Teaching World War I Poetry--Comparatively

The experimental poetic forms developed by Modernism and Vorticism in pre-World War I England failed to meet the needs of soldier-poets attempting to convey a whole new reality produced by their combat experience. "Teaching World War I Poetry-Comparatively" offers a plan for teaching English and German trench poetry side by side, with the aim of conveying to students how significantly cultural contexts and the institutions of publishing can influence the development of poetic forms. Such a procedure teaches students to counter national characterizations with specific historical and cultural analyses to account for the possibilities of poetic expression under ideological pressure in times of war. In addition to suggesting avenues for discussion, the essay offers readings of a variety of World War I poems to illustrate the accompanying analysis.