Wilfred Owen (Oxford Paperbacks)

Rating:
Summary: Enlightening look into the workings of a poet's mind.
Review: Anyone with an interest in the Great War and/or the poet Wilfred Owen will probably prosper from the reading of this book. Generally the book is an even and unbiased account of the social and poetic development of young Wilfred. Jon Stallworthy does an admirable job tracking Owen from a dreamy and slightly pompous school boy with an itch to be a famous poet into the man who is responsible for such works as: Anthem for Doomed Youth, Dulce Et Decorum Est, and Strange Meeting. The book also hosts a variety of photograghs featuring Owen, his friends, and family.

Rating:
Summary: A very good biography
Review: This is as complete a biography as there can be about a peculiar character. The author takes advantage of his friendship with Wilfred Owen's brother Harold, to get access to family documents and memories indispensable to get to know his subject better. The tone of the biography is balanced, objective and critical: it is not an elegy nor an attack.

Now, Wilfred Owen is one of the best poets of WWI, and his carrer is interesting and, above all, intriguing. Up until he's 20 or so, he's not a very likable character. His mother was a prudish Calvinist, tyranical and at times over-protecting, but she also supported Wilfred at every stage, especially in his early ambitions to be a great poet.

The interesting change is the one Wilfred experiences after he decides to volunteer for the Army. He changes, from being a pretentious, pompous and picky young man, to a courageous, strong, enduring leader. This change is best reflected in his attitude towards war itself: at first, he sees war as a glorious thing, a wonderful place to show grandiosity. Then, after bitter experiences, he realizes that war is not wonderful, but horrible, cruel, unjust. So the tone of his poetry changes from epic to lyrical. The interesting thing is that he is against war and its continuation, but in the meantime behaves bravely and disciplined in battle.

Another good thing about this book is its ability to capture the way of life, places, activities and feelings of that era.

This is, then, a book of interest for lovers of poetry and people who like to read about WWI.