The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry: Revised Edition (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) [Mass Market Paperback]

Various (Author), Jon Silkin (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997 | Series: Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin

The recent PBS 8-part miniseries THE GREAT WAR sparked renewed interest in the First World War. More than photographs or eyewitness reports, the poetry written during the embedded the horror of the war in our consciousness. Now, supplemented with five new poems, the works of 38 British, European, and American writers collected here include some of the most outstanding and poignant poems of this century.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics; Revised edition (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141180099
• ISBN-13: 978-0141180090
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #568,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars you'll want to share this book with others, March 30, 2000

By 

Sarah (NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry: Revised Edition (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have always loved writing poetry, but have often found it hard to read the works of other writers. This book changed me; I have read and re-read the poems collected in this book countless times. It never ceases to move me. The poems offer insight into life, death, love, and the meaning of patriotism. These poems helped me come closer to understanding the experiences of soldiers. Though written many years before I was even born, the themes throughout the book can still be related to today.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Against Forgetting, June 28, 2003

By 

matt (the reading room) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry: Revised Edition (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book has done so much to call us not to forget our own humanity. The impersonal power of war, the dehumanization of violent death at the hands of other humans- such tragedies as these call us to remember who we are as humans. It is one of the peculiarities of life that it is often at the brink of destruction that we see most clearly what our hearts have always spoken to us. In the violence of war and conflict, our thoughts often return to the simple things of life; the laughter of a child who lived next door, the smell of spring, the faces of old schoolmates.

This collection of poetry serves its title well. Only one poem spoken aptly to our heart calls us to our true selves, against forgetting.

You may also find the poems of Hermann Hesse of importance in this regard, along with Against Forgetting

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry: Revised Edition (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics), August 28, 2009

By 

brian mcarthur (washington, dc) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry: Revised Edition (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)

This anthology captures the stunning impact WWI had on European society, particualrly its youth who had entered the 20th century convinced it would be a golden age. Instead, the carnage laid bare the sharp societal divisions and inequities at the core of Europe, leading to a newfound cynicism directed at the Continent's governments of empire. This essential volume includes works by lesser-known poets, as well as the cherished standards by Rupert Brooke, Rudyard Kipling and their peers.