I am both a history nerd and a poetry buff, and the natural intersection of these two has always been World War I poetry.
War poetry has always been a mixed bag, both because of its necessarily overtly political themes and because of a natural tendency toward the maudlin or the jingoistic. But perhaps due to the nihilistic view of the War by those who lived it, and perhaps also because of a surge of interest in poetry among young students at the time, and probably most of all because of the rapidly changing style of poetry, World War I produced a more abundant and talented crop of poets than many other wars to precede or follow it–even as it quickly mowed them down.
Now I’ve discovered a resource of particular interest to anyone with a brain like mine. It’s the First World War Poetry Digital Archive, and in addition to collections of letters, poetry, and other writings by some of the finest poets of the era, it features WWI-era photos, film, audio, and publications.
I love the internets.
