Biography of Wilfred Owen, a Poet in Wartime

Wilfred Owen (March 18, 1893—Nov. 4, 1918) was a compassionate poet whos work provides the finest description and critique of the soldiers experience during World War One. He was killed towards the end of the conflict in Ors, France.   Wilfred Owens Youth Wilfred Owen was born to an apparently wealthy family; however, within two years his grandfather died on the verge of bankruptcy and, missing his support, the family were forced into poorer housing at Birkenhead. This fallen status left a permanent impression on Wilfreds mother, and it may have combined with her staunch piety to produce a child who was sensible, serious, and who struggled to equate his wartime experiences with Christian teachings. Owen studied well at schools in Birkenhead and, after another family move, Shrewsbury—where he even helped to teach—but he failed the University of Londons entrance exam. Consequently, Wilfred became lay assistant to the vicar of Dunsden—an Oxfordshire parish—under an arrangement designed so the vicar would tutor Owen for another attempt at University. Early Poetry Although commentators differ as to whether Owen started writing at the age 10/11 or 17, he was certainly producing poems during his time at Dunsden; conversely, the experts agree that Owen favored literature, as well as Botany, at school, and that his main poetic influence was Keats. The Dunsden poems exhibit the compassionate awareness so characteristic of Wilfred Owens later war poetry, and the young poet found considerable material in the poverty and death he observed working for the church. Indeed, Wilfred Owens written compassion was often very close to morbidity. Mental Problems Wilfreds service in Dunsden may have made him more aware of the poor and less fortunate, but it didnt encourage a fondness for the church: away from his mothers influence he became critical of evangelical religion and intent on a different career, that of literature. Such thoughts led to a difficult and troubled period during January 1913, when Wilfred and Dunsdens vicar appear to have argued, and - or because perhaps as a result of - Owen suffered a near nervous breakdown. He left the parish, spending the following summer recovering. Travel During this period of relaxation Wilfred Owen wrote what critics often label his first war-poem - Uriconium, an Ode - after visiting an archaeological dig. The remains were Roman, and Owen described ancient combat with especial reference to the bodies he observed being unearthed. However, he failed to gain a scholarship to university and so left England, traveling to the continent and a position teaching English at the Berlitz school in Bordeaux. Owen was to remain in France for over two years, during which time he began a collection of poetry: it was never published. 1915—Wilfred Owen Enlists in the Army Although war seized Europe in 1914, it was only in 1915 that Owen considered the conflict to have expanded so considerably that he was needed by his country, whereupon he returned to Shrewsbury in September 1915, training as a private at Hare Hall Camp in Essex. Unlike many of the wars early recruits, the delay meant Owen was partly aware of the conflict he was entering, having visited a hospital for the wounded and having seen the carnage of modern warfare first-hand; however he still felt removed from events. Owen moved to the Officers school in Essex during the March of 1916 before joining the Manchester Regiment in June, where he was graded 1st Class Shot on a special course. An application to the Royal Flying Corps was rejected, and on December 30th 1916, Wilfred traveled to France, joining the 2nd Manchesters on January 12th 1917. They were positioned near Beaumont Hamel, on the Somme. Wilfred Owen Sees Combat Wilfreds own letters describe the following few days better than any writer or historian could hope to manage, but it is sufficient to say Owen and his men held a forward position, a muddy, flooded dug-out, for fifty hours as an artillery and shells raged around them. Having survived this, Owen remained active with the Manchesters, nearly getting frost bite in late January, suffering concussion in March—he fell through shell-damaged land into a cellar at Le Quesnoy-en-Santerre, earning him a trip behind the lines to hospital—and fighting in bitter combat at St. Quentin a few weeks later. Shell Shock at Craiglockhart It was after this latter battle, when Owen was caught in an explosion, that soldiers reported him