TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > English > World War I Poets - Sassoon
SASSOON’S LIFE
- He was born on 8th September 1886
- Came from a privileged background – Marlborough College and Cambridge University (studying Law then History)
- Joined the war and became an important poet who fought in the war
- He won the military cross for bringing a wounded soldier out of no mans land whilst under heavy fire from the enemy
- He felt contempt for those who saw in London and profited from the war
- He was wounded in April 1917 and sent back to Britain and this is when he met poet Wilfred Owen
- He published a pamphlet called “Soldiers Declaration” which could have had him court marshalled and sentenced to death, however intervention by his friends prevented this
- He went back to war and survived, unlike Owen
- He died in 1967
SASSOON’S ATTITUDES TOWARDS WAR IN HIS POETRY
- At first Sassoon saw the war as a Romantic and heroic
- Later, Sassoon’s feelings about the war changed radically and his idealism turned to bitter anger
- His poetry reflects the evolution of his attitudes towards war which begins with a vision of combat and exploit, reflecting glory and nobility, which is seen in poems such has “Because we are going” written in 1915 and ending with harsh realism and bitter accusation towards those in power.
- “Base Details” shows an angry and mocking attitude towards the officers for not experiencing the reality of war
- “The Hero” shows a contempt attitude for the soldiers who wanted to go home
SASSOON’S STYLE OF WRITING
- Harsh realism in his writing
- Tone of anger and disgust
- Use of direct speech
- Use of authentic vocabulary from military context
- Juxtaposition of contrasting detail
- Gives the reader sickening realistic details about death and dying
- Use of satire in his writing
- The fundamental nature of satire is writing that attacks or ridicules
wrong, evil or folly in its literary subjects
- Satire may be directed at institutions and philosophers, for example in
“They”
- Satire may highlight hypocrisy
- Satire maybe against indifference
Comments
These notes are aimed at A Level English students at A2 level.
Originally written by little one on TSR Forums.
