The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry (Penguin Classics)

In contrast to the other two reviewers, I find the organization and format of this anthology to be quite sensible: 5 clearly identifiable thematic sections, brief biographies of all the poets in the anthology, with the poems in the anthology clearly listed by name as well as the original source from which the poem was drawn, and a combined index of poems by first line and title. The introduction and the notes are especially useful for college students being introduced to British Trench Poets. I spent quite a bit of time considering anthologies of British Trench Poetry for a college course and decided upon Walter's because of its organization, biographies, index, notes, and sourcing--and also because it included not only the best known pieces by the best known poets --Owen, Sassoon, Brooke, Rosenberg et al--but also lesser known works by poets rarely included in WWI poetry anthologies. Editors are forced to make choices, and I feel Walter made some excellent ones--my students, too, have no trouble using this book. This anthology so obviously does not attempt to include poets/poems from other countries, to criticize it for not doing so would be like criticizing an anthology of German WWI poetry for not having included British WWI poetry.

An interesting collection of World War poems. Some of the greatest poets of the 20th Century are featured in this collection, and the reader is given access to some of the mindsets of the men who lost their youth to European battlefields.

Where would World War I be without its poets? Though Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon stand head and shoulders above the rest, the reader is exposed to a whole collection of lesser poets and their works, which only serve to transport one back to that hideous slaughter.Any study of WWI cannot be complete without the poetic words that helped shape the stark vividness of so much pointless battle. Penguin has put together a masterpiece--organization be damned. Just open it up and read...

Penguin Books organized these poems in a way that is appropriate for a reader to understand the war experience during one of the first "modern wars." It is a great collection that gives insight into the minds of people during the war.

Penguin has put together a top-notch anthology. I recommend it to those who are new to WWI writing and those who are familiar with these soldiers’ work.

This book , which I have read through more than three times is unique. It shows man at his best, creating while immersed in a living hell. It is also a song to the futility of this war. The poems chosen are excellent and many should be taught as part of every high school curriculum.

I had been reading about World War I , seeing a few films and this book on the poets ties it all up magnificiently. Thank you!

It is very moving, all the more as you realize so many of these poets died in their 20's. They developed a new kind of poetry out of their personal experiences in the needless, horrendous war.

There is no shortage of anthologies of WW1 poetry; “Up the Line to Death” and “Men who March Away” are just two that deserve note. Why then another? Well, George Walter’s edited Penguin Classics anthology has a number of distinctive qualities, not least a most thoughtful and accessible introduction. Its range of reference to not only the poets themselves, to other writers and to critics such as Stead and historians such as A. J. P. Taylor, is genuinely illuminating and offers within a short space some fresh perspectives on well-trodden ground. Mr Walter combines scholarship with a lucid, available style that offers much to established and new readers.What most marks out this splendid anthology is the selection of poems. The major poets are well-represented and Walter is not afraid to include the familiar, including Brooke’s “The Soldier” an extraordinarily beautiful poem for all that has been said of it. Rosenberg, Hardy, Sassoon, Owen et al all have their rightful places. I suppose it is where Walter moves away from the well known that gives the anthology its more distinctive feel. The surprises are not just names unrecognised; Pound is not the first name one would expect to find here and Vera Brittain is generally better known for her diaries than her poems. Many are in the vernacular of the time and this together with the thoughtful arrangement of the poems gives the anthology a freshness and immediacy, not that easy to achieve on this subject.The notes are clear, helpful and of equal use to student and “lay” reader.The few words above do much less than justice to this admirable achievement, but please don’t pass it by; the words, so many concerning death, leap from the pages with vibrant life.

A beautiful book. There is more to war than the heroism peddled by the powers that be and this book shines a light on the thoughts and feelings of those who chose to express their thoughts in poetic form.

Lovely book of poems from First World War. So many. Very enlightening to how the soldiers felt at that time. Well known verses as well as not so well known.

We must never forget the sacrifice.

Good book, good condition very fast delivery thanks. Need it for a literary group I belong to.