acting rather strangely; he was diagnosed as having shell-shock and sent back to England for treatment in May. Owen arrived at the, now famous, Craiglockhart War Hospital on June 26th, an establishment sited outside Edinburgh. Over the next few months Wilfred wrote some of his finest poetry, the result of several stimuli. Owens doctor, Arthur Brock, encouraged his patient to overcome shell-shock by working hard at his poetry and editing The Hydra, Craiglockharts magazine. Meanwhile, Owen met another patient, Siegfried Sassoon, an established poet whose recently published war work inspired Wilfred and whose encouragement guided him; the exact debt owed by Owen to Sassoon is unclear, but the former certainly improved far beyond the latters talents. Owens War Poetry In addition, Owen was exposed to the cloyingly sentimental writing and attitude of non-combatants who glorified the war, an attitude to which Wilfred reacted with fury. Further fueled by nightmares of his wartime experiences, Owen wrote classics like Anthem for Doomed Youth, rich and multi-layered works characterized by a brutal honesty and deep compassion for the soldiers/victims, many of which were direct ripostes to other authors. Its important to note that Wilfred wasnt a simple pacifist—indeed, on occasions he railed against them—but a man sensitive to the burden of soldiery. Owen may have been self-important before the war—as betrayed by his letters home from France— but there is no self-pity in his war work. Owen Continues to Write While in the Reserves Despite a low number of publications, Owens poetry was now attracting attention, prompting supporters to request non-combat positions on his behalf, but these requests were turned down. Its questionable as to whether Wilfred would have accepted them: his letters reveal a sense of obligation, that he had to do his duty as poet and observe the conflict in person, a feeling exacerbated by Sassoons renewed injuries and return from the front. Only by fighting could Owen earn respect, or escape the easy slurs of cowardice, and only a proud war-record would protect him from detractors. Owen Returns to the Front and Is Killed Owen was back in France by September—again as a company commander—and on September 29th he captured a machine gun position during an attack on the Beaurevoir-Fonsomme Line, for which he was awarded the Military Cross. After his battalion was rested in early October Owen saw in action again, his unit operating around the Oise-Sambre canal. Early in the morning of November 4th Owen led an attempt to cross the canal; he was struck and killed by enemy fire. Aftermath Owens death was followed by one of World War Ones most iconic stories: when the telegram reporting his demise was delivered to his parents, the local church bells could be heard ringing in celebration of the armistice. A collection of Owens poems was soon created by Sassoon, although the numerous different versions, and the attendant difficulty in working out which were Owens drafts and which were his preferred edits, led to two new editions in the early 1920s. The definitive edition of Wilfreds work may well be Jon Stallworthys Complete Poems and Fragments from 1983, but all justify Owens long-lasting acclaim. The War Poetry The poetry is not for everyone, for within Owen combines graphic descriptions of trench life—gas, lice, mud, death—with an absence of glorification; dominant themes include the return of bodies to the earth, hell and the underworld. Wilfred Owens poetry is remembered as reflecting the real life of the soldier, although critics and historians argue over whether he was overwhelming honest or overly scared by his experiences. He was certainly compassionate, a word repeated throughout this biography and texts on Owen in general, and works like Disabled, focusing on the motives and thoughts of soldiers themselves, provide ample illustration of why. Owens poetry is certainly free of the bitterness present in several historians monographs on the conflict, and he is generally acknowledged as being the both the most successful, and best, poet of wars reality. The reason why may be found in the preface to his poetry, of which a drafted fragment was found after Owens death: Yet these elegies are not to this generation, this is in no sense consolatory. They may be to the next. All a poet can do today is to warn. That is why the true Poets must be truthful. (Wilfred Owen, Preface) Notable Family of Wilfred Owen Father: Tom OwenMother: Susan Owen

