Written Analysis - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... Germany was severely punished which led to World War II as many historians believe. There are many articles and books that contain writings including poets about the war with different themes. In this paper I will try explaining different themes according to different sources used and relate them to contemporary issues of gender, war and trauma.
In addition to the many events that marked the beginning of the First World War, Stephen MacDonald wrote a play known as Not About Heroes that takes a courageous glance into the lives and works of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon who were war poets. The play is based upon their time in Craiglockhart War Hospital in 1917 where Owen was recovering from shell-shock also known as neurasthenia while Sassoon was being kept in there after he made a declaration against the war which was announced in the House of Commons and was declared to be suffering from shell-shock to provide an explanation of his outbursts. Sassoon is a well established and connected man and Owen a timid, stammering fan that grows to a confident determined poet whose creativity was unlocked after meeting his friend Sassoon. This book portrays the friendship of the two men and their war poems.
The strong relationship formed between soldiers, the memories and experiences they had, the writings and literature skills and the sacrifices made by the soldiers in the war are among the themes in this book. Owen says that he is only concerned with the war and not poetry, for him poetry is in the pity. He is not concerned with honor or power or fame and glory, just War.”
MacDonald tries to shun open reference to the sexuality of either the two. He represents their relationship as emotional which somehow seems to embarrass them this is seen when Siegfried feels glad that he was not seen embracing Wilfred and also in the description of Sassoon in his letters as “Dearest of Friends”
Owen shows shyness and his determination by saying he will be a poet and he ...Download file to see next pagesRead More