"I, too, saw God through mud,-" says Owen in his Apologia Pro Poemate Meo this is England's greatest war poet at his best and each poem in this collection shines like a polished gemstone in sunlight.
With his life cut tragically short Owen's eminence as a poet was entirely posthumous. Speaking from beyond the grave the power of his words seemed to take on the quality of a slain angel railing not against the enemy but against war.
Unique, almost, in his approach Owen tried to depict the suffering, caused by war, from all sides. Changing viewpoint across battle lines and not even neglecting to draw the pain felt by those left behind Owen has remained a favourite ever since his poetry first appeared.
Inspirational in tone, resonating with yearning and hope Owen's poetry is a timeless ode to life and living.
This new, Cool Publications anthology featuring 21 of his most powerful poems seeks to capture some of the essence of the poet's mind and chart the trajectory of his work before it was cut tragically short.
Before Owen came along war poetry tended to be either rousing or blatantly anti-war. As a participant in a conflict that was to claim his life Owen rose above all that.
His poetry became a questing sunbeam seeking to light up with its power whatever it focused upon. Picked by the British public as the nation's favourite war poet on two separate occasions in 2000 and 2004 Wilfred Owen's immortality seems assured.
Apologia Pro Poemate Meo
Dulce Et Decorum Est
Futility
The Parable of the Old Man and the Young
Arms and the Boy
Disabled
Strange Meeting
Spring Offensive
The Shore
Sonnet On Seeing A Piece Of Our Heavy Artillery Brought Into Action
The Next War
The End
1914
The Kind Ghosts
Spells & Incantation
With An Identity Disk
Schoolmistress
La Christianisme
Soldier’s Dream
The Dead Beat
Anthem For A Doomed Youth