Marco Polo in Renaissance Free Essays

Born in 1254 in Venice, Marco Polo is today a well-known figure of pre-Renaissance travels, and for his ground breaking travels to lands never before Journeyed by Europeans. He was an Italian traveler and author, and spent the majority of his life traveling and exploring. His father Nicola and uncle Miffed, both merchants, had conducted business and trade in Constantinople (now known as Istanbul) and the Crimea. We will write a custom essay sample on Marco Polo in Renaissance or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, when Genoas merchants, rivals to the Italian Polo’s, took over trade in Constantinople, Nicola and Miffed were forced to find alternative trade opportunities. Thus, in 1260, they set out to the north of the Caspian Sea and reached Babushka (which was on the caravan route to China) and remained there for 3 years. Thereafter, in 1263, Joining the Persian envoys, they made their way to visit the Mongol Emperor Kabuki Khan in Changed (near present Beijing). To arrive there, they traveled the Silk Route via Samara Sand, the Northern Tibetan desert and the Mongolia Steppes. Upon their arrival, Kabuki Khan commissioned them to return with 100 missionaries to convert his nation to Christianity in opposition to the heartening Islamic armies. Over the next 3 years the Polo brothers traveled via Babushka, Persia, Syria and Acre (near Jerusalem) to arrive back home in Venice in 1269. The return to China In 1271, at the age of 17, Marco Polo accompanied his father and uncle back to China, visiting Acre to collect a letter from the newly elected Pope Gregory X for Kabuki Khan. They also collected a flask of oil from the Holy Land and 2 Dominican monks (who were later to desert the Pools) from Gregory X to deliver to the Khan. In the hopes of revealing to India by sea, the Pools traversed Persia to the mouth of the Persian Gulf, Horror. Yet, unsuccessful at finding a suitably safe boat, they continued traveling by land in a North-Easterly direction through Persians deserts and mountains to Karakas (now Khakis), on the Chinese border. As Marco Polo was ill, they waited here for a year to rest, after which they continued Journeying up the River Ox’s (now AMA Dairy). They traveled through the Hindu Cush and Pamper mountains, (home of the large horned sheep that now bear Marco Polo’s name), after which they traveled along the ringer of the Take Make desert to the region of Lop Nor in Sinking Province, China. Finally they crossed, by meaner of camel caravan, the Gobi Desert to reach (3 and a half years after leaving Europe) Kabuki Khan’s court in Changed in 1275. The Pools were the first Europeans to reach most of the territory they had covered, particularly the Gobi Desert and Pamper mountains. Marco Polo’s experiences in the Orient Marco Polo became an agent on numerous missions to various parts of the Mongolia Empire for 17 years as a part of the Khan’s diplomatic service. As part of his duties, he Journeyed through Tibet as well as along the Yanking, Yellow and upper Mekong rivers. He was probably also the first European to set foot on Burmese soil. It is believed he visited countries as far field as Siberia to Indonesian archipelago. He also visited the Mongolia capital at Khartoum. It is also believed that Marco Polo was city governor for Yanking (now Honchos) for three years from 1282 to 1285. During all this time, Marco’s father and uncle served as military advisors to the Khan. As the Khan aged, the Pools were uneasy as to the Empire’s soundness. In 1292 the Polo’s escorted the Mongol princess to Persia, where she was to be married to the Persian Khan. They traveled for two years, having to use a sea route as war prevented the use of the land route. With a crew of 600 and a 14-ship fleet, they sailed from Sustain (today known as Quantico) on China’s coastline to Horror. On their way to Horror they Journeyed through Sumatra, the Strait of Malice, past Sir Lankan, past the Madman and Nicolai Islands, reaching the city in 1294. By this time, however, only 18 of the original crew had survived, and the Persian Khan had died a year earlier, leaving the Mongolia Princess to marry his son. Finally, 24 years after the commencement of their travels, the Pools returned to their hometown of Venice in 1295. By that stage they were very wealthy, as they had sewn precious gems and stones to their clothing for safekeeping. When Venice went to war with Genoa, Marco Polo was a captain in the Venetian fleet. However, he was taken prisoner by the Genomes in 1298, and during his imprisonment dictated the history of his travels to inmate Rustically of Pisa, a writer of romances. When he was released from prison in 1299, he returned to Venice where he married, had 3 daughters, and later died in 1324. He was buried next to his father in the church of Lorenz. Polo’s Legacy The account of Polo’s travels, first brought to light in French as Liver De Marseilles du Monde, later translated to The Travels of Marco Polo, is most probably the most influential travel book in history. Providing the reader with distinct descriptions and orphic detail, this account provided pre-Renaissance Europe with an influential and revolutionary knowledge of the geographical make-up, history and life of the Orient. Although known to be somewhat exaggerated with fabulous extravagances, this book became the foundation for the first correct maps of Europe and Asia. The Polo’s ultimately inspired Christopher Columbus’ interest in the East and spurred him on to set off on a new west-ward route to the Orient in 1492, and later spurring Vases dad Gamma to round the Cape of Good Hope in another new voyage in 1497. How to cite Marco Polo in Renaissance, Papers

Clean Energy free essay sample

Energy is Possible First of all, energy comes from many sources like oil, coal, nuclear and wood. These four sources and others are dirty energy. There is clean energy like the solar, wind, water, and kinetic energy. Both of them cause bad or good problems I agree with writer with some points and I disagree with hem on other points. First I agree with him with the point the one that he talks about burning wood and coal causes a lot of pollution in the atmosphere also burning oil is dirty when the car burn the gasoline. And I agree with him about the â€Å"nuclear power is very dirty, there are three parts to use nuclear power. The first is mining it, the second is processing it and the third is using it in a power station. Nuclear supporters† advertise nuclear power as clean energy. Advertising is not always truthful. It’s true it’s clean until there an accident, and accidents always happen. We will write a custom essay sample on Clean Energy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In fact, there is no industry that has no accidents. In addition, â€Å"getting the uranium out of the ground to process into plutonium for nuclear power stations is a very dangerous risky business for workers. Uranium mining often causes terrible poisoning of people and land. Nuclear power stations, when there are leaks also cause the same problems: cancer, death, food supplies destroyed† (Cox amp; Hill, 2007) Now we have know that the nuclear and oil and wood is very dirty. The clean energy I can give an example about the clean energy solar energy, solar energy is so clean energy because it not causing any trouble because it came from the sun. But the problem is the clean energy is to expansive, and that why governments don’t use it to much. For the I just give some example about dirty and clean energy’s and I hope so that governments all over the world find the best solution how to fix that big problem causing the world global warning and people life’s are in dinger from the bad energy’s and all the money of the world don’t cost to make people life’s in risk.

Richard Nixon Essays (556 words) - Richard Nixon, American Quakers

Richard Nixon I am writing a report on a significant person in U.S. history. The person I chose is Richard Nixon, the thirty-seventh president of the United States. Richard Milhous Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California in 1913. His Father, Frank Nixon, had many failing businesses that took the family different places. His mother, Hannah Nixon, had two boys before Richard. They both died young After high school, Nixon attended Duke University to study law. He tried twice to become class president. Finally he succeeded. Soon after his college schooling, Nixon enrolled in the Navy. War broke out and he was sent to fight. He was stationed at Green Island however; he never saw any combat action. He was a ration distributor. When discharged, he had acquired the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Soon after discharge he was brought into politics. His stance of anti-communism made him well respected. Good in debates, Nixon was a shoe-in. Soon he began his political struggle. He challenged Jerry Voorhis for a district seat in the California House of Representatives. Amazingly, he won. After acquiring some political power, he decided to move up more. He soon set his sights on the U.S. Senate. He defeated the expected senator; Ms. Helen Douglas. Since he won the senate he set his eyes on a bigger prize; vice president was his next goal. He was voted in with President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He went through many political high points, such as the Caracas Mob incident, where Nixon was taken hostage. The Kitchen Debate, noted as a high point for Nixon, where he and the Russian leader, Nikita S. Khrushchev, discussed issues in a kitchen. With Eisenhower he served two terms. Nixon's next goal was to become the President of the United States. In 1960, John F. Kennedy and Nixon ran for presidency. As it turned out, Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson won by only 120,000 votes which isn't much in this type of race. It was believed Kennedy bought Texas and Illinois. Johnson soon became president after Kennedy's assassination. Now Nixon would try presidency once more. Nixon beat Hubert Humphrey with some political strategy. He told the citizens of the U.S. he would stop the war in Vietnam and make it better. In the long run he made it worse. He would be, soon, our first president to resign. It was when Nixon pulled off a huge upset for his second term. At first, nobody thought anything of it. Burglars broke into the Watergate Hotel stealing Democratic plans. Soon tempers rose, and fingers started to point at Nixon. He was becoming angry and short-fused. While they were drafting articles of impeachment, Nixon resigned to escape impeachment. It became to be one of the most embarrassing moments in U.S. history. After leaving office he lived a secluded life with his family in California. On April 22,1994, former President Nixon dies. I liked this book because of the way they illustrate his life through pictures. It was also informative and it provided me with a better feel on Nixon. I knew he was a president but I did not know what he did while in office. I learned that Nixon didn't want segregation to end and that Nixon played such a big part in Watergate. History Essays

