Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) - who was born in Oswestry on the Welsh borders, and brought up in Birkenhead and Shrewsbury - is widely recognised as one of the greatest voices of the First World War. At the time of his death he was virtually unknown - only four of his poems were published during his lifetime - but he had always been determined to be a poet, and had experimented with verse from an early age....continue reading...
Owen the Poet...and his association with Siegfried Sassoon
Wilfred Owen would not have written the war poems for which he is now famous if he had not met Siegfried Sassoon in August 1917. Until then, like the vast majority of British people, Owen believed the war was being fought for a just cause. Sassoon – who had talked to pacifists, Bertrand Russell among them – saw things differently: he thought politicians had secretly changed their aims and were now more interested in grabbing colonies and trade than in the original, honourable struggle to liberate Belgium...continue reading...
Click on the image below to view Wilfred Owen's chronology:
