The Pity of War

   War and literature have always had a moving relationship. In the beginning, it was more about the nobleness of war and the idea that it was sweet and proper to die for your country. Authors and poets would write stories and epic poems about the magnificent conquests and retell tales of great heroes. It wouldn’t be until the beginning of the 20th century that people would be more susceptible to the true effects of war and discover its ugliness.

   Once World War One broke out, millions of men lined up outside of their local recruiting stations, to proudly service their respective countries. One of those men, who fought for the allied side, was an English soldier and poet, named Wilfred Owen. Just like how every man who enlisted thought they were going to be war heroes coming home to a victory, so did Owen. Unfortunately, Owen would never return home, but he will forever remain and true war hero, and with his many poems a true interpreter of the raw side of war.

 As a poet and a solider, Owen hold an important role in our society’s history and was responsible for how our perspective of war has changed. Since he graduated from Shrewsbury Technical School, he has always had a relationship with poetry and music. The poetry foundation would describe that he “manifested some stylistic qualities that even then tended to set him apart” (www.poetryfoundation.org). With his respective talents of writing, he would show the true consequences of war and how it was more than this noble façade. BBC’s websites calls his work “the most poignant English poetry of World War One” (www.bbc.co.uk). With his ability to capture the essence of war, it allowed the society that was not directly involve, look at war with a darker lens.

Even though his opinion of the war was not supportive, just like any other service member, he knew role in the war and found a deeper meaning of what it really means to find connections with his brothers at arm.  Jeremy Paxman, the author of the article “Why Wilfred Owen is the greatest war poet”, describes his relationship with his troop under his command. They looked at him as a voice they themselves could not articulate. Paxman states, “By the end of the First World War, he had become not only their advocate but a true military hero himself.” (Paxman). To find the true feelings of war and being capable of putting it in words is a true gift that is greatly under appreciated.  Owens troops recognized this and more importantly resonated with his poems. With that power, he would become a true and honest war hero.


Wilfred Owen wasn’t your typical war hero. Before his time, to be considered a war hero, you must’ve had done something brave and noble, which essentially meant you must have won more battles and defeated more enemy's. Winning battles and conquering the enemy may be considered a war hero on the surface, but a real hero makes an impact to this world for the greater good without looking for recognition. Owen would never see any of his work become what it is today and at the time he most likely wasn’t seeking to fame. In his humble opinion, he was trying to interpret the true pity of war.