The Two Meanings of Apprehend and Apprehension

The Two Meanings of Apprehend and Apprehension The Two Meanings of Apprehend and Apprehension Although spelled in the same way in each case, apprehend can be used to mean two different things. The same is true of apprehension. Get up to speed with how these terms should be used so that you can write with flair and confidence. Apprehend (Understand or Capture) The verb apprehend has two main meanings. The first is to understand or learn something. If we were struggling to understand someone, for instance, we might say: I cannot apprehend your meaning. The second sense of apprehend is to arrest and detain a suspected criminal. When used in this context, the word would appear in a sentence like this: The suspect was apprehended at midnight, carrying the stolen goods. Apprehension (Understanding or Anticipation of Misfortune) One common sense of the noun apprehension corresponds to the first definition of apprehend above, as it refers to understanding something: Your son has good apprehension of algebra. The second meaning of apprehension is anticipation or misfortune, usually characterized by fear or anxiety about the future. When used in this context, it would appear in a sentence like this: Mary was full of apprehension before taking to the stage to perform. Although apprehension can be used to describe apprehending (or capturing) a criminal, it is an unusual term in this context. If you would like more advice about word use, or to have a 500-word sample of your writing proofread for free, get in touch with the professionals at Proofed today!

Unfunded Educational Mandates and how they creat Non-Market Failures Research Paper

Unfunded Educational Mandates and how they creat Non-Market Failures - Research Paper Example Over the years, significant mandates have been put forth in relation to employment, persons with disabilities, water and air pollution, and equal opportunities in education. The debate on mandates have been long-standing historically primarily due to the implied fiscal responsibilities impinged on local districts. Redistribution of state funds becomes necessary to allocate budget for federal mandates. There are other non-fiscal consequences of mandates as well. With federal mandates, a generic solution is provided for highly sensitive issues underplaying the diversity factor in each state or locality. â€Å"The initiative of state and local governments to pioneer innovative approaches is undermined as a result† (Posner, 1998, p. 6). However, despite these continuing issues, mandates have proven resilient since inception, and policy makers [i.e. Congress] remain positive on their position in creating federal mandates. The first major wave of federal mandates happened between 1960’s and 1970’s which included essential issues such as environment, civil rights, and education (Posner, 1998). Specifically, in the mid-1960’s, the state government increased its authority and intervention in education. As pointed out by Fusarelli (2009), â€Å"a crucial reason for a fundamental shift in the state education role is the widespread loss of confidence in local educators and their communities† (p. ix). In 1983, the loss of confidence in local education revolved around children with special needs. In recent times, the No Child Left Behind Policy (NCLB) became the driving force behind an increase in the state-mandated laws in education. Perhaps one of the more formidable issues emphasized by individuals advocating against state-mandated laws, especially in education, is funding. Most, if not all, mandates come with price tags that become additional budgetary burdens for local districts. Sink (2010) borrows the

Media analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media analysis - Essay Example They often perceive that marriage is the only way that a man and woman may get to know each other sexually (MacQueen, 2003). That was God’s wish. However, today, it is not hard to see even married couples looking for pleasure outside their marriage. That is the aim of this poster. It is not fair to assume that it is promoting promiscuity rather trying to find a safe way in which people engaging in sex, have the safest method to do this. From a gender perspective, it is likely to hear very many judgemental things about this poster. The first thing that will be talked about will be the girl’s willing nature to get to the point of getting in the poster. Society has a mentality about how women or girls should behave. They do this not knowing that they have a part to play in the growing of society as much as the male species (Nelson, 1999). A gender perspective can be termed as the analysis of a situation, mostly sociological, based on the sex of the parties involved. In the above poster, there is the presence of both sexes. The male position in such a poster is considered as being normal (Nelson, 2001). However, the female role is looked at as being wrong. When a woman is seen to appear in such poster and/or advertisements, it is often attributed to where she is coming from. It is often understood that they are as a result of broken homes. For example, an alcoholic and abusive father, a mother who does not pay attention to her and all sorts of things (Okely, 1996). This is a common misconception that many people in society have. It is otherwise known as stereotyping. Not all people who appear in such advertisements came from such homes. Some people appear in them due to the feeling of creating change among their peers. It is some of these thoughts that are often misconstrued. Society thinks that they are out to benefit themselves or to make their parents feel guilty for something. The generation present now is referred to as the microwave