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Book Description
A much needed selection of Wilfred Owen WAR poems, with a new introduction by Jon Stallworthy.
Product Description
This selection of Wilfred Owen's war poems is being published partly to provide an ideal edition of the poems for schools, who essentially read the war poems and need a short, thorough edition. It contains a new introduction by Jon Stallworthy, which is aimed at a general audience, but will be thorough and academic enough to work for schools as well. Constable have a similar edition planned, but Chatto's will be out first, and contains copyright material unavailable to other editions. (19930802)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent edition of an outstanding poet,
By William Burn "gingerburn" (Nottingham, UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The War Poems Of Wilfred Owen (Paperback)
This review is intended to serve two different audiences: in the first part I'll talk about Owen's poetry, and why, if you've not done so before, you should, must and absolutely have to spend some time getting to grips with his writing; and in the second part I'll deal with the ins and outs of this particular edition of his verse (there being a great many available on the market.)
So, why be so insistent that you read Owen? Well, he was in many ways the most talented poet writing in English in the First World War, and his poems go furthest to communicate the experience of the men who fought in the trenches to readers almost a century away from the battles he saw. His most famous poems, such as "Anthem for Doomed Youth" and "Dulce et decorum est" are lyrical, elegant pieces of poetry that present intensely moving images of what Owen himself described as "the pity of war", and no-one will ever forget the image of the young man who was a second too slow to put his gas mask on. These poems are his most traditional, owing a clear debt to Keats and Shelley, and it seems as though in them he is writing the final verses of the great Victorian century of poetry. Yet there is much more to his writing: some of his poetry shows the early shoots of modernism, for example in the more allusive (and elusive) "Strange Meeting" and "Insensibilty", in which Owen seems to be looking forward, using language and techniques not unlike those of Eliot and Pound. For me, though, the poem which has moved me every time I have read it for over 15 years is "Futility", a tender and beautiful lament for a young man killed just before dawn. It is true that 90 years have passed since Owen died, but his poetry remains for us the defining account of the Great War. So to the second part of this review. Owen is back on the A-level syllabus, and many readers will want to know if this book will help them in their studies. And the short answer is, yes. John Stallworthy is an excellent editor: honest and open about the choices he has made, and uncricitical in his provision of a great variety of alternative views and interpretations. His notes, which follow every poem, are wonderfully generous (citing whole other poems where necessary), and each poem is given a brief account of the circumstances in which it was produced. His introduction is excellent, describing Owen's life and literary influences (an understanding of which is essential if you are to really get to grips with his work), and giving readings of some of his more famous works. In all, I could not wish for a better edition of his war poetry: early and incomplete works are also provided, and the feeling one gets is of first rate scholarship. I will be honest that for some time I had an ambivalent relationship with Owen's work, beeing too much distracted by the apparent simplicity of his more famous work, and not appreciating the remarkable creative process, and in particular his engagement with the poetic tradition, that lies behind his work. Using this edition has restored my enjoyment, and I am hugely greatful for it. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fine book,
By
This review is from: The War Poems Of Wilfred Owen (Paperback)
I bought this book after reading the fabulous biography on Wilfred Owen by Dominic Hibberd. As the title suggests, it is the poetry that Owen wrote during the 1st World War that dominates this book although there are many interesting notes added by John Stallworthy that add weight to the poems and informs about the life of Owen. I only wish that I had more inkling as to what poets try to say as I struggled to absorb several of the poems. That is obviously my lack of imagination and understanding and no fault of the poems themselves as they are extremely well written.
When the poetry did register it proved to be pretty powerful stuff. From my point of view it was the following poems that resonated and lodged firmly in my mind. 'The Last Laugh'- The haunting cries of three soldiers as they utter their last words. Sad,simply told but very poignant. 'Dulci Et Decorum Est'- A soldier killed by gas which was to haunt the poet's dreams. 'The Dead Beat'- The soldier that cracked under pressure and then died without any sympathy from the Doctor. 'SIW'- The tragic tale of a soldier taking his own life. 'Exposure'- Waiting in the freezing cold,almost wanting something to happen.The question 'What are we doing here?' says it all. 'The Sentry'- A sentry blinded in a blast. His bulging eyeballs haunted Owens dreams also as he muses 'I try not to remember those things now'. This is a very good book although I preferred the biography. When the poetry hit home it was very powerful indeed. This is very well edited and I would definitely recommend it.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A excellent insight into war,
By kate.tictac@virgin.net (Leamington Spa, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The War Poems Of Wilfred Owen (Paperback)
I first got this book because I needed it for an essay, but after reading found it to be a fabulous insight into the brutal nature of war. Owen really tells it like it is and while the rest of the world were, at that time, glorifying the wonders of war Owen was actaully depicting the harsh reality. Clearly shown in poems like Dulce et Decorum est and He Died Smiling. For an excellent insight on the real nature of war it is highly recommendable.
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