historicall.y

Probably the most remembered  war poet of all time, Wilfred Owen is known for being the man behind the memorable poems such as: The Anthem for Doomed Youth, Dulce et Decorum dest and  To Eros. Sadly, Owen was killed in action exactly one week (and nearly to the hour) before the end of the First World War, in France aged only 25 years old.  Wilfred Edward Salter Owen's was born on 18th March 1893 to Thomas and Harriet Susan Owen in Shropshire. Owen was the eldest of four siblings- Harold, Collin, Mary and Millard. Harriet Susan had high hopes for her eldest son and was extremely proud of him. As a young child Owen lived with his parents in a house owned by his maternal mother's father- Edward Shaw, but after Mr. Shaw's death in 1897, the house was put up for sale and the Owens faced an economic crisis. The family moved to the back streets of Birkenhead where Thomas (Tom) Owens had a temporary job, working for the local station. Thomas was then transferred to Shrewsb...

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock- kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots, But limped on, blood- shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; Deaf even to the hoots Of gas- shells dropping softly behind. Gas! GAS! Quick Boys!- An ecstasy of fumbling Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time, But someone still was yelling out and stumbling And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime- Dim through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. In all my dreams before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, chocking, drowning. If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace Behind that wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the blo...