First World War Poetry Showcase
Poetry by Heart has compiled this showcase selection of poetry to mark the centenary
of the outbreak of the First World War. There are plenty of anthologies of First World War
poetry in existence.
Ours is different because it contains an unusually wide range of voice: some widely
celebrated, some much less well-known; some from Britain, some from Germany and
elsewhere; some men and some women; some speaking from the trenches, some from
behind the lines or at home; some describing the heat of battle, some reflecting on the
conflict from later in the century.
Taken all together, they create an extraordinary kind of witness – harrowing as well
as humbling and heartening; they present the war as a devastating moment in history,
and remind us its resonances never end.
Poetry By Heart is the principal educational initaitive of the Poetry Archive, developed in partnership with The Full English and supported by the Department for Education. The Poetry Archive is a registered charity (no. 1093858) supported using public funding by Arts Council England.