Customer Reviews

The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry: Revised Edition (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin)

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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.

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

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.

Very happy with the book. Very good condition. Will be purchasing silmilar titles again.