
sights, smells, or even something more ambiguous, perhaps feelings
or attitudes?
* What idea or thought was suggested by the poem? Explain it briefly.
* How have the author's experiences in the war influenced his
poetry?
How You Will Be Graded
You will meet the following standards by:
• by recognizing and understanding the significance of
literary devices,
• by interpreting and evaluating the impact of ambiguities
and subtleties in the text,
• by explaining how voice and persona affect the credibility
of the text,
• by evaluating the aesthetic qualities of style, including
the impact of diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and
theme,
• by analyzing the way in which a work of literature is
related to the themes and issues of its historical period,
World War I General Information:
- Museum
of the Great War—Introductory Foyer
- World War
I Website
- The
Great War Website
- Chronology
of World War I
- The
Great War and Popular Culture Virtual Museum
- Literature
of the Great War
- World
War I Songs
- Veterans
describe The Horrors of War in their own words
- World
War I Documentary Archive
- Maps
of World War I
- Doughboys:
The Story of an American Expeditionary Forces –good reflection
of the American Experience, in their own words, throughout the
war.
- Trench
Poems and Songs
- Declaration
of War Against Germany
- Art
Gallery of the Great War
- Photographic
Gallery of the Great War
- The
Second Battles of Ypres
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