Violets from Oversea (Poets of the First World War)

The "war poets" have become synonymous with World War I. This account of poetry in World War I features 25 poets, including Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, Robert Graves and Rupert Brooke, among many others. Some of the poets glorified the war; some hated it. Some wrote poems specifically about events of the war; others focused on perennial human concerns. Some, like Robert Graves, went on to distinguished post-war careers; some, like Rupert Brooke, did not survive.The best-loved poems of each poet are featured, as well as a biographical summary that places the poet firmly in the battlefield context in which the poems were written. The Holts are the foremost authorities on the battlefields of World War I and know specifically where each poet served and where each is buried, in the case of those killed in action.The book's 40 color illustrations include a portrait of each poet, captioned with rank, unit and major decorations won, as well as 15 other scenes of the war.