Knowra Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Sassoon (1886–1967) was an English poet and writer whose poems and memoirs drew on his First World War service and his opposition to the war.
First World War : A global conflict fought from 1914 to 1918, chiefly between the Allied and Central Powers. Sassoon served on the Western Front and made the war the subject of much of his writing.
The Old Huntsman and Other Poems : A 1917 poetry collection by Siegfried Sassoon, including poems about soldiers and the First World War. It brought his sharply satirical war poems to a wider audience.
Robert Graves : An English poet, novelist, and critic who served in the First World War and became a lifelong friend of Sassoon. Graves helped Sassoon avoid a court-martial after his 1917 protest by arranging a psychiatric assessment.
Patriotic poetry : Poetry that expresses attachment to a nation and may celebrate its people, history, or military causes. Sassoon’s antiwar poems challenged the patriotic language used to sustain public support for the conflict.
Western Front : The principal theatre of land combat between the Allies and Germany during the First World War. Its trenches and battles supplied the immediate setting for Sassoon’s wartime experience.
Counter-Attack and Other Poems : A 1918 poetry collection by Siegfried Sassoon, notable for its graphic depictions of combat and trench life. Its title poem exemplifies his direct, unsparing treatment of battlefield violence.
Wilfred Owen : An English poet whose poems about the First World War describe its violence and the suffering of soldiers. Sassoon encouraged Owen’s writing and helped shape the publication of his poetry.
Wilfred Owen's poetry : The body of poetry by Wilfred Owen, much of it depicting the violence and suffering of the First World War. Owen’s compassionate focus on soldiers differs from Sassoon’s frequent use of satire and accusation.
Georgian poetry : A movement in early twentieth-century British poetry, associated with the Georgian Poetry anthologies and often with rural subjects and traditional forms. Sassoon’s early poetry appeared in the literary culture associated with this movement.
Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man : A 1928 novel by Siegfried Sassoon, presented as the memoir of the fictional George Sherston. Its fictional form recasts Sassoon’s prewar life and became the first part of his Sherston trilogy.
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