Wilfred Owen's book, Wilfred Owen, is an exhaustive and thorough exploration of the life and works of the famous World War I poet. Drawing heavily on archival material, private correspondence, and biographical material, Wilfred Owen examines the major aspects of Owen's life, from his family, upbringing, and education to his time at the Front and later experiences as a poet. Additionally, the book looks at Owen's literary output, examining the influence of poetry on his own life and on the greater understanding of war between public audiences and individuals. The book aims to provide an intimate understanding of Owen's life while contextualizing his writings within a larger framework of British literature and post-World War I understanding of the conflict.
In the first chapter, the author, Vivien Noakes, presents an introduction to Wilfred Owen, focusing primarily on his life, family, and upbringing. Here, Noakes details Owen's family background and what it meant for him to live in Shropshire as a military family. Additionally, Noakes details Owen's educational background, highlighting the importance of the classics, religion, and modern literature to his own self-expression. This section demonstrates how Owen's early upbringing would shape his later work.
In the second chapter, Noakes looks at Owen's breakthrough as a poet. First, she discusses his education at Technical College in Bordeaux, where Owen first encountered the writing of Siegfried Sassoon. For Owen, Sassoon's writing represented the combination of 'bloody realism' and classical allusions that would define his own style. Following this, Noakes details Owen's career in the army and his work as an observation officer, which allowed for more reflective pieces. As a result of these two influences, Noakes explains, Owen ultimately wrote his own versions of Sassoon's poems about the realities of the war.
In the third chapter, Noakes dives into the themes of Owen's writing, highlighting his usage of language, imagery, and form. Exploring example like Owen’s “Dulce Et Decorum Est”, Noakes demonstrates how Owen used metaphor and concrete detail to evoke the physical and emotional pain of the battlefield. She also highlights his emphasis on the power of poetry to communicate the individual's experience and to broaden the understanding of the war.
In the fourth chapter, Noakes looks at the way Owen's work achieved recognition and appreciation after his death in 1918. Drawing on archival material, Noakes illustrates the various ways in which Owen's influence expanded, through contemporary editorial efforts and the adoption of his work by school programs. Her analysis is particularly poignant when contrasted with the ambivalence to Wilfred and his writing during his lifetime.
Finally, in the fifth and last chapter, Noakes provides a conclusion to the book. She notes that Owen's legacy can be seen as a direct comment on the displacing of personal experiences by the differently popularized accounts of war and an articulation of the value of literature as an expression of understanding and empathy. Noakes notes that Owen's work, decades later, continues to provide a model for anyone who seeks to express themselves in difficult circumstances.
In sum, Wilfred Owen is a rich and thorough exploration of one of the most important poet's of the 19th and 20th centuries. Drawing on archival material, biographical stories, and discussions of Owen's many works over his lifetime, Noakes' book provides a detailed narrative of how Wilfred's writing expressed a personal perspective on the power of language. By examining how Owen's writing was informed by his upbringing and his military experience to how his work was later appreciated by audiences, the book ultimately serves as an intimate and informative look at one of the most impactful poets in British history.
