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

~ Various (Author), Jon Silkin (Editor) "Even compassion must now be circumspect, for if it doesn't try to do away with, or limit, the war that causes the suffering, it's indulgent..." (more)
Key Phrases: sad shires, strange meeting, war poets, Herbert Read, Siegfried Sassoon, Edmund Blunden (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics; 2 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: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #611,690 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 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 "killyrtv9" (NH) - See all my reviews

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.

8 of 10 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 (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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

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 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.