Sassoon and Owen: Questions for Discussion and Further Research
The poetry that emerged from World War I paints a grueling picture. Yet it also humanizes the war, as well as the soldiers who fought in it. Analyze Sassoon’s and Owen’s depictions of the Great War:
Discuss:
- Compare the tone of Sassoon’s poetry to Owen’s. Is one voice livelier? More somber? More cynical? Explain which verses and passages have led you to this conclusion.
- What attitude(s) toward soldiers does each poet take? Are they different than the poet’s attitude toward war itself? How do you know? (Use specific lines as evidence for your answer.)
- How are non-combatants depicted in each man’s work, if at all? Why are they portrayed this way? What social critique or commentary is present?
Do further research:
- Sassoon and Owen met while convalescing at a war hospital together, near Edinburgh. Using your college library’s resources, research the history of their relationship. How did Sassoon affect Owen’s development as a poet? What effect did the writers have on one another? Did Sassoon have any role in shaping Owen’s legacy after his death? Explain.
