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Table of Contents
One of the most prominent poets of the First World War was the Englishman and soldier Wilfred Edward Salter Owen MC. His poems during the war dealt with the atrocities of the trench and chemical warfare.
See the fact file below for more information on Wilfred Owen, or you can download our 20-page Wilfred Owen worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
PERSONAL LIFE
- On March 18, 1893, Owen was born at Plas Wilmot, a residence in the Shropshire village of Oswestry’s Weston Lane. His siblings were Mary Millard, Harold, and Colin Shaw Owen; he was the oldest of Thomas and Susan Owen’s four children.
- Wilfred Owen was educated at Shrewsbury Technical School (later known as the Wakeman School) and the Birkenhead Institute.
- Because of his close bond with his mother, lasting the rest of his life, he was brought up as an evangelical Anglican and was a devoted believer in his childhood. The Bible and Romantic writers, notably Wordsworth and John Keats, were early inspirations for him.
- Owen lived in the vicar’s residence from September 1911 to February 1913 while working as the laity assistant to the clergyman of Dunsden, Reading, in order to pay for his higher education.
- He took botany studies at University College, Reading during this time, and subsequently, at the English Department’s suggestion, he signed up for free Old English lessons.
MILITARY LIFE
- When the First World War broke out, Owen enlisted on October 21, 1915, in the 21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve), also known as The Artists Rifles.
- Battling at the front, Owen was struck by the burst of a trench mortar bomb after falling into a shell hole, and he lay unconscious on a hillside along with the corpse of one of his fellow soldiers for several days.
- Following an immediate diagnosis of neurasthenia or shell shock, Owen was sent to Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh for medical care.
- His poems “Futility” and “Strange Meeting” were among those he wrote while recuperating. He quietly celebrated his 25th birthday at the cathedral in Ripon that bears his name, St. Wilfrid of Hexham.
- Owen then returned to the front lines in August 1918. A month later, he commanded the Second Manchester Regiment’s assault on a series of German strongholds close to Joncourt. He received the Military Cross for bravery and leadership during the Joncourt battle.
- However, Owen was killed in battle on November 4, 1918, while attempting to cross the Sambre-Oise Canal, precisely one week before the Armistice that ended the war.
- The day following his death, he was elevated to the rank of Lieutenant. On Armistice Day, his mother got a telegram telling her of his passing.
POETRY
- Wilfred Owen, who created some of the greatest British poetry about World War I, wrote virtually all of his poems in just over a year, from August 1917 to September 1918.
- Only five poems were printed during his lifetime: three in The Nation and two in The Hydra, a publication he edited in 1917 while a patient in Edinburgh’s Craiglockhart War Hospital.
- Seven additional poems appeared in the 1919 book of Edith Sitwell’s yearly anthology, Wheels: a collection devoted to his memory, and seven further poems published in periodicals in 1919 and 1920.
- Almost all of Owen’s poems were published after his death: the best-selling collection Poems (1920) contains 23 poems; The Poems of Wilfred Owen (1931) adds 19 poems; and The Collected Poems of Wilfred Owen (1963).
- Owen suggests in several of his war poems that the experience of war was surrealistic for him, such as when infantrymen dream, have hallucinations, begin freezing to death, advance after several nights without rest, lose consciousness from blood loss, or enter a euphoric state of fear or excessive guilt.
- Owen’s poem “Exposure,” which demonstrates his writing skill, depicts troops overpowered by nature’s anger and unpredictable behavior in the face of brutal wind and snow. A portion of the poem reads:
- In “Dulce et Decorum Est,” one of Owen’s poems, which was inspired by his experiences in January 1917, the horror of the gas assault and the death of a wounded man who has been thrown onto a wagon, are both vividly described.
- The terror escalates into a waking nightmare for the fatigued spectator, who looks hypnotically at his colleague in the wagon next to him as he is forced to keep marching.
Wilfred Owen Worksheets
This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Wilfred Owen across 20 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Wilfred Owen. His poems during the war dealt with the atrocities of the trench and chemical warfare.
Complete List of Included Worksheets
Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.
- Wilfred Owen Facts
- The Last Laugh
- A New Heaven
- Tribute Poem
- Mental Cases
- Acrostic Poem
- A Greater love
- Poetic Hero
- Poetic Images
- Illustrating the Poem
- A Victory Poem
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Wilfred Owen?
Wilfred Owen was a renowned English poet who gained recognition for his war poetry during World War I.
What were some of Wilfred Owen’s notable works?
Some of Wilfred Owen’s notable works include poems like “Dulce et Decorum Est,” “Anthem for Doomed Youth,” and “Strange Meeting.”
Another important idea in Gilroy’s work is the notion of “postcolonial melancholia,” which he explores in his 2004 book “After Empire: Melancholia or Convivial Culture?” This concept refers to the ongoing psychological and cultural effects of colonialism and imperialism and the ways in which they shape our identities, attitudes, and relationships.
How did Wilfred Owen’s war experiences influence his poetry?
Wilfred Owen’s experiences as a soldier in World War I greatly influenced his poetry, as he witnessed the horrors and futility of war firsthand. His poetry often reflected the grim realities and psychological impact of warfare.
When did Wilfred Owen live and write?
Wilfred Owen lived from 1893 to 1918 and wrote most of his poetry between 1914 and 1918.
What was Wilfred Owen’s impact on literature?
Wilfred Owen is considered one of the greatest war poets in English literature. His works have had a profound influence on subsequent generations of poets and have become iconic representations of the horrors of war.